VII.] VOYAGE OF NEARCHUS. 143
now celebrated for the export of those gems1. The other is the
account of their meeting with a shoal of whales in
the Indian Ocean—an occurrence which sometimes
overtakes vessels in those waters in our own days.
The story of the encounter of the Greeks with these animals, and
their frightening them away by plashing their oars and raising
a loud din with trumpets and shouting, is highly amusing and
curious:—
" Nearchus relates that, when they were on their voyage from
Cyiza, towards daybreak they saw water spouted up from the sea,
as if it were violently carried aloft by whirlwinds; and that the
men being terrified enquired of their captains what this was, and
what caused it. They replied that these were whales, which
spouted up the water as they traversed the sea; whereupon the
sailors were seized with panic and dropped the oars from their
hands. So he went up to them himself, and cheered and inspirited
them, and as he passed any of them in his vessel he bade them
draw up their ships in line as if for an engagement, and row for-
ward in close array and with much noise, accompanying with loud
shouts the plashing of their oars. At this they took heart, and
advanced all together at a given signal; and when they came
near the monsters of the deep they shouted with all their might,
and blew their trumpets, and made all possible noise with their
oars; on hearing which the whales, which now were seen in close
proximity to the ships' bows, 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 sea
water. Then the sailors shouted aloud at their happy and un-
looked-for escape, and extolled the courage and good judgement
of Nearchus8."
At last Nearchus reached the head of the Persian Gulf, and
entering the stream of the Pasitigris, which joins the Tigris near
its entrance into the sea, met the army of Alexander
shortly before it arrived at Susa. The entire voyage
had occupied a period of five months.
1 Ibid. 38. a ML 30.