108 tlint's natueal history. [Book II. 



mer fall towards the south and in winter towards the north. 

 The seven stars of the Great Bear are -vnsible there for fifteen 

 nights only. In India also, in the celebrated sea-port Pa- 

 tale \ the sun rises to the right hand and the shadows fall 

 towards the south. While Alexander was staying there it 

 was observed, that the seven northern stars were seen only 

 during the early part of the night'. Onesicritus, one of his 

 generals, informs us in his work, that in those places in India 

 where there are no shadows, the seven stars are not visible' ; 

 these places, he says, are called " Ascia''," and the people there 

 do not reckon the time by hours*. 



CHAP. 76. (74.) — WHEEE THIS TAKES PLACE TWICE rPf THE 

 TEAS AND WHEEE THE SHADOWS FALL IIT OPPOSITE 

 DIEECTIONS. 



Eratosthenes informs us, that in the whole of Troglodytice, 

 for twice forty-five days in the year, the shadows fall in the 

 contrary direction''. 



CHAP. 77. (75.) — ^WHEEE THE DATS ABE THE LONGEST AND 

 WHEEE THE SHOETEST. 



Hence it follows, that in consequence of the daylight 

 increasing in various degrees, in Meroe the longest day 



said to be in the country of the Monedea and Siiari ; vi. 22. See the note 

 of Alexandre in Lemaire, i. 394. 



1 Our author, in a subsequent part of his work, vi. 23, describes the 

 island of Patale as situated near the mouth of the Indus ; he again refers 

 to it, xii. 25. His account of the position of the sun does not, however, 

 apply to this place. 



2 If we may suppose this to have been actually the case, we might 

 calcvilate the time of the year when Alexander visited this place and the 

 length of his stay. 



3 We may presTime, that our author means to say no more than that, 

 in those places, they are occasionally invisible ; HteraUy the observation 

 would not apply to any part of India. * doKia, shadowless. 



5 If this really were the case, it could have no relation to the astrono- 

 mical position of the coxmtry. 



6 " In contrariimi," contraTy to what takes place at other times, ». e. 

 towards the south. This observation is not appHcable to the wliole of 

 this country, as its northern and southern parts differ from each other by 

 seven or eiglit degrees of latitude. For an accoimt of Eratosthenes see 

 Lemaire, i. 186. 



