Colonel Chesney escaped by swimming to the shore just before the vessel went down:  he was fortunate “to take a direction which brought him to the land, without having seen anything whatever to guide him through the darkness worse than that of night.”—­“For an instant,” says Colonel Chesney after getting to land, “I saw the keel of the Tigris uppermost (near the stern); she went down bow foremost, and having struck the bottom in that position, she probably turned round on the bow as a pivot, and thus showed part of her keel for an instant at the other extremity; but her paddle beams, floats, and parts of the sides were already broken up, and actually floated ashore, so speedy and terrific had been the work of destruction.” (Letter from Colonel Chesney to Sir J. Hobhouse, 28th May, 1836; Euphrates Expedition Papers printed by order of the House of Commons, 17th July, 1837.)

Ammianus Marcellinus (xxiv. 1) speaks of a violent storm at Anatha (Annah) on the Euphrates, during the expedition of the Emperor Julian.  It blew down the tents and stretched the soldiers on the ground.]

[Footnote 66:  A place struck with lightning was considered religious (religiosus), that is, it could no longer be used for common purposes.  “The deity,” says Festus (v. Fulguritum), “was supposed to have appropriated it to himself.”

Dion Cassius (40. c. 17, &c.) gives the story of the passage of the river.  The eagle, according to him, was very obstinate.  It stuck fast in the ground, as if it was planted there; and when it was forced up by the soldiers, it went along very unwillingly.

The Roman eagle was fixed at one end of a long shaft of wood, which had a sharp point at the other end for the purpose of fixing it in the ground.  The eagle was gold, or gilded metal; and, according to Dion Cassius, it was kept in a small moveable case or consecrated chapel.  The eagle was not moved from the winter encampment, unless the whole army was put in motion.  The Vexilla ([Greek:  semeia] of the Greek writers) were what we call the colours.

(See the note of Reimarus on Dion Cassius, 40. c. 18.)]

[Footnote 67:  Dion Cassius (40. c. 20), who tells the story, names the man Augarus.  See the note of Reimarus.]

[Footnote 68:  This is the translation of Plutarch’s word [Greek:  pelates] , which word [Greek:  pelates] is used by the Greek writers on Roman history to express the Latin Cliens.  It is not here supposed that Parthian clients were the same as Roman clients; but as Plutarch uses the word to express a certain condition among the Parthians, which was not that of slavery, it is proper to retain his word in the translation.]

[Footnote 69:  This “very Hyrodes” and his brother Mithridates are said to have murdered their father Arsakes XII.  Phraates III., who is spoken of in the Life of Lucullus.  The two brothers quarrelled.  Mithridates is mentioned by some authorities as the immediate successor of his father under the title of Arsakes XIII.  Mithridates III.  Mithridates was besieged in Babylon by Hyrodes; and Mithridates, after surrendering to his brother, was put to death. (Dion Cassius, 39. c. 56; Appian, On the Affairs of Syria, c. 51; Justinus, xlii. 4.)]