BOOK VI. XAii. 66-68 



people and almost elevated into a religion; those 

 of this class always end their Ufe by a voluntary 

 death upon a pyre to which they have previously 

 themsehes set Hght. There is one class besides 

 these, half-wild people devoted to the laborious 

 task — from which the chisses above mentioned are 

 kept away " — of hunting and taming elephants ; 

 these they use for ploughing and for transport, 

 these are their commonest kind of cattle, and these 

 they employ when fighting in battle and defending 

 their country : elephants to use in war are chosen for 

 their strength and age and size. There is a very 

 spacious island in the Ganges containing a single 

 race named the ModogaUnga race. Beyond it are 

 situated the Modubae, the MoUndae, the Uberae 

 with a magnificent town of the same name, the 

 Modressae, Praeti, AcUssae, Sasuri, Fassulae, 

 Colebae, Orumcolae, AbaU and Thalutae : the king 

 of the Litter tribe has an arniy of 50,000 infantry, 

 4000 cavalry and -iOOO elephants. Next come the 

 Andarae,'' a more powerful tribe, with a great many 

 viUages and thirty towns fortified ■with walls and 

 towers ; they furnish tlicir king with 100,000 infantry, 

 2000 cavalry and 1000 elejjhants. The country of 

 the Dardae produces gold in great quantity, and that 

 of the Setae silver also. But almost the whole of 

 the peoples of India and not only those in this 

 district are surpassed in power and glory by the 

 Prasi, with their very large and wealthy city of 

 Patna, from which some people give the name 

 of PuUbothri to the race itself, and indeed to the 

 whole tract of country from the Ganges. Their 

 king maintains and pays a standing army of 60,000 

 foot, 30,000 horse and 9000 elephants, from vvhich 



389 



