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:--
"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.
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