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cedonian tetters ; a race among whom Freedom had taken up her 

 ancient abode, and Virtue delighted to reside. 



Alexander, in his pursuit, arriving at the Oxus, called by the Ori- 

 entals Gihon, that vast river (now lost in the sands) which formed the 

 ancient barrier between the empires of Iran and Turan, was astonished 

 at the magnitude of the river, which was three quarters of a mile in 

 breadth, of proportionable depth, and extremely turbulent and rapid. 

 All the timber in the neighbourhood had been designedly cut down 

 by Bessus, so that there existed no possibility of constructing rafts ; 

 and every fragment of a vessel had been destroyed. Thus cir- 

 cumstanced, the bravest and most experienced generals of his army 

 despaired of prosecuting farther the pursuit of Bessus and the con- 

 quest of Northern Asia. It is on occasions arduous and momentous 

 as these, that true Genius displays the genuine stamp of its celestial 

 descent, and rises superior to the dictates of fear and the pressure of 

 danger. Alexander, after some reflection, having read that the first 

 boats were made of wicker, covered with hides, (as in fact those of 

 the old Britons were,) determined upon trying the experiment ; and 

 ordered all the skins, used by the army for the covering of their tents 

 and baggage, to be stuffed with straw and other light materials, 

 and so strongly sewed together, as to resist the entrance of the 

 water. On these, firmly compacted in the short space of five days, 

 he safely transported his whole army to the opposite banks, and 

 immediately commenced his march for Nautaca, whither he had 

 been informed Bessus had retired. In his Avay thither, he received 

 intelligence, by deserters, that the greater part of the Bactrian horse 

 had left Bessus and dispersed, and, shortly after, heralds arrived from 

 Spitamenes and other Persian officers, most in his confidence, with 

 intelligence that they had risen upon the bloody usurper, had bound 

 him in chains, and were ready, on certain conditions, to surrender 

 him in that state to Alexander. With those conditions the king 



