In consequence, it is supposed, of the prevalence of the north-east monsoon, Nearchus, after having reached the ocean (which, however, he could not effect till he had cut a passage for his fleet through a sand bank or bar at the mouth of the Indus), was obliged to lie in a harbour which he called Port Alexander, and near which he erected a fort on the 3d of November; about which time we know that the monsoon changes.  Nearchus again set sail.  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.  On leaving this place, their progress became much more rapid than it had been before, owing probably to the wind having become more regularly and permanently favourable.

As it is our intention, in giving this short abstract of the voyage of Nearchus, to select only such particulars as illustrate the mode of navigation practised among the ancients—­the progress of discovery, or the state of commerce,—­we shall pass over every topic or fact not connected with these.  We cannot, however, refrain from giving an account of the transactions of the fleet at the river Tomerus, when it arrived on the 21st of November, fifty days after it left the Indus; as on reading it, our readers will be immediately struck with the truth of Dr. Vincent’s observation, that it bears a very strong resemblance to the landing of a party from the Endeavour, in New Zealand, under protection of the ship’s guns.  We make use of Dr. Vincent’s translation, or rather abstract:—­