Budge_Ethiopic_Alexander

ALEXANDER'S EPISTLE TO ARISTOTLE. 1 59
manded them to cut off' the heads of those guides,
who were fifty in number, and I took others [in
their place].
And when we had descended from those mountains
we directed our course to the country of Persia ^ Returns to
and travelHng along by that sea^ we arrived at
a beautiful and rich country, wherein trees and
green herbs abounded. And when we had encamped
there for a few days, God Almighty sent
upon us a mighty storm of wind, which swept
away our clothing and our tents, and this wind The whiri-
carried away our animals, and carried away the""° '
horse and his rider, and hurled them into the water
whither man cannot say. And none of our men
were left, except those who had cast themselves
down upon the ground, and some whom we had
fastened down with chains. Then I commanded
my men not to take heed unto my safety but to
fasten on their garments and [to pitch] their tents
[again], but as they were driving in and making
firm their tent pegs in the ground, [p. 89] and
were tethering their beasts with chains of iron,
there came forth a dense and black cloud with
mighty lightnings and thunders [therein], and it The ught-
covered us over until no man could see his hand.
' Read ^{P'^4-
^ We should read Prasiake. The Greek has r|\6o)U€V iXc,
ir\\ Kara qpucriv obov Tr|v qpepoucrav ei? Tfjv TTpacriaKi'iv yiiv;
see Miiller, p. 122, col. 2.
^ We should probably read "llfibC ' "region".
"'"^ "'""'''