[ 268 ] 



the stream, and join him. The king himself, with the troops 

 accompanying him, having arrived safely at the rock, lost no time in 

 crossing over to the island on rafts and vessels, which had been 

 previously brought to the rock, and put together in its concealing 

 woods. While they were thus employed, there fell a tremendous 

 storm of thunder and lightning, with torrents of rain, sufficient to 

 terrify and obstruct the progress of any soldiers but those of Alex- 

 ander. Those determined warriors, so far from being dismayed by 

 the conflicting elements, heard with joy the dreadful solstitial 

 thunders which concealed from the ears of the enemy the rattling of 

 their armour and the dashing of the oars. Alexander himself, 

 with Ptolemy, Perdiccas, Lysimachus, Seleucus, and others, his 

 most experienced generals and beloved friends, braved the storm in 

 a vessel of thirty banks of oars, and landed in safety on the island 

 just as the day which was to decide the fate of Porus began to dawn ; 

 at which period the roar of the thunder ceased and the tempestuous 

 sky became suddenly serene. The island was rapidly traversed by 

 the army, and the vessels, coming round to the opposite side, again 

 received the troops, and landed them in the face of the advanced 

 guard of Porus, which instantly galloped off at full speed to acquaint 

 the Indian sovereign of the approach of the enemy in that un- 

 expected quarter. As the corps of infantry successively arrived, and 

 the horse landed out of the boats in which they had been ferried 

 over, on the eastern shore of the Hydaspes, Alexander, who, still 

 foremost in every station of more imminent danger, had first ascend- 

 ed the bank, in person attended to form the debarking troops, and 

 draw them up in order of battle. When the whole number, amount- 

 ing to six thousand foot and five thousand horse, was completely 

 landed, he placed himself at their head, and marched forward in 

 quest of the foe. It unfortunately happened, however, and was 

 speedily discovered, that they had, from their ignorance of the 



