The Commerce and Navigation of the Erythræan Sea: Being a Translation of the Periplus Maris Erythræi, by an Anonymous Writer, and of Arrian's Account of the Voyage of Nearkhos, from the Mouth of the Indus to the Head of the Persian Gulf
History
The Commerce and Navigation of the Erythræan Sea: Being a Translation of the Periplus Maris Erythræi, by an Anonymous Writer, and of Arrian's Account of the Voyage of Nearkhos, from the Mouth of the Indus to the Head of the Persian Gulf
Classical geography; Geography, Ancient; India -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Indian Ocean Region -- Commerce -- History
XXIII. On weighing from the mouths of the Arabia, they coasted the
shores of the Oreitai, and after running 200 stadia reached Pagala,[50]
where there was a surf but nevertheless good anchorage. The crew were
obliged to remain on board, a party, however, being sent on shore to
procure water. They sailed next morning at sunrise, and after a course
of about 430 stadia, reached Kabana[51] in the evening, where they
anchored at some distance from the shore, which was a desert; the
violence of the surf by which the vessels were much tossed preventing
them from landing. While running the last course the fleet had been
caught in a heavy gale blowing from seaward, when two galleys and
a transport foundered. All the men, however, saved themselves by
swimming, as the vessels at the time of the disaster were sailing
close to the shore. They weighed from Kabana about midnight, and
having proceeded 200 stadia arrived at Kôkala, where the vessels _could
not be drawn on shore_, but rode at anchor out at sea. As the men,
however, had suffered severely by confinement on board,[52] and were
very much in want of rest, Nearkhos allowed them to go on shore, where
he formed a camp, fortifying it in the usual manner for protection
against the barbarians. In this part of the country Leonnatos, who
had been commissioned by Alexander to reduce the Oreitai and settle
their affairs, defeated that people and their allies in a great
battle, wherein all the leaders and 6,000 men were slain, the loss of
Leonnatos, being only 15 of his horse, besides a few foot-soldiers, and
_one man of note_ Apollophanês, the satrap of the Gedrosians.[53] A
full account, however, of those transactions is given in my other work,
where it is stated that for this service Leonnatos had a golden crown
placed upon his head by Alexander in presence of the Makedonian army.
Agreeably to orders given by Alexander, corn had been here collected
for the victualling of the vessels, and stores sufficient to last for
10 days were put on board. Here also such ships as had been damaged
during the voyage were repaired, while all the mariners that Nearkhos
considered deficient in fortitude for the enterprise, he consigned to
Leonnatos to be taken on by land, but at the same time he made good his
complement of men by taking in exchange others more efficient from the
troops under Leonnatos.
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