Upon reaching the Hyph'a-sis River, Alexander would have liked to cross
it, and continue his conquests; but his soldiers now refused to go any
farther. They were tired of fighting and danger, and were longing to go
back to Macedon.

Although he was unwilling to do so, Alexander was therefore obliged to
stop in his conquests; but, instead of going home as he had come, he now
built a fleet, and sailed down the In'dus River to the sea.

Now, the Greeks had no maps such as we have; and their knowledge of
geography was very small. When Alexander came to the sea, however, he
thought it must be the same as that into which the Euphrates flowed.

To find out if this was true, he bade his admiral, Ne-ar'chus, sail
along the coast and explore it, while the army went homeward on foot.
Alexander himself staid with the army, and led the soldiers along a new
way, which was very wearisome and dangerous.

The Macedonians had to pass through large wastes of burning sand, where
they suffered a great deal. They were cheered and encouraged, however,
by the example of Alexander, who nobly shared their hardships, and
always went ahead of them on foot, carrying his own armor.

Once, when they were panting with thirst, some of his men found a little
water, which they brought him. Rather than indulge in anything which all
could not share with him, Alexander poured the water out upon the sand,
saying he would refresh himself only when his men could do so too.

After many months of weary travel and great suffering, the army finally
joined the fleet at the mouth of the Euphrates, for Nearchus had in the
mean while sailed all along the northern coast of the Indian Ocean and
up the Persian Gulf.

He wrote an account of this wonderful sea journey, which was of great
importance, as it opened a new and convenient road for Eastern commerce.
The people soon took advantage of it to establish colonies and trading
stations, and to carry on a lively business with the East.

CIII. DEATH OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

Alexander now went back to Babylon, where he married Rox-an'a, a Persian
princess, giving her sister's hand to his intimate friend Hephaestion.
This wedding was celebrated with great pomp, for eighty Macedonian
officers took Persian wives on the same day.

The feasting for the weddings went on for many days, and the revelry was
carried to such a shameful excess, that Hephaestion actually drank
himself to death.

In token of sorro