About the 8th of this month he reached the river Arabis, having
coasted along among rocks and islands, the passage between which was narrow
and difficult.
The distance between this river and the Indus is nearly
eighty miles, and the fleet had occupied almost forty days in completing
the navigation of this space. During the greater part of this time, they
were very scantily supplied with provisions, and seem, indeed, to have
depended principally on the shell-fish found on the coast. Soon after
leaving the mouth of the Arabis, they were obliged, by the nature of the
shore and the violence of the wind, to remain on board their ships for two
nights; a very unusual as well as inconvenient and uncomfortable
circumstance for the ancients. We have already described their ships as
either having no deck, or only a kind of half-deck, below which the cables
were coiled. Under this deck there might be accommodation for part of the
crew; but in cases where all were obliged to remain on board at night, the
confinement must have been extremely irksome, as well as prejudicial to
their health. At the end of these two days, they were enabled to land and
refresh themselves; and here they were joined by Leonatus, one of
Alexander's generals, who had been despatched with some troops to watch and
protect their movements, as far on their course as was practicable. He
brought a supply of provisions, which had become very necessary.
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