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have been four furlongs, or nearly half an English mile, in width ; 

 proportionably deep, and exceedingly turbid and impetuous, from 

 the same cause that rendered the main stream of the Indus so dan- 

 gerous to the army, the floods, occasioned equally by the rains and 

 the melted snows, rushing down from the mountains in still more ac- 

 cumulated torrents; for, it was now the height of the summer solstice. 

 It was in no place fordable ; and, added to this, the white surges, 

 that every where broke furiously upon its ruffled surface, proved that 

 the river rolled on a bed of rock and massy stones ; threatening those 

 who should attempt to cross it, in barks of such slight fabric as those 

 used at the Indus, with inevitable destruction. From this formidable 

 foe, the Macedonians turned their eyes to another still more me- 

 nacing, an army of thirty thousand foot, seven thousand horse, three 

 hundred armed chariots, and two hundred elephants, drawn up in 

 dreadful array of battle, resolved resolutely to dispute their landing, 

 should they be able to effect a safe passage over that rapid stream. 

 This army, too, was by no means composed of men enervated and 

 spiritless, like their Persian foes ; they were a hardy and fearless race, 

 tall in stature, and of a robust make ; a race, trained from their in- 

 fancy to war under an intrepid monarch. A train of selected 

 elephants, of the largest size, sumptuously arrayed in all the gor- 

 geous trappings of Eastern magnificence, in appearance like so 

 many lofty towers, stood ranged along the banks, prepared with 

 their ponderous feet either to trample down the assailing host, or 

 dash them to pieces with their enormous probosces. Porus him- 

 self, mounted on the most majestic of those animals, and as well in 

 stature as in valour and wisdom exceeding the subjects he com- 

 manded, shone above all, conspicuous by the glittering of his golden 

 armour and the chains of precious stones suspended from his neck, 

 or sparkling in the plumes of his tiara. 



The stake on either side was great, and the efforts of the con- 



