“At the Tomerus the inhabitants were found living on the low ground near the sea, in cabins which seemed calculated rather to suffocate their inhabitants than to protect them from the weather; and yet these wretched people were not without courage.  Upon sight of the fleet approaching, they collected in arms on the shore, and drew up in order to attack the strangers on their landing.  Their arms were spears, not headed with iron, but hardened in the fire, nine feet long; and their number about 600.  Nearchus ordered his vessels to lay their heads towards the shore, within the distance of bow-shot; for the enemy had no missile weapons but their spears.  He likewise brought his engines to bear upon them, (for such it appears he had on board,) and then directed his light-armed troops, with those who were the most active and the best swimmers, to be ready for commencing the attack.  On a signal given, they were to plunge into the sea:  the first man who touched ground was to be the point at which the line was to be formed, and was not to advance till joined by the others, and the file could be ranged three deep.  These orders were exactly obeyed; the men threw themselves out of the ships, swam forward, and formed themselves in the water, under cover of the engines.  As soon as they were in order, they advanced upon the enemy with a shout, which was repeated from the ships.  Little opposition was experienced; for the natives, struck with the novelty of the attack, and the glittering of the armour, fled without resistance.  Some escaped to the mountains, a few were killed, and a considerable number made prisoners.  They were a savage race, shaggy on the body as well as the head, and with nails so long and of such strength, that they served them as instruments to divide their food, (which consisted, indeed, almost wholly of fish,) and to separate even wood of the softer kind.  Whether this circumstance originated from design, or want of implements to pare their nails, did not appear; but if there was occasion, to divide harder substances, they substituted stones sharpened, instead of iron, for iron they had none.  Their dress consisted of the skins of beasts, and some of the larger kinds of fish.”

Along the coast of the Icthyophagi, extending from Malan to Cape Jaser, a distance, by the course of the fleet, of nearly 625 miles, Nearchus was so much favoured by the winds and by the straightness of the coast, that his progress was sometimes nearly 60 miles a day.  In every other respect, however, this portion of the voyage was very unfortunate and calamitous.  Alexander, aware that on this coast, which furnished nothing but fish, his fleet would be in distress for provisions, and that this distress would be greatly augmented by the scarcity of water which also prevailed here, had endeavoured to advance into this desolate tract, to survey the harbours, sink wells, and collect provisions.  But the nature of the country rendered this impracticable; and his army became so straightened