124 History of Nature. [BooK VI. 



ward. 1 The Polar Stars in all that Tract are seen but once 

 in the Year, and that only for 15 Days ; as Beton maketh 

 report: but Megasthenes writeth, that this is usual in other 

 Parts of India also. The South Pole is called hy the Indians 

 Dramasa. The River Jomanes runneth into the Ganges 

 through Palibotros, between the Towns Methora and Cyriso- 

 borca. Beyond the River Ganges, in that quarter which lieth 

 southward, the People are coloured by the Sun : but though 

 tinted, yet not so burnt as the Ethiopians. And the nearer they 

 approach to the Indus, the deeper coloured they are with the 

 Sun : for closely beyond the Nation of the Prasii is the In- 

 dus : among whose Mountains the Pigmsei are reported to 

 inhabit. Artemidorus writeth, that between these two Rivers 

 there is a Distance of 21 Miles. 



CHAPTER XX. 

 The River Indus. 



THE Indus, which the People of that Country call Sandus, 

 issueth out of that top of the Mountain Caucasus, which is 

 called Paropamisus : it taketh its Course against the Sun- 

 rising, and receiveth 19 Rivers. Among these the principal 

 are Hydaspes, which bringeth with it four more : and Can- 

 tabra, conveying three. Moreover, of such as are of them- 

 selves navigable, Acesines and Hypasis : and yet so modest 

 is the Course of its Waters, that in no place is it either above 

 50 Stadia over, or deeper than 15 Paces. 2 This River 

 encloseth a very great Island named Prasiane, and another 

 that is less, which they call Patale. They that have written 

 it with the least, say that it is navigable for 1240 Miles; 

 and turning with the Course of the Sun, it keepeth him com- 

 pany westward, until it is discharged into the Ocean. The 

 Measure of the Coast to it I will set down generally as I find 

 it written : although there is no Agreement among Writers 



1 The reader is referred to the concluding chapter of this Book for a 

 more particular account of the climates and the direction of the shadows. 

 Wern. CM. 



2 That is, seventy-five feet, TFern. Club. 



