Page:History of Greece Vol IX.djvu/125

 THEY CROSS THE EUPHRATES. 10,1 retty full days' march ; without any hostility from the satrap, though he was hovering within less than two miles of them. They then found themselves amidst several villages, wherein were regal or satrapical residences, with a plentiful stock of bread, meat, wine, and all sorts of vegetables. Here, during their nightly bivouac, they were overtaken by so heavy a fall of snow, that the generals, on the next day, distributed the troops into separate quarters among the villages. No enemy appeared near, while the snow seemed to forbid any rapid surprise. Yet at night, the scouts re- ported that many fires were discernible, together with traces of military movements around ; insomuch that the generals thought it prudent to put themselves on their guard, and again collected the army into one bivouac. Here, in the night, they were over- whelmed by a second fall of snow, still heavier than the preceding ; sufficient to cover over the sleeping men and their arms, and to benumb the cattle. The men, however, lay warm under the snow and were unwilling to rise, until Xenophon himself set the example of rising, and employing himself, without his arms, in cutting wood and kindling a fire. 1 Others followed his example, and great com- fort was found in rubbing themselves with pork-fat, oil of almonds, or of sesame, or turpentine. Having sent out a clever scout named Demokrates, who captured a native prisoner, they learned that Tiribazus was laying plans to intercept them in a lofty mountain- pass lying farther on in their route ; upon which they immediately set forth, and by two days of forced march, surprising in their way the camp of Tiribazus, got over the difficult pass in safety. Three days of additional march brought them to the Euphrates river, 2 that is, to the eastern branch, now called Murad. They found a ford and crossed it, without having the water higher than the navel ; and they were informed that its sources were not far off. 1 Xen. Anab. iv, 4, 1 1. 2 Xen. Anab. iv, 5, 2. The recent editors, Schneider and Kriiger, on the authority of variouo MSS., read here knopev-Brjaav kiri rbv Evfyparriv iroTa.fj.6v. The old reading was, as it stands in Hutchinson's edition, irapci rbv TLvtypdrr/v KO- This change may be right, but the geographical data are here too vagtw to admit of any certainty. See my Appendix annexed to this chapter.