BOOK VI. XXVI. 99-1 oi 



the island of Aradus and that of Gauratae, both 



inhabited by the Gyani tribe ; at the middle of the 



Pcrsian Gulf the river Hj-peris, navigable for mer- 



chant vessels ; the river Sitiogauus, up which it is 



seven days' voyage to Pasargadae ; the navigable 



river Phrystimus ; and an island that has no name. 



The river Granis, carrying vessels of moderate size, 



flows through Susiane, and on its right bank dwell the 



Deximontani, who manufacture asphalt ; the river 



Zarotis, the mouth of which is difficult to navigate 



except for those familiar with it; and two small 



islands. Then comes a shallow stretch of water like 



a marsh which nevertheless is navigable by way of 



certain channels ; the mouth of the Euphrates ; 



a lake formed in the neighbourhood of Charax by 



the Eulaeus and the Tigris ; then by the Tigris they 



reached Susa. There after three months' voyaging 



they found Alexander celebrating a festival ; it was 



seven months since he had left them at Patala. 



Such was the route followed by the fleet of Alexander ; Sea-rmte 



but subsc(juently it was thought tliat the safest Hne is {TTndia. '" 



to start from llas Fartak in Arabia with a west wind 



(the native name for which in those parts is Hippalus ") 



and make for Patale, the distance being reckoned 



as 1332 miles. The following period considered it 



a shorter and safer route to start from the same cape 



and steer for the Indian harbour of Sigerus,'' and for a 



long time this was the course followed, until a mer- 



chant discovered a shorter route, and the desire for 



gain brought India nearer; indeed, the voyage is 



made every year, with companics of archers on board, 



because these seas used to be very greatly infested 



by pirates. 



* Probably Jaigarlx. 



