While they were upon their progress, some of the horsemen,
impatient to carry the news of this happy event, set off to the camp to
inform the king, that Nearchus and Archias were arrived with five or six of
his people; but of the rest they had no intelligence. This suggested to
Alexander that perhaps these only were preserved, and that the rest of the
people had perished, either by famine or shipwreck; nor did he feel so much
pleasure in the preservation of the few, as distress for the loss of the
remainder. During this interval, Nearchus and his attendants arrived. It
was not without difficulty that the king discovered who they were, under
the disguise of their appearance; and this circumstance contributed to
confirm him in his mistake, imagining that both their persons and their
dress bespoke ship wreck, and the destruction of the fleet. He held out his
hand, however, to Nearchus, and led him aside from his guards and
attendants without being able to utter a word. As soon as they were alone,
he burst into tears, and continued weeping for a considerable time; till,
at length recovering in some degree his composure,--"Nearchus," says he, "I
feel some satisfaction in finding that you and Archias have escaped; but
tell me where and in what manner did my fleet and my people perish?" "Your
fleet," replied Nearchus, "are all safe,--your people are safe; and we are
come to bring you the account of their preservation.
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