Quintus Curtius Rufus, History of Alexander 9.8.1

9.8.1

Indorum legati dimissi domos paucis post diebus cum donis revertuntur. CCC erant equites, MXXX currus, quos quadriiugi equi ducebant, lineae vestis aliquantum, mille scuta Indica et ferri candidi talenta C leonesque rarae magnitudinis et tigres,

Chapter VIII. — Alexander receives the submission of the Malli — Invades the Musicani and the Praesti, whose king Porticanus is slain — He next attacks King Sambus, many of whose cities surrendered — Musicanus having revolted is captured and executed — Ptolemy is wounded by a poisoned arrow in the kingdom of Sambus, but recovers — Alexander reaches Patala and sails down the Indus The Indian ambassadors were dismissed to their several homes, but in a few days they returned with presents for Alexander which consisted of 300 horsemen, 1030 chariots each drawn by four horses, 1000 Indian bucklers, a great quantity of linen-cloth, 100 talents of steel, some tame lions and tigers of extraordinary size, the skins also of very large lizards, and a quantity of tortoise shells. The king commanding Craterus to move forward in advance with his troops and to keep always near the river, down which he intended himself to sail, took ship along with his usual retinue, and dropping down stream came to the territories of the Malli. Thence he marched towards the Sabarcae, a powerful Indian tribe where the form of government was democratic and not regal. Their army consisted of 60,000 foot and 6000 cavalry attended by 500 chariots.