Chap. II. of the East Indie §. 
felves Indebted for almoft all the Knowledge they acquired 
of this Part of the World, to the Expedition of Alexander ^ 
and the Confequences of that Expedition : Among thefe, 
the moil remarkable was the Voyage of Near chits , from 
the Mouth of the River Indus , along the Coaft of Perfia, 
through the Gulph of the fame Name, to the Mouth of 
the River Euphrates. 
This Voyage Near chits not only conduced in Perfon, 
but wrote alfo a very accurate and diftind Account of it, 
which, in his own Words, is in a great meafure preferved 
in the Indian Hiftory of Arrian \ is frequently quoted by 
Strabo and Pliny ; and was indeed confidered, by all the 
great Writers of Antiquity, as the moll curious and au- 
thentic Piece of its kind that was then extant. It was for 
the fame Reafon, that the judicious and induftrious Ramu- 
fio inferted it in his Collection •, and our voluminous Col- 
lector Samuel Purchas has an ExtraCt of it in his Work, 
but abridged, mangled, and interfperfed with many of 
thofe Impertinencies, with which mod of his Relations 
are filled. 
One thing I mull obferve, even with regard to Ramu- 
Jto , the ableft Man, beyond Companion, that ever under- 
took a Labour of this Kind ; and that is, that he has not 
obferved any Order of Time in his Collections, which, as 
I apprehend, is of the utmoft Importance to the Under- 
ftanding the Hiftory of Difcoveries : And it was for this 
Reafon, which, I doubt not, the Reader will approve, 
that I rather chofe the hard and laborious Method laid down 
in the firft SeCtion of this Chapter, than the eafier Way 
of adding Voyage to Voyage without any Connection •, 
which might have indeed entertained, but never would 
have anfwered the End of InftruCtion fo well as the Track 
we are now in. 
2 . We are told by Near chits himfelf, that when Alexander 
had, with fo much Pains and Labour, failed down the 
River Indus to the Southern Ocean, he was extremely de- 
firous to purfue his Navigation along the Coafts of Perfia , 
and fo into the Gulph, through what was then called, as 
the fame Writer exprefly tells us. The Red Sea ; but was 
checked in this Defign from an Apprehenfion, that, in fo 
long a V oyage on an unknown Coaft, where many unfore- 
feen Difficulties might be met with, and his Fleet be ex- 
pofed to many Hazards, fome unlucky Accident might 
happen, that might tarnilh the Glory of his former Suc- 
cess, and expofe him to a Reverie of Fortune, which, of 
all things, he moft feared. He therefore determined to 
intruft the Command of his Fleet to fome experienced Of- 
ficer, rather than make the Expedition in Perfon : But, as 
he informed Nearchus , he not only found the Choice of fuch 
an Officer extremely difficult ; but, what gave him moft 
Pain, thofe on whom he had call his Eyes for this Service, 
endeavoured all of them to decline it ; fome through Fear* 
others through Lazinefs, and others again from an earneft 
Defire of returning to their own Country , which gave him 
Reafon to doubt, that an Expedition, the Confequences of 
which he forefaw were of the laft Importance to his Syftem, 
might be abfolutely overturned. 
Nearchus , touched with the Concern which Alexander 
Ihewed upon this Occafion, frankly offered him his Ser- 
vice. ‘ I, O King, faid he, will undertake the Direction 
e of the Fleet ; and, if Providence fecond my Defires, will 
c conduit it, and the Soldiers embarked thereon, if this un- 
4 known Sea be navigable throughout, and the Induftry of 
8 Man can overcome the Hardlhips that may be met with 
e therein, fafe to the Coaft of Perfia .’ Alexander , at firft, 
refufed to accept this Offer \ told him, he was unwilling to 
expofe one, for whom he had fo great a Regard, in fo dan- 
; gerous an Enterprize : But, when he faw Nearchus fixed in 
<i his Refolution, he, at laft, complied, applauded his Mag- 
1 nammity, and immediately declared him Admiral and Com- 
: mander in Chief of his Fleet, 
. The News of this Choice quieted the Minds of the Sol- 
diers and Sailors, who were to be employed in the Expe- 
( for, well knowing the King's Tendernefs for his 
’ ^ nen os, and how high Nearchus flood in his Efteem, they 
conceived, that this Voyage would not be attended with 
the Difficulties they had figured to themfelves ; and there- 
1 * or * e refumed their Spirits, and began to prepare for it with 
: great Alaciity„ They were likewife .mightily encouraged 
.Numb, a § 4 
46'i 
by the Pains the King himfelf took in failing down 'both 
Chanels of the Ganges , and by his magnificent Sacrifices 
to the Gods of the Ocean for their Safety. This fuffi- 
ciently fhews, that what Alexander did on this Occafion, 
proceeded not from a fuperftitious Nature, but from a re- 
fined Policy ; " for he well knew, that, to excite and 
ftrengthen the Courage of fuch as are to encounter them:, 
is the fame thing as leffening the Dangers to which Men are 
expofed. 
