Nearchus Was Selected For This
Enterprize; Its Execution, However, Was Prevented By The Death Of
Alexander.
That he was extremely anxious for its completion, is evident
from the personal trouble he took in the preparations for it, and in the
necessary preliminary measures.
In order that he might himself take a view
of the Gulf of Persia, he embarked on board a division of his fleet, and
sailed down the same stream which Nearchus had sailed up. At the head of
the Delta, the vessels which had suffered most in Nearchus' voyages were
directed to proceed with the troops they had on board, through a canal
which runs into the Tigris, Alexander himself proceeding with the lightest
and best sailing vessels through the Delta to the sea.
Soon after his return to Opis, where the mutiny of his troops took place,
Alexander gave another proof of his attention to maritime affairs; for he
despatched Heraclides into Hyrcania, with orders to cut timber and prepare
a fleet for the purpose of exploring the Caspian Sea - an attempt which,
like that of the projected voyage of Nearchus up the Arabian Gulf, was
prevented by Alexander's death. In the mean time Nearchus had been
collecting the vessels that were destined for his expedition; they were
assembled at Babylon: to this city also were brought from Phoenicia
forty-seven vessels which had been taken to pieces, and so conveyed over
land to Thapsacus. Two of these were of five banks, three of four, twelve
of three, and thirty rowed with fifteen oars on a side. Others likewise
were ordered to be built on the spot of cypress, the only wood which
Babyloni afforded; while mariners were collected from Phoenicia, and a dock
was directed to be cut capable of containing one thousand vessels, with
buildings and arsenals in proportion to the establishment. To accomplish
this extensive design, Alexander had sent one of his officers to Phoenicia
with 500 talents (about 106,830_l_.) to buy slaves fit for the oar, and
hire mariners. These preparations were so extensive, that it seems highly
probable that Alexander meant to conquer Arabia, as well as explore the
navigation of the Arabian Gulf; and indeed his plan and policy always were
to unite conquest with discovery. As soon as he had put these preparations
in a proper train, he again embarked, and sailed down the Euphrates as far
as Pallacopas. The immediate object of this voyage is not exactly known. As
the Euphrates flows over the adjacent country at certain seasons, the
Persian monarchs had cut a canal at Pallacopas, which diverted its
superfluous waters into a lake, where they were employed to flood the land.
This and similar canals had been long neglected; but as Alexander seems to
have fixed on Babylon as the future capital of his empire, it was necessary
to restore the canals to their original utility, in order that the ground
on both sides of the Euphrates might be drained or flooded at the proper
season. This may have been the only object of Alexander's voyage, or it may
have been connected with the projected voyage of Nearchus. It is certain,
however, that by his directions the principal canal was much improved;
indeed it was in reality cut in a more convenient and suitable place; for
the soil where it had been originally cut was soft and spongy, so that much
labour and time were required to restore the waters to their course, and
secure its mouth in a safe and firm manner. A little lower down, the soil
was much more suitable, being strong and rocky; here then Alexander ordered
the opening of the canal to be made: he afterwards entered it with his
fleet, and surveyed the whole extent of the lake with which it
communicated. On the Arabian side of the Gulf, he ordered a city to be
built: immediately afterwards he returned to Babylon, where he died.
In the mean time, and while Nearchus was at Babylon, three vessels were
sent down the Arabian side of the Gulf, to collect such information as
might be useful to him in his projected voyage. One was commanded by
Archias, who proceeded as far as Tylos, or Bahrein, the centre of the
modern pearl fishery. A short distance from the mouth of the Euphrates,
Archias discovered two islands; on one of which a breed of goats and sheep
was preserved, which were never killed, except for the purpose of
sacrifice. The second vessel sailed a little way round the coast of Arabia.
The third, which was commanded by Hiero of Soli, went much farther than
either of the other two, for it doubled Cape Mussendoon, sailed down the
coast below Moscat, and came in sight of Cape Ras-el-hed: this cape he was
afraid to double. On his return he reported that Arabia was much more
extensive than had been imagined. None of these vessels proceeded so far as
to be of much service to Nearchus, or to carry into effect the grand object
of Alexander: for his instructions to Hiero in particular were, to
circumnavigate Arabia; to go up the Red Sea; and reach the Bay of
Hieropolis, on the coast of Egypt. All these vessels were small, having
only fifty oars, and therefore not well calculated for such a long and
hazardous navigation.
At the time when Alexander was seized with the illness which occasioned his
death, Nearchus was ready to sail, and he himself, with the army, was to
accompany him as far as was practicable, in the same manner as he had done
from the Indus to the Tigris: two days before the fever commenced, he gave
a grand entertainment to Nearchus and his officers.
Only a very few circumstances regarding Nearchus are known after the death
of Alexander: he was made governor of Lycia and Pamphylia, and seems to
have attached himself to the fortunes of Antigonus. Along with him, he
crossed the mountains of Loristan, when he marched out of Susiana, after
his combat with Eumenes.
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