186 History of Nature. [BooK VII. 



dwell upon Mount Athos : and of these last, because they 

 Feed on Vipers' 1 Flesh, and therefore it is that no offensive 

 Creatures are found on their Heads, nor on their Clothes. 

 Onesicritus affirmeth, that in those Parts of India there are 

 no Shadows, that the Men are five Cubits and two Palms in 

 Stature, that they live one hundred and thirty Years : and 

 never bear the Marks of Age, but die as if they were in the 

 middle of their age. Crates of Pergamus nameth those 

 Indians, who live above an hundred Years, Gymnetae : but 

 not a few call them Macrobii. Ctesias saith there is a Race 

 of Indians, named Pandore, inhabiting certain Valleys, who 

 live two hundred Years : in their youthful Time their Hair is 

 White, but as they grow old it becometh Black. On the 

 other hand, there are some who are Neighbours to the 

 Macrobii, who exceed not forty Years, and their Women 

 bear but once in their Lifetime. And this also is avouched 

 by Agatharcides, who addeth, that they feed on Locusts, and 

 are swift of Foot. Clitarchus and Megasthenes name them 

 Mandri, and number up three hundred Villages in their 

 Country : also, that the Women bear Children when they 

 are but seven Years old, and are aged at forty. Artemi- 

 dorus affirmeth, that in the Island Taprobana the People 

 live exceeding long without any Bodily Infirmity. Duris 

 maketh report, that certain Indians have fellowship witli 

 Beasts, of which acquaintance are bred a mixed and half 

 Savage Race ; that among the Calingi, a Nation of India, 

 the Women conceive at five Years of Age, and live not above 

 eight. In another Tract of that Country, there are Men with 

 shaggy Tails and of great Swiftness : and some again that 

 with their Ears cover their whole Body. The Orites are 

 divided from the Indians by the River Arbis. They are 

 acquainted with no other Food but Fish, which they split 

 in Pieces with their Nails, and Roast against the Sun, 

 and then make Bread of it, as Clitarchus makes Report. 

 Crates of Pergamus saith, that the Trogloditae above Ethiopia 

 are swifter than Horses, and that there are Ethiopians above 



1 Lib. xxix. 6. 



