J 842. J from the West and North-west 569 



Arigeeum, deserted and in ruins. There was a very severe battle fought 

 here, which ended in the complete defeat of the natives, and the capture 

 of 230,000 head of cattle, remarked as of very fine breed. Thence 

 Alexander marched against the Assaceni, passing through the territory 

 of the Guraei, (Lughman,) and crossing the river of that name (now the 

 Koner or Kama,) which Arrian states as rapid, and difficult of passage, 

 because of the large round slippery stones in its bed. On the eastern 

 banks of the Koner river, was the city of Massaga, somewhere near 

 Pooshoot, which was captured with great difficulty ; and some mercena- 

 ries of the garrison, stated to have been of Indian race, were incorpo- 

 rated with the Grecian army. 



From Massaga, Alexander marched to Bazira, without crossing 

 another river, shewing evidently, that Bazira must be the present 

 Bajaor. He expected it to be surrendered without a siege, but was 

 disappointed, and hearing that relief was coming from Ora, which is 

 probably the present Punjkora, he marched with his main army first 

 against that place, leaving a detachment before Bazira to watch it. 

 Ora being reduced, the inhabitants of Bazira evacuated the city, and 

 took refuge in the difficult post of mount Aornus, under which lay 

 Embolima, which Alexander occupied. This mountain will probably 

 be that to the south of Bajaor, and between it and the Kabool river. 

 The dislodgement of the enemy proved a matter of extreme difficulty, 

 because of the steep ascent of the mountain. Ptolemy, however, with 

 some light troops effected and made good a lodgment on the ridge, 

 aided by an attack from which, the rock was at last stormed and 

 carried. 



After this, Alexander marched north to Dyrta, (which is evidently 

 the present Dhyr,) because he heard that the king of the Assaceni was 

 making head in the upper part of the valley of the Koner, that is, in 

 Chitral and Little Kashghur. From hence he crossed to the Indus by 

 a route, which required the labour of his whole army to render at all 

 passable. He arrived on the bank of that river at a place where there 

 was a forest, from which he cut timber to make rafts and boats, with 

 which he floated down to Attuk, where the bridge of boats had already 

 been built for him by Hephaestion and Taxiles. In the country 

 between the Kophenes and Indus, Nysa, the city of Bacchus, is said 

 to be situated, from whence Alexander received a deputation. Its site 



4 F 



