Γεωγραφικά 15.2.13

15.2.13

λέγουσι μὲν οὖν καὶ οἱ νῦν πλέοντες εἰς Ἰνδοὺς μεγέθη θηρίων καὶ ἐπιφανείας, ἀλλʼ οὔτε ἀθρόων οὔτʼ ἐπιφερομένων πολλάκις, ἀλλʼ ἀποσοβηθέντα τῇ κραυγῇ καὶ τῇ σάλπιγγι ἀπαλλάττεσθαι. φασὶ δʼ αὐτὰ μὲν μὴ πλησιάζειν τῇ γῇ, τὰ δʼ ὀστᾶ διαλυθέντων ψιλωθέντα ἐκκυμαίνεσθαι ῥᾳδίως καὶ χορηγεῖν τὴν λεχθεῖσαν ὕλην τοῖς Ἰχθυοφάγοις περὶ τὰς καλυβοποιίας. μέγεθος δὲ τῶν κητῶν φησιν ὁ Νέαρχος τριῶν καὶ εἴκοσιν ὀργυιῶν. πιστευθέν τι δὲ ἱκανῶς ὑπὸ τῶν ἐν τῷ στόλῳ φησὶν ὁ Νέαρχος ἐξελέγξαι ψεῦδος ὄν, ὡς εἴη τις ἐν τῷ πόρῳ νῆσος ἡ ἀφανίζοι τοὺς προσορμισθέντας· κέρκουρον γάρ τινα πλέοντα, ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὴν νῆσον ταύτην ἐγεγόνει, μηκέτι ὁραθῆναι· πεμφθέντας δέ τινας ἐπὶ τὴν ζήτησιν ἐκβῆναι μὲν μὴ θαρρεῖν εἰς τὴν νῆσον, * ἐκπλέοντας δʼ ἀνακαλεῖν κραυγῇ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, μηδενὸς δʼ ὑπακούοντος ἐπανελθεῖν. ἁπάντων δʼ αἰτιωμένων τὴν νῆσον αὐτὸς ἔφη πλεῦσαι καὶ προσορμισθεὶς ἐκβῆναι μετὰ μέρους τῶν συμπλευσάντων καὶ περιελθεῖν τὴν νῆσον· ὡς δʼ οὐδὲν εὕρισκεν ἴχνος τῶν ζητουμένων, ἀπογνόντα ἐπανελθεῖν καὶ διδάξαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὡς ἡ μὲν νῆσος ψευδῆ τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχοι (καὶ γὰρ αὐτῷ καὶ τοῖς συνεκβᾶσιν ὁ αὐτὸς ὑπάρξαι φθόρος), ἄλλος δέ τις τῷ κερκούρῳ τρόπος τοῦ ἀφανισμοῦ συμβαίη, μυρίων ὄντων δυνατῶν.

Those who now sail to India speak of the size of these animals and their mode of appearance, but as coming neither in bodies nor frequently, yet as repulsed by shouts and by the sound of trumpets. They affirm that they do not approach the land, but that the bones of those which die, bared of flesh, are readily thrown up by the waves, and supply the Ichthyophagi with the above-mentioned material for the construction of their cabins. According to Nearchus, the size of these animals is three and twenty orguiae in length.
Nearchus says that he proved the confident belief of the sailors in the existence of an island situated in the passage, and destructive to those who anchored near it, to be false.
A bark in its course, when it came opposite to this island, was never afterwards seen, and some men who were sent in search did not venture to disembark upon the island, but shouted and called to the crew, when, receiving no answer, they returned. But as all imputed this disappearance to the island, Nearchus said that he himself sailed to it, went ashore, disembarked with a part of his crew, and went round it. But not discovering any trace of those of whom he was in search, he abandoned the attempt, and informed his men that no fault was to be imputed to the island (for otherwise destruction would have come upon himself and those who disembarked with him), but that some other cause (and innumerable others were possible) might have occasioned the loss of the vessel.