“9 
& 
_s 
THE SOURCE OFTHENILE. 609 
it had turned back behind them, and that they had left it as 
far north as lat. 11° They reported then to Alexander what 
‘was truth, that they had afcended the Nile as far fouth as lat. 
‘9°, where it unexpectedly took its courfe to the caft, and was 
feenno more. The river, moreover, was not known, nor to 
be heard of near the Lime, or farther fouthward, nor was 
it diminifhed in fize, nor had it given any fymptom they 
were near its fource ; they had found the Nile calentem, (warm) 
while they expected its rife among melting fnows. 
“Tus difcovery (for fo far it wasone) of the courfe of 
the river to the eaft, feems to have made a ftrong impreflion 
on Alexander’s mind, fo that when he arrived at near the 
head of the Indus, then {welled with the thawing fnows of 
mount Caucafus, and overflowing in fummer, he thought 
he was arrived at the fource of this famous river the Nile 
which he had before feen in the weft, and rejoiced at it ex- 
ceedingly, as the nobleft of his atchievements *; he imme- 
diately wrote to acquaint his mother of .it; but being foon 
convinced of his error, and being far above propagating a 
falfehood, even for his own glory, he inftantly erafed what 
he had wrote upon that fubject. This however did not en- 
tirely diffatisfy Alexander, for he ‘propofed an expedition in 
perfon towards thefe fountains, if he had returned from 
India in fafety. } 
Vor. IIL ap eS Non 
* Arrianus de Exped. Alexandr, lib. vi. 
