BOOK VI. XXVI. 96-99 



to begin with, no sufficiently clear account is 

 given of the position of the city of Timbertown, 

 founded by Alexander, -which was their starting 

 point, nor is the river on which it stood indicated. 

 Nevertheless they give the foUo^ving places worth 

 mentioning : the town of Arbis, founded by Nearchus 

 during his voyage, and the river Arbium. navigable 

 by ships, and an island opposite to Arl)is, 8| miles 

 distant ; Alexandria, founded in the territory of 

 this race by Leonnatus at the order of Alexander ; 

 Argenus, with a serviceable harbour; the navigable 

 river Tonberum, in the neighbourhood of which are 

 the Parirae ; then the Fish-eaters, covering so wide 

 a space of coast that it took 30 days to sail past them ; 

 the island " called the Isle of the Sun and also the 

 Couch of the Nymphs, the soil of which is red in 

 colour, and on which all animals without exception 

 die, from causes not ascertained ; the Ori tribe ; 

 the Carmanian river Hyctanis, afFording harbourage 

 and producing gold. The travellers noted that it 

 was here that the Great and Little Bear first became 

 visible, and that Arcturus is not visible at all on some 

 nights and never all night long ; that the rule of the 

 Persian kings extended to this point ; and that 

 copper, iron, arsenic and red-lead are mined here. 

 Next there is the Cape of Carmania, from which it 

 is a passage of five miles to cross to the Arabian 

 tribe of the Macae on the opposite coast ; three 

 islands, of which only Oracta, 25 miles from the main- 

 land, has a supply of frcsh water and is inhabited ; four 

 islands quite in the gulf, off the coast of Farsistan — - 

 in the neighbourhood of these the fleet was terrified 

 by sea-serpents 30 ft. long that swam alongside — ; 



" Now Ashtola. 



413 



