Chap. II. 
the East Indies. 
i Gedrojians ; in paffing thro* whole Country Alexander loft 
more People, than in all his Indian Expedition befides. The 
i Gedrojians inhabit likewife that Country, within-land, on 
i the Maritime Coafts of which, dwell the Ichthyophagi , 
that is, the Fijh-eaters , on whofe Coafts they failed ; and 
weighing Anchor on the firft Day, at the fecond Watch, 
they failed 600 Stadia, before they arrived at Bagifara , 
where they found a very convenient Harbour for the Fleet. 
The City of Pafira lies 60 Stadia within-land ; and the 
; adjacent Country is inhabited by a Nation of the fame 
'Name. 
The next Day they failed very early ; but, meeting with 
a rocky Promontory, which ran a great Way out into the 
Sea, they were obliged to fail round it ; and, 011 their fink- 
ing Weils on the Shore, they had a great deal of Water, 
but brackifh : That Day they remained at Anchor, the 
Shore being unfafe. They came the Day following to 
■ Colt a, at theDiftance of 200 Stadia ; and, failing the next 
Morning early, they made that Day 600 Stadia, and an- 
chored off Calama , where they found a few Palm-trees, 
with green Fruit upon them. There lay an Ifland 100 
i Stadia from the Shore, called Car nine ^ where Nearchus 
was very hofpitably entertained by the Inhabitants of the 
Village, who prefented him with Sheep and Fifti. The 
Flefti of their Sheep had a fifthy Tafte, like that of Sea- 
fowl, and for the fame Reafqn, becaufe they feed on Fiih ; 
for in that Country they have no Grafs. 
7. The next Day they proceeded 200 Stadia, and found 
a Village, at the Diftance of thirty Stadia from the Shore, 
which was called Cyfa , but the Coaft is called Carhis. Here 
they met with fome fmall Fifhing-boats, but at the Sight 
of the Fleet they fled. There is no Corn to be met with 
on this Coaft •, but fome of the People, going on Shore, 
caught a few Goats, which they brought on board : They 
1 then doubled a Promontory, which ran 1 50 Stadia into the 
Sea, on the other Side of which they met with a fafe 
Port, where there was great Plenty of Water, and a Vil- 
lage inhabited by Fifhermen. The Name of this Port was 
Mo far no. Here Nearchus met with one Hy dr aces , a Ge- 
drofian Pilot, who, at his Requeft, failed with them, and 
promifed to carry them fafely to Carmania. All the Coaft 
from hence to the Perfian Gulph is much better known, 
and the Sailing much Iefs difficult. 
The Fleet weighed from Mofarno in the Night ; and, 
having failed 750 Stadia, arrived at Balomum ; from whence 
they proceeded to Barna , which lies at the Diftance of 400 
Stadia from thence ; and here they found Plenty of Palm- 
! trees and Gardens. In thefe Gardens there was Abundance 
of Myrtle, of which, and of other Flowers, the People 
m ade Garlands : And this was the firft Place in which they 
found Trees cultivated, and People who were civilized. 
From thence failing 200 Stadia, they came to Dendrobofa , 
where they did not go on ffiore. Weighing from hence 
in the Night, they continued their Voyage to the Port of 
Cophanta , at the Diftance of 400 Stadia. This Town 
likewife was inhabited by Fifhermen, who had fome fmall 
> pitiful Boats, which they did not row, after the Grecian 
manner, with Oars, but with Paddles: In this Place they 
met with Plenty of Water, very good. 
In the firft Watch of the Night, they weighed from 
thence ; and arrived, after paffing 800 Stadia, at Cyiza ; 
but the Shore being extremely fteep and rocky, they re- 
mained on board their Ships. Sailing from thence 500 
Stadia farther, they arrived off a fmall Town, Handing 
upon an Hill, not far from the Shore. Nearchus thought 
it probable, this Country was cultivated •, and Archias , the 
Son of Anaxidotus , a Pellean , a Perfon of Diftinftion 
: amongft the Macedonians , gave it as his Opinion, that they 
fhould poffefs themfelves of the City ; for the Inhabitants 
refilled to part with Corn: Yet the taking of it appeared 
■ impracticable, becaufe they had not Leifure to befiege it. 
On the one hand, however, they were in great Want of 
Bread ; and, on the other, they had good Reafon to be- 
lieve the Place was not deftitute of Provifions, becaufe they 
had met with fome full Ears of Corn, fwimming in the 
Sea, not far from the Coaft. After confidering the Mat- 
; ter maturely, it was refolved, that the Fleet fhould pro- 
ceed, or, at leaft, feem to do fc ; and Nearchus having given 
Archias neceffary Inftrudlions, in his own Ship, call An- 
chor before the Town, in order to manage the Bufinefs. 
