k shelter in a harbour, which he called the port of Alexander, but
which to-day is known as Karachi, the most western seaport of India.
The waters of the Indian Ocean were quite unknown to the Greeks, and
they could only coast along in sight of land, anchoring at different
points for the men to land and get water and food. Past the wild barren
shores of Beluchistan they made their way; the natives subsisted on
fish entirely even as they do to-day--even their huts being made of
fish bones and their bread of pounded fish.

They had but one adventure in their five months' cruise to the Persian
Gulf, but we have a graphic account of how the terrified Greeks met
a shoal of whales and how they frightened the whales away. Here is
the story. One day towards daybreak they suddenly saw water spouting
up from the sea, as if being violently carried upwards by whirlwinds.
The sailors, feeling very frightened, asked their native guides what
it meant. The natives replied that it was caused by whales blowing
the water up into the air. At this explanation the Greek sailors were
panic-stricken and dropped the oars from their hands. Nearchus saw
that something must be done at once. So he bade the men draw up their
ships in line as if for battle and row forward side by side towards
the whales, shouting and splashing with their oars. At a given signal
they duly advanced, and when they came near the sea-monsters they
shouted with all their might and blew their trumpets and made all
possible noise with their oars. On hearing which, says the old story,
"the whales took fright and plunged into the depths, but not long after
came to the surface again close to the sterns of the vessels and once
more spouted great jets of water. Then the sailors shouted aloud at
their happy and unlooked-for escape," and Nearchus was cheered as the
saviour of the fleet. It is not uncommon to-day for steamers bound
from Aden to Bombay to encounter what is called a "school of whales"
similar to those which alarmed the fleet of Nearchus in the year 323
B.C.

The expedition was completely successful and Nearchus pioneered his
fleet to the mouth of the Euphrates.

But the death of Alexander the Great and the confusion that followed
set back the advance of geographical discovery in this direction for
some time.

[Illustration: ALEXANDRIA IN PIZZIGANI'S MAP, FOURTEENTH CENTURY. The
river with the buildings on its bank is the Nile.]

Alexandria--one of the many towns