Alexander : a history of the origin and growth of the art of war from ...

LARGE CAPTURE OF CATTLE. 521encountered heavy resistance. The barbarians perceived hisadvance, and met hiin with unusuul vigor. The natives here,whom Arrian calls Indians because dwelling near the Indus,were strong", bold and active, and made a stanch defense. ButPtolemy formed column of assault, and, though checked, finallycarried the hill by storm. Leonnatus won an easier success.Thus closed in on both their flanks, and sharply thrown backfrom their front attack, the Indians lost heart, threw downtheir arms, and were surrounded and captured to the numberof forty thousand. This number is the one given by Ptolemy,though it seems exaggerated. The country, how'ever, wasthickly populated. All their cattle, said to be two hundredand thirty thousand in number, were also corralled. Thesewere of such excellent quality for size, strength, activity andfor easy fattening, that Alexander picked out the best, andsent them to Macedonia to breed from. This is the origin ofthe humj) still seen on the cattle in parts of Greece.Craterus now joined with the forces under his commandand the military engines, after settling the affair of Arigaeum,and, with the whole army, Alexander advanced dow^i theGurseus, intending to move into the territory of the Assacenians,who, in the next adjoining valley of the Suastos, weresaid to have assembled twenty thousand cavalry, thirty thousandinfantry and thirty elephants. Alexander hurried forwardwith the van, Craterus followed more slowly with theheavy train and engines.The army had been campaigning in an alpine region.The entire route of the king's column from Alexandria adCaucasum thus far towards the Indus had been through amountainous and difficult country, entailing much exertionon the men, excessive hardships and frequent lack of rations.The present descent to the smiling lowlands must have beenan agreeable change. The route lay along the right bank of