THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 455 



The expedition of Alexander into India was, of all events; 

 that which molt threatened the destruction of the commerce 

 of the Continent, or the difperfing it into different channels 

 throughout the Eaft : Firft, by the detraction of Tyre, which- 

 muft have, for a time, annihilated the trade by the Arabian 

 Gulf; then by his march through Egypt into the country of 

 the Shepherds, and his intended further progrefs into Ethio 

 pia to the head of the Nile. If we may judge of what we hear 

 of him in that part of his expedition, we mould be apt not to 

 believe, as others are fond of doing, that he had fchemes of 

 commerce mingled with thofe of conquefts. His anxiety 

 about his own birth at the Temple of Jupiter Ammon, this 

 firft quefdon that he aiked.of the prieft, " "Where the Nile 

 had its fource," feemed to denote a mind bufied about other, 

 objects ; for elfe he was then in the very place for informa- 

 tion, being in the temple of that horned god *, the deity of 

 the Shepherds, the African carriers of the Indian produce ; 

 a temple which, though in the midft of fand, and deftitute 

 of gold or filver, pollened more and better information con- 

 cerning the trade of India and Africa, than could be found 

 in any other place on the Continent. Yet we do not hear 

 of one queilion being made, or one arrangement taken, re- 

 lative to opening the India trade with Thebes, or with Alex- 

 andria, which he built afterwards. 



After having viewed the main ocean to the fouth, he 

 ordered Nearchus with his fleet to coaft along the Periian, 

 Gulf, accompanied by part of the army on land for their 

 mutual amftance, as there were a great many hardfhips 



1: which. 



* Lucan,iib* 9. ver. 51 c, 



