1852.] On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. 231 



this place almost no deposit of clay from the waters of the Hydaspes. 

 But that such a prodigy has never happened to the Hydaspes since 

 first these islands were formed is sufficiently manifested by their strata. 



The Hydaspes has been deflected from the natural level of the 

 country which fall from N. E. to S. West at right angles with the Pir 

 Punjab, by the thrust of the rock south of Mungla; which has 

 turned it somewhat uphill toward the east. Of course the aggregate 

 efforts of the river for centuries will be to find the natural level of its 

 stony pavement, to enlarge its Western channel by wearing the right 

 bank of that channel and to abandon gradually the Eastern channel. 

 Therefore to calculate the effect upon the channels of the Hydaspes 

 of 2200 years of these efforts, let us take a single year and suppose 

 that in that period, the banks are wasted in twenty-four places, to 

 an average depth of four yards and an aggregate length of 600 

 yards : in the space intervening between Mungla and Jelum equal to 

 twenty-four miles. In the course of 2200 years this wastage dispersed 

 over that extent of channel will have increased its average breadth of 

 800 yards to 813 yards. So that supposing no deluge to have hap- 

 pened to the Hydaspes in that period, the channel will be now thirteen 

 yards wider than at the passage of Alexander. It is certain that were 

 the wear three or four times as great as here assumed, it would not 

 materially alter the features of the river. 



We have yet to examine the old sites upon the Hydaspes at and 

 opposite the modern town of Jelum, which I suppose to be Bouke- 

 phala and, though less certainly, Nikaia. The first evidence Alexander 

 gave of his great and dominant energy and of his practical judgment 

 was in taming the wild horse Boukephalas.* It became an important 

 part of his history and all his great deeds were performed from the 

 back of Boukephalas. Can it be wondered that the death of his old and 

 tried companion should powerfully affect Alexander, who though the 

 wisest and most politic of all conquerors, was impelled not by the 

 love of acquisition, but the thirst of renown, imbibed by him in his 



* BovK€^)d\as , ts ant&davev avrov, ov fi\7]9els Trpbs ovSevbs, aAA* virb Kav/mar6s Te 

 teal rjXiKias' ^\v yap an(pl ra rpiaKoura ^rrj, Kafxcuryphs yevd/Aevos, iroAAa 5e irp6crdev 

 ^vyKafxwv T€ Kal avyKivdvVQvcras 'Ahe^disSpcp, avaf$aiv6fAtv&s re irpbs (jlouov 'AAe^dvSpov 

 6 BovKecpaXas ovros, e 6ri robs aWovs irdvras airrj^iov a.fxfidTas f Kal (Atyedet /Ueyas, Kal 

 too Qvp.w yevvaTos. Arrian, v. 19. 