3- Nearchus followed in this the Example of his Matter \ 
for, as foon as the Seafon of the Year would permit, that 
is, in our Author’s own Words, when the Etefian Winds 
ceafe to blow, or, in our Language, when the Monfoon 
fets in, he weighed Anchor on the twentieth of Auguft, when 
Cephifodorus was Archon at Athens , and in the eleventh Year 
of Alexander’s Reign, having firft facrificed to Jupiter the 
Saviour, and celebrated Gymnaftic Games. The firft Day 
he failed lower towards the Mouth of the Indus , to a Place 
called Stura , at the Diftance of about ioo Stadia, where 
he remained two Days ; the third Day he weighed from 
thence, and proceeded thirty Stadia down the River, to a 
Place called Caumana , where he obferves the Water remained 
fait, even after the Ebb ; which fhews in how low a State 
Navigation was in thofe Days. 
They failed thence to Coreatis , at the Diftance of about 
twenty Stadia ; but here, or at leaft when they weighed 
from hence, they met with great Difficulties ; for, feeing 
that the Mouth of the River was, in a manner, blocked 
up with Rocks, the Coaft fteep, and the Sea running high, 
they were afraid to make much Way •, but, at laft, finding 
the Rocks foft, they cut a Chanel five Stadia in Length, 
through which, with the Afiiftance of the Tide, the Fleet 
paffed fafely into the Sea. They then failed one hundred 
and fifty Stadia, and clifcovered a fandy Ifland, called Cro - 
cala ; on the Coaft of which they remained another Day : 
The Coaft oppofite to this Ifland was inhabited by the Ar- 
bians , an Indian Nation, fo called from the River Arbis ; 
which, running through their Country, falls into the Sea, 
dividing their Territories from thofe of the Oritans. 
Sailing from Crocala , they had on their Right Hand a 
Mountain called Irus , and, on their Left* a low marfhy 
Ifland ; which ftretching towards the Shore, made a nar- 
row Gulph or Bay. In this Arm of the Sea, they found 
a very fafe and convenient Port ; which, becaufe it was 
large and fair, Nearchus thought fit to call Alexander’s 
Haven. Againft the Mouth "of this Flaven, at the Di- 
ftance of about two Stadia, lay an Ifland, which was called 
BibaRa ; but all the adjacent Country was comprehended 
under the Name of Sangada * The Ifland before-mentioned 
rendered the Port perfectly fecure, which was a great Com- 
fort to the Macedonians ; becaufe the Winds were now ex- 
ceedingly high and tempeftuous. Nearchus , that he might 
fecure the Forces under his Command from any Attempts 
of the Barbarians , caufed the Camp, in which they lay oil 
fhore, to be fecured by a good Retrenchment, well lined 
with Stone •, and here he lay twenty-four Days. 
It is very eafy to account for this Accident, which hap- 
pened at the Time of the Year when the Monfoon is not 
thoroughly fet in, when there are commonly Storms in 
thefe Seas •, and it is likewife no difficult Thing to appre- 
hend, how Nearchus , and his Seamen, came to be fo ex- 
tremely timorous and cautious • for, in the firft place, they 
weie failing through Seas abfolutely unknown to them , in 
the next place, the Shape and Size of their Veffels rendered 
them unfit to live in a rough Sea ; and, which was, perhaps, 
the greateft Inconvenience of all, they had no Stock of 
Provifions, but depended intirely on what they could, from 
time to time, get on fhore : While they lay in this Camp,, 
the Seamen took abundance of Water-mice, and OyfterS 
of a very large Size, called Solenes and found the Water, 
when they attempted to drink it, very fait. 
4 . The Wind being allayed, Nearchus again weighed An- 
chor , and, having made about fixty Stadia, found himfelf on 
a fandy Coaft : An Ifland that lay near it, arid was defert, 
iormed a tolerable Port ; the Name of which Ifland was- 
Doma ; but no Water being found on the neighbouring 
Coaft, they were forced to go to a Meadow at the Diftance 
of about twenty Stadia, where there were good Springs. 
The next Day, having failed till it was Evening, and having, 
5 K- made 
