1852.] On the Sites of Nikaia and Bou/cephalon. 239 



Of the course of Alexander after the victory on the Hydaspes, the 

 following notes are offered as aid to those whose position near the 

 scene may enable them to prosecute the enquiry. Curtius altogether 

 omits notice of the Akesines or Chenab. Arrian truly describes it as 

 being more than a mile wide during the monsoon. But he adds,* the 

 great danger to the boats was from the power of the current, and the 

 huge stones hurled down thereby. 



In the present day, and at the ferries ordinarily used by armies in 

 their passage to Lahore and Umritsir, the Chenab is a less rapid river 

 than the Hydaspes, and far less dangerous ; being spread over. an im- 

 mense surface of the finest sand. In order to find shingle we must 

 ascend above the junction of the river Tahi of Jumboo, with the 

 Chenab, and in order to find large shingle and a torrent capable of 

 hurling it along, we must ascend to the Kana ke Chuk ferry, four 

 miles below Aknoor, where indeed the torrent is fearful and the 

 boulders are of massive size. 



But it must be borne in mind, that the river Akesines is liable at 

 this point to considerable fluctuations of course. The slope of the 

 earth is South West, but the direct line of issue of the river from the 

 mountains is due South, and there can be little doubt that if ever 

 this river has been a mountain lake, on its escape from the moun- 

 tains, its main stream rushed down southward, whilst its inferior cur- 

 rents followed the natural level and streamed past Hummeerpoor, 

 about eighteen miles further west. But ages of tranquillity enabled 

 the main stream to pursue the natural level of the country, and, 

 seventy years ago, the Akesines rolled past Hummeerpoor. Then 

 came a memorable drought and famine, and at its close the river 

 came down in a flood of such power as to bear onward in the direct 

 course southward as far as Thoob ; a course which it retains to this 

 day, although the old channel (a considerable river) still runs under 

 Hummeerpoor. 



* Eij/ai yap 'tva i^zpaaev 'AxQavSpos avrbv iirl ruu icXbiav tc Kal ru>v di<p0epu>v 

 £vv rfj <TTpa.Tiq,, rb /xhsf pev/xa 6*v rov 'AKeaivov, Trerpais fieyaAais Kal o^eiais, KaQ' &v 

 <pep6(ievov fSia Tb Vda>p Kv/xaiveff6al re Kal* KaxXafeiW rb 5e evpos araSlovs iirex €iv 

 irevTGKalSeKa. Kal to?s /xev 877 inl tqov SupO^puv irepSxriv ev(j.aprj yeveaOai rbv 

 ir6pov' robs 8' iu ro?s irkotois Siafiatvovras, eiroKGiXdvrwv iro\\a>v irKoloov iirl reus 

 irsrpais Kal £vvafipax6ePT(i)V, ovk oAiyovs avrov eV ru> vSart diacpdaprjvai. Arrian, 

 lib. v. cau. 20. 



