540 À KAZEM-BEG, 
«Thus said the wise (monarch Iskender): who can now find means of surmounting this (difficulty 
ï. e. resisting the war-elephants)? — There sat together the wise men (of the Empire) and 
gave.up themselves, more, or less, to the study of discovering a remedy. An assembly 6f smiths 
was called in which the most skilfal men of the profession were gathered together from among 
the Greeks, Egÿyptians and Persians, whose number wäs even an hundred times thirty. These made 
a horse of iron and à rider of iron whose saddle was likewise. made of iron. They now joined 
together the chinks with naïls and copper and fitted up the rider, the horse and the body (of 
the engine); which, bemg put on wheels, they drove into the presence of the king.: The 
inner part of all was filled with Vaphtha, brimstone and straw. — Iskender saw it ET ap- 
proved ït; the wise monarch perceived its advantage; (therefore) he ordered that twelve thou- 
sand ençines should be constructed of iron, even the:horses and the riders. All these (represented) 
5 
pied horses, grey-horses, bay- horses and black horses; which were equipped and put in front 
of the army. — The riders of the vehicles droye on the iron (squadron), and there was none 
among them but brave , warlike men. 
When Iskender approached Faur, and the enemy perceived this army, there arose noise 
from both sides and the battle was commenced. The warlike Kürds advanced. The elephants 
attacked Iskender, whose army , out of dread, was bathed in water (1. e. perspiration): Now-they put 
fire to the. horses and the Naphtha: all the army of Faur was amazed. When. flames  rushed 
out of the smoking Naphtha, then started the Elephants and Faur and the army. When thus 
the enemys troops, seeing the elephants in confusion, abruptly took to flight, the leaders of 
the elephants strived once more by wounding them with their axes to turn. the vehement: beasts 
back (towards Iskenders army); but as soon as their trunks caught fire the leaders totally lost 
their power over them: the wild elephants threw themselves with promptitude back into the 
Indian army and Iskender with the swifiness of a strong wind followed and ASE the troops 
of the infidels».... | 
In Aderbijan and Daghistan the use of common carriages, called by them Ærabah (à cor- 
ruption of the Persian cle) , for defence in the field or any open place agaïnst the attack of 
the strong enemy, was kept up till the last century, and many instances of it are préserved in 
the memory of several old men whom I know. These carriages were jomed together around or 
at the front of the defendants as a fortification, from the centre of, or behind which they fired 
upon the enemy whilst they themselves remained covered by it. Up to the present day, the 
caravans travelling in Aderbijan and Daghistan, during the night, when they wish to repose 
themselves, unharness their horses and arrange their carriages in a circle, putting the fore-part 
of the one on the hind-part of the other. This circle is called by them Æraba-sengheri 
(Lo a)}C or men al 1) I. €. fortification made of carriages, answering lo the wagen- 
burg of this day, and it is intended as a defence against robbers and higwaymen , for travellers. 
The use of this kind of fortificaton is said to have been common to the Chinese during their 
wars /b, I shall put before the reader a short description, concerning this subject, given by 
Bb The method of fortification in China in later centuries has become more refined. It was chiefly im- 
proved by the Jesuit Missionaries; in this respect father Adam Schaol, and after him Father Verbiest, ren- 
dered the Chinese important services. Read » Wolume de supplément» to the « Histoire générale de la Chine &c. 
traduite par le feu Père Jos. Anne-Marie de Moyriac de Mailla. » T. XIIL. p. 454. 
