BOOK IX. II. 4-7 



II. But the largest number ot animals and those WhaUa, 

 of the largest size are in the Indian sea, among them lther\erl 

 whales covering three acres each, and sharks 100 ells large species. 

 long" : in fact in those regions lobsters grow to 6 ft. 

 long, and also eels in the i-iver Ganges to 300 ft. The 

 monsters in the sea are mostly to be seen about 

 the solstices. At those periods in that part of the 

 world there are rushing whirlwinds and rain-storms 

 and tempests hurthng down from the mountain 

 ridges that upturn the seas from their bottom, and 

 roll with their waves monsters forced up from the 

 depths in such a multitude, Hke the shoals of tunnies 

 in other places, that the fleet ^ of Alexander the Great 

 deployed its column in line of battle to encounter 

 them, in the same way as if an enemy force were 

 meeting it : it was not possible to escape them in 

 any other manner.*^ They are not scared by shouts or 

 noises or uproar, but only by impact, and they are 

 only routed by a violent coUision. There is an 

 enormous peninsula in the Red Sea called Cadara, 

 the projection of which forms a vast bay which took 

 King Ptolemy twelve days and nights of rowing to 

 cross, as it does not admit a breath of wind from any 

 quarter. In this tranquil retreat particularly the 

 creatures grow to a huge motionless bulk. The 

 admirals"^ of the fleets of Alexander the Great have 

 stated that the Gedrosi ^ who hve by the river Arabis/ 

 make the doorways in their houses out of the 

 monsters' jaws and use their bones for roof-beams, 

 many of them liaving been found that were 60 ft. 

 long, Also great creatures resembling sheep come 



"* Nearchus and Onesicritus. 



* The inhabitants of the modern Makran 



■'' Either the Purali or the Habb. 



167 



