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and, while that superstition made them shudder at the idea of pol- 

 luting it themselves, by any species of filth, thrown from vessels, 

 the dread of invasion from a quarter in which they were so defence- 

 less induced them to prohibit the entrance of foreigners into their 

 dominions, by any maritime inlet, under penalties extremely ri- 

 gorous. To render that event impossible by the channel of their 

 two great rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates, they effectually 

 dammed up the mouths of those rivers with immense engines ; to 

 remove which cost Alexander, when his fleet, under the command 

 of Nearchus, sailed, by the route of the Persian Gulph, into Mesopo- 

 tamia, no small portion of time and labour. At length, roused to a 

 sense of danger by the accounts brought to the court of Persia of the 

 maritime genius of Greece, and of the great naval armaments fitting 

 out in the various ports of that nation, their brave and aspiring neigh- 

 bour, the Persian sovereigns broke through the fetters of their ancient 

 superstition, and, by the assistance of the Phoenicians, and even of the 

 Greeks themselves, I mean the Ionic and Carian Greeks, constructed 

 a navy, and ploughed the forbidden ocean. In this new project, am- 

 bition also had a considerable share, and it was a desire of ascertain- 

 ing the exact point at which the Indus meets the ocean, as well as 

 of exploring and conquering the western provinces of India, that in- 

 duced Darius to fit out at Caspatyrus, a city on the Indus, and in 

 the territories of Pactyia, the modern Pecchely, the fleet so celebrated 

 in history, of which he gave the command to Scylax, a Grecian of 

 Caryandria, a city of Caria, and sent with him others in whose nau- 

 tical skill he placed an entire confidence, with express orders to 

 sail down the current of that rapid river ; diligently to observe the 

 countries that lay. on. either side of it; to enter the southern ocean 

 beyond it; to coast along the Persian and Arabian shore; to enter 

 the Red Sea by the Straits of Babelmandel ; and, finally, sailing up 

 that Gulph, to land in Egypt, at the same place whence Nccho, 



