The Gates of India: Being an Historical NarrativeHoldich, Thomas Hungerford, Sir
History
The Gates of India: Being an Historical Narrative
Holdich, Thomas Hungerford, Sir
Afghanistan -- Description and travel; Balochistan (Pakistan) -- Description and travel
We cannot now follow the voyage in detail, nor could we, even if we
would, indicate the precise position of those islands of which Arrian
writes between Cape Monze and Sonmiani; some of them may now be
represented by shoals known to the coasting vessels, whilst others may
be connected with the mainland. I have no doubt myself that
Morontobara (the "woman's haven") is represented by the great
depression of the Sirondha lake. Between Morontobara and Krokala
(which about answers to Ras Kachari) they touched at the mouth of the
Purali, or Arabius, not far from Liari, having an island which
sheltered them from the sea to windward, which is now part of the
mainland. Near by the mouth of the Arabius was another island "high
and bare" with a channel between it and the mainland. This, too, has
been linked up with the shore formation, and the channel no longer
exists, but there is ample evidence of the ancient character of this
corner of the coast. Between the Arabius and Krokala (three days'
sail) very bad weather was made, and two galleys and a transport were
lost. It was at Krokala that they joined hands with the army again.
Here Nearkhos formed a camp, and it was "in this part of the country"
that Leonatus defeated the Oritæ and their allies in a great battle
wherein 6000 were slain. Arrian adds that a full account of the action
and its sequel, the crowning of Leonatus with a golden crown by
Alexander, is given in his other work, but as a matter of fact the
other account is so entirely different (representing the Oritæ as
submitting quietly) that we can only suppose this to have been a
separate and distinct action from the cavalry skirmish mentioned
before.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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