DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15173#0024
G
ALTARS OF ALEXANDER.
chat. i.
the vicinity of the altars of Alexander; and if we
sought for these ancient relics of the " Macedonian
madman" without success, we sought not without
industry and enthusiasm. When the army of Alex-
ander mutinied on the banks of the Hyphasis, he
crossed that river, and raised twelve colossal altars,
to indicate the limit and glory of his expedition.
Major Rennell has placed the site of these monu-
ments between the Beas and Sutlege ; but that
eminent geographer is not here supported by the
text of Alexander's historians. They do not even
mention the Sutlege ; and their allusions to a de-
sert that lay beyond the Hyphasis can only be
identified with the country beyond that river, and
below its junction with the Sutlege, where that de-
sert is still to be found. Nor is it probable that
Alexander would erect the trophies of his conquest,
where a small and fordable river yet separated him
from India. We wandered about for a few days,
and extended our researches on every side. We
crossed the Sutlege, 'and found, at the point of its
junction with the Beas, a brick ruin, of small di-
mensions, called Andreesa, which sounded like
Greek, but the building was' of a Mahommedan
age. We then embarked on the Hyphasis, and
passed the confluence of the two streams, where
the waters meet each other gently, and glide
smoothly along. Both rivers have an equal breadth
of 200 yards, but the Sutlege discharges a greater
volume of water. It was with faint hopes of suc-
cess that we prosecuted our enquiries after these
remnants of antiquity, since the inhabitants did not
ALTARS OF ALEXANDER.
chat. i.
the vicinity of the altars of Alexander; and if we
sought for these ancient relics of the " Macedonian
madman" without success, we sought not without
industry and enthusiasm. When the army of Alex-
ander mutinied on the banks of the Hyphasis, he
crossed that river, and raised twelve colossal altars,
to indicate the limit and glory of his expedition.
Major Rennell has placed the site of these monu-
ments between the Beas and Sutlege ; but that
eminent geographer is not here supported by the
text of Alexander's historians. They do not even
mention the Sutlege ; and their allusions to a de-
sert that lay beyond the Hyphasis can only be
identified with the country beyond that river, and
below its junction with the Sutlege, where that de-
sert is still to be found. Nor is it probable that
Alexander would erect the trophies of his conquest,
where a small and fordable river yet separated him
from India. We wandered about for a few days,
and extended our researches on every side. We
crossed the Sutlege, 'and found, at the point of its
junction with the Beas, a brick ruin, of small di-
mensions, called Andreesa, which sounded like
Greek, but the building was' of a Mahommedan
age. We then embarked on the Hyphasis, and
passed the confluence of the two streams, where
the waters meet each other gently, and glide
smoothly along. Both rivers have an equal breadth
of 200 yards, but the Sutlege discharges a greater
volume of water. It was with faint hopes of suc-
cess that we prosecuted our enquiries after these
remnants of antiquity, since the inhabitants did not