THES0URCE0FTHEN1LE. 609
it had turned back behind them, and that they had left it as far north as lat. 1 1° They reported then to Alexander what was truth, that they had afcended the Nile as far fouth as lat. 9°, where it unexpectedly took its courfe to the eaft, and was feen no more. The river, moreover, was not known, nor to be heard of near the Line, or farther fouthward, nor was it diminished in fize, nor had it given any fymptom they were near its fource ; they had found the Nile cakntem, (warm) while they expe&ed its rife among melting mows.
This difcovery (for fo far it was one) of the courfe of the river to the eaft,feems to have made a ftrong impreflion on Alexander's mind, fo that when he arrived at near the head of the Indus, then fwelled with the thawing fnows of mount Caucafus, and overflowing in fummer, he thought he was arrived at the fource of this famous river the Nile which he had before feen in the weft, and rejoiced at it ex- ceedingly, as the nobleft of his achievements * ; he imme- diately wrote to acquaint his mother of it ; but being foon convinced of his error, and being far above propagating a falfehood, even for his own glory, he inftantly erafed what he had wrote upon that fubject. This however did not en- tirely diflatisfy Alexander, for he propofed an expedition in perfon towards thefe fountains, if he had returned from India in fafety.
Vol. III. 4 H Nou
Aniarms de Exped. Alexandri, lib. vi.
