240 On the Sites of Nikaia and Boukephalon. [No. 3. 



The question then is, which of these courses was pursued by the 

 Akesines when Alexander crossed it. Now, I doubt whether the cur- 

 rent of the river, when it flowed beneath Hummeerpoor, would have 

 sufficed for the effects attributed to it by Arrian. The declivity is not 

 sufficient nor are the boulders there of a size to be dangerous to boats. 

 I therefore incline to think the Akesines held its present course ; and 

 we have next to see what motives could have induced Alexander to 

 deviate from the direct line of advance toward India and to have neg- 

 lected the ferries at Wuzeerabad, Ramnugur and Pool. 



Alexander, after his conquest of the Jetch Doaba (the land between 

 the Jelum and Chenab) found in his front the river Akesines, more 

 than a mile in breadth, and swollen by the rains and melted snow. 

 On the farther bank lay the army of Porus the 2nd, ready to oppose 

 him. And that prince had probably secured or destroyed all the 

 boats lying within his reach, as we know the first Porus to have done 

 at the Hydaspes. Alexander had tried the valor of the Rajpootres, 

 and had found them the most formidable of the tribes of Asia. On 

 the other hand, Abisares, the king of the mountains in whose skirt 

 he was encamped, had placed his kingdom* at his disposal ; and the 

 brother of Abisares was in Alexander's camp as a hostage for the 

 good faith of Abisares. It was obviously Alexander's sane policy to 

 cross the Akesines within the territory of Abisares, which must have 

 extended at least to Thoob, and probably southward of that taloquh, 

 as at this day. My impression therefore is, that Alexander crossed the 

 river at the Kana ke Chuk ferry, where the Akesines is precisely 

 as described by Arrian, a torrent hurling along in its course large 

 rocks dangerous to navigators. If this surmise be correct, Alexan- 

 der's course would have been through Runjeet Gurh upon Sialkote, 

 the ancient capital of the Powars,f in order to route the forces of 

 Porus the 2nd. This prince having shown the white feather, Alexan- 

 der sent a force in pursuit of him, and continued his own course, 

 guided no doubt by the importance of the towns ahead, or of the 



* 'Ev rovTCf) 5e irapd re 'APurdpov irpeafieis ^kov } ivdiSovTes abrov re 'A\€^dpSpcf> 

 % Afii<rdpr\v Kal t)]V x<*>P av ^ (r, J $ ^PX 6 ' & c * Ka ^ T0,/ aScXcpbv rbu avrov %vv to? 

 aWois irpiafSecri irap 'A\4^av5pov e7re^€. Arrian, v. 20. 



f The name Porus is manifestly derived from Pooroowar now corrupted into 

 Powarr. The Pooroowars were Rajas of Sealkote. 