He accordingly approaching, as near as he could, to 
the Town, and fpeaking to the Citizens on the Walls, in 
a friendly manner, in order to obtain Refrelhments, they 
brought him fome Cakes, made of Fifti dried and baked 
[for thefe, being the Jaft of the Ichthyophagi , did not eat 
their Fifh raw, as the reft did] ; fome Dates, and other 
Things, which, with them, were e deemed Rarities ; which 
when they had kindly accepted, Nearchus defired £0 fee 
the Town ; and, as they did not refufe him, he, and thole 
who were with him, went into it, leaving two Archers at 
the Gate : Then himfelf, and two others, with the Inter- 
preters, mounted the Walls on that Side ; and having given 
the Signal to Archias that was agreed between them, the 
State of Things was eafily underftood, as foon as that Sig- 
nal appeared ; and the Macedonians immediately ran their 
Ships clofe in to the Shore, and began to make a Def- 
cent : Upon which the Inhabitants took Arms. Nearchus 
then commanded the Interpreters to make Proclamation, 
that, if they would fave their City, they muft furnifk the 
Army with Corn. At firft, they denied they had any 
Corn, and endeavoured to force them from the Walls ; 
but Nearchus , and his Archers, letting fly among them, 
they were foon forced to retire ; and now, finding that the 
City was taken, they were forced, as Suppliants, to apply 
to Nearchus , and befeech him, that, accepting all the Corn 
they had, he would be pleafed to fpare the Place. 
Hereupon Nearchus gave Orders to Archias to fecure 
the Walls and the Gates, himfelf fending others thro’ the 
City, to fee that they fairly brought forth what they had. 
The People fhewed them a great Quantity of Meal, made 
of dried Fifti ground, but very little Bread-corn. After 
they had taken as much as they thought might ferve them, 
they failed to a Rock, which the Inhabitants called Bagia y 
and held it facred to the Sun. Weighing from thence, in 
the middle of the Night, they failed 1000 Stadia to TaU 
mena , a very fafe Port, well fecured from all Winds. 
Thence they failed 400 Stadia to Canafida , a deferted City, 
in the Neighbourhood of which they found a Well, near 
which grew fome wild Palm-trees, the tender Tops of 
which they cut down, and eat ; for they were, by this 
time, again in great Want of Provifions. Ail the next 
Day and Night they continued their Voyage, under the 
great Inconvenience of perpetual Hunger, being ft ill on a 
barren Coaft, where Nearchus would not fuffer them to 
Land, for fear, in this defperate Condition, they might 
be tempted to defert their Ships. 
8. They continued their Voyage, therefore, 750 Stadia 
to Canate ; but, finding the Landing difficult, they pro- 
ceeded ftill 800 Stadia farther, to a Place called Troefos. 
On this Shore there were fome fmall, pitiful Villages, the 
Inhabitants of which had quitted their Houles : However, 
they found in them a little Corn, and fome Dates. The 
People had alfo left behind them feven Camels, which 
they immediately killed, and eat. They put to Sea again , 
by Break of Day ; and, having rowed 300 Stadia, they ar- 
rived at Dagaftra , which was inhabited by Shepherds ; and, 
continuing their Voyage the whole Day and Night, with- 
out Intermiffion, after a Run of 1100 Stadia, found them- 
felves clear of the Country of the Ichthyophagi , but in ex- 
treme Want ; for, even there, they could not go afhore, 
becaufe the Coaft was rocky and fteep. 
The Length of this whole Coaft, which they had now 
failed, was about 10,000 Stadia ; and tho* the People are 
called Ichthyophagi from their eating Fifth, yet they can 
fcarce be ftiled Fifhermen, few of them having any Boats, 
or knowing how to go out, and catch Fifth, but taking 
them on the Strand, as they are left by the Tide : Some 
of them have Nets, that will extend two Stadia, which are 
made of the Leaves and Boughs of Palm-trees, wrought in 
an aukward manner : With thefe they fpread the Shore 
about the time of Ebb, and fo catch a Waft Quantity of 
Fifth, of all Sizes. The fmall ones they eat raw, as foon 
as they are taken out of the Net ; the larger and firmer 
Fifh they dry in the Sun, till they grow perfectly hard, 
and then grind them into’ Meal, of which they make Bread : 
Some of them, likewife, fry this 'Meal into a fort of Pan- 
3 „ cakes ; 
