A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18: Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and; Commerce, from the Earliest Records to the Beginning of the Nineteenth; Century, By William StevensonKerr, Robert
History
A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels - Volume 18: Historical Sketch of the Progress of Discovery, Navigation, and; Commerce, from the Earliest Records to the Beginning of the Nineteenth; Century, By William Stevenson
Kerr, Robert
Voyages and travels
On their arrival at the river Kalama, which is supposed to be the Churmut,
60 days after their departure from the Indus, they at length obtained from
the natives some sheep; but the flesh of it, as well as the fowls which
they obtained, had a very fishy taste--the sheep, fowls, and inhabitants,
all feeding on fish, there being no herbage or trees of any kind, except a
few palm-trees. On the next day, having doubled a cape, they anchored in a
harbour called Mosarna, where they found a pilot, who undertook to conduct
the fleet to the Gulf of Persia. It would appear from Arrian, that the
intercourse between this place and the Gulf was frequent, the voyage less
dangerous, and the harbours on the coast better known. Owing to these
favourable circumstances, the skill of the pilot, and the breeze which blew
from the land during the night, their course was more rapid; and they
sailed by night as well as day. The coast, however, still continued barren,
and the inhabitants unable to supply them with any thing but fish till they
arrived at Barna on the 64th day: here the inhabitants were more civilized;
they had gardens producing fruit-trees, flowers, myrtle, &c., with which
the Greek sailors formed garlands to adorn their hair.
On the 69th day, December 9., they arrived at a small town, the name of
which is not given; nor is it possible to fix its scite. What occurred here
we shall give in the words of Dr. Vincent:--
"When the fleet reached this place, it was totally without bread or grain
of any kind; and Nearchus, from the appearance of stubble in the
neighbourhood, conceived hopes of a supply, if he could find means of
obtaining it; but he perceived that he could not take the place by assault,
and a siege the situation he was in rendered impracticable. He concerted
matters, therefore, with Archias, and ordered him to make a feint of
preparing the fleet to sail; while he himself, with a single vessel,
pretending to be left behind, approached the town in a friendly manner, and
was received hospitably by the inhabitants. They came out to receive him
upon his landing, and presented him with baked fish, (the first instance of
cookery he had yet seen on the coast,) accompanied with cakes and dates.
These he accepted with proper acknowledgments, and informed them he wished
for permission to see the town: this request was granted without suspicion;
but no sooner had he entered, than he ordered two of his archers to take
post at the gate, and then mounting the wall contiguous, with two more and
his interpreter, he made the signal for Archias, who was now under weigh to
advance. The natives instantly ran to their arms; but Nearchus having taken
an advantageous position, made a momentary defence till Archias was close
at the gate, ordering his interpreter to proclaim at the same time, that if
they wished their city to be preserved from pillage, they must deliver up
their corn, and all the provisions which the place afforded. These terms
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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