Hitherto The Voyage Of Nearchus Has Afforded No Information Respecting The
Commerce Of The Ancients.
The coasts along which he sailed were either
barren and thinly inhabited by a miserable and ignorant people, or if more
fertile and better cultivated, Nearchus' attention and interest were too
keenly occupied about the safety of himself and his companions, to gather
much information of a commercial nature.
The remainder of his voyage,
however, affords a few notices on this subject; and to these we shall
attend.
In the island of Schitwar, on the eastern side of the Gulf of Persia,
Nearchus found the inhabitants engaged in a pearl fishery: at present
pearls are not taken on this side of the Gulf. At the Rohilla point a dead
whale attracted their attention; it is represented as fifty cubits long,
with a hide a cubit in thickness, beset with shell-fish, probably barnacles
or limpets, and sea-weeds, and attended by dolphins, larger than Nearchus
had been accustomed to see in the Mediterranean Sea. Their arrival at the
Briganza river affords Dr. Vincent an opportunity of conjecturing the
probable draught of a Grecian vessel of fifty oars. At ebb-tide, Arrian
informs us, the vessels were left dry; whereas at high tide they were able
to surmount the breakers and shoals. Modern travellers state that the
flood-tide rises in the upper part of the Gulf of Persia, nine or ten feet:
hence it may be conjectured that the largest vessel in the fleet drew from
six to eight feet water. The next day's sail brought them from the Briganza
to the river Arosis, the boundary river between Persis and Susiana, the
largest of the rivers which Nearchus had met with in the Gulf of Persia.
The province of Persis is described by Nearchus as naturally divided into
three parts. "That division which lies along the side of the Gulf is sandy,
parched, and sterile, bearing little else but palm-trees." To the north and
north-east, across the range of mountains, the country improves
considerably in soil and climate; the herbage is abundant and nutritious;
the meadows well watered; and the vine and every kind of fruit, except the
olive, flourishes. This part of the province is adorned by the parks and
gardens of the kings and nobles; the rivers flow from lakes of pure water,
abounding in water-fowl of all descriptions; horses and cattle feed on the
rich pastures, while in the woods there is abundance of animals for the
chace. To this the third division of Persis forms a striking contrast. This
lies farther north, a mountainous district, wild and rugged, inhabited by
barbarous tribes: the climate is so cold, that the tops of the mountains
are constantly covered with snow.
The coast of Susiana, along which Nearchus was now about to sail, he
represents as difficult and dangerous, from the number of shoals with which
it was lined. As he was informed that it would not be easy to procure water
while he was crossing the mouths of the streams which divide the Delta, he
took in a supply for five days before he left the Arosis. On account of the
shoals which stretch a considerable way out to sea, they could not approach
the coast, and were consequently obliged to anchor at night, and sleep on
board. In order to pass this dangerous coast with the least risk, they
formed a line by single ships, each following in order, through a channel
marked by stakes; in the same manner, Arrian remarks, as the passage
between Leukas and Akarnania in Greece, except that at Leukas there is a
firm sand, so that a ship takes no damage, if she runs ashore: whereas in
this passage there was deep mud on both sides, in which a vessel grounding
stuck fast; and if her crew endeavoured to get her off by going overboard,
they sunk above the middle in the mud. The extent of this difficult passage
was thirty-seven miles, at the end of which Nearchus came to an anchor at a
distance from the coast. Their course next day was in deep water, which
continued till they arrived, after sailing a day and a half, at a village
at the mouth of the Euphrates: at this village there was a mart for the
importation of the incenses of Arabia. Here Nearchus learnt that Alexander
was marching to Susa; this intelligence determined him to return back, to
sail up the Pasi-Tigris, and join him near that city. At Aginis he entered
the Pasi-Tigris, but he proceeded only about nine miles to a village which
he describes as populous and flourishing; here he determined to wait, till
he received further information respecting the exact route of the army. He
soon learnt that Alexander with his troops was at a bridge which he had
constructed over the Pasi-Tigris, at the distance of about one hundred and
twenty miles: at this place Nearchus joined him. Alexander embraced
Nearchus with the warmth of a friend; and his reception from all ranks was
equally gratifying and honourable. Whenever he appeared in the camp, he was
saluted with acclamations: sacrifices, games, and every other kind of
festivity celebrated the success of his enterprize. Nearly five months had
been occupied in performing the voyage from the mouth of the Indus - a
voyage which a modern vessel could perform in the course of three weeks.
Immediately after the junction of the fleet and army, Alexander crossed the
Pasi-Tigris, and proceeded to Susa: here he distributed rewards and honours
among his followers for their long, arduous, faithful, and triumphant
services. Those officers who had served as guards of Alexander's person
received crowns of gold; and the same present was made to Nearchus as
admiral, and to Onesicritus as navigator of the fleet.
We have already mentioned that Alexander projected the circumnavigation of
Arabia to the Red Sea, in order to complete the communication between India
and Egypt, and through Egypt with Europe.
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