OF ACCOMPANYING ANIMALS AND PLANTS. 559 



"The same year" (Zosim., and Clint.), revolt of Gildo at Carthage ;• cutting off the supply of 

 corn from Rome ; as at this time (according to Claudian), Constantinople received all the corn of 

 Egypt. 



" In this year" (Idat., and Clint.), general destruction of temples. A Christian, Synesius, at this 

 time ambassador from Cyrene to Arcadius. 



"The same year" (Abulpharag., and Clint.), Vararam IV. succeeded by Yesdejerd or Isdejerd, 

 twelfth Sasanid king of Persia. Christians at this time numerous in Persia. 



"400; Jan. 1st" (Clint.), homily of Asterius, against the festive observance of the Calends. 



"In this year" (ann. Jap., transl. Tits.), Nin-tok succeeded by Ri-tsiou, eighteenth dairo of 

 Japan. Flowers of " sakoura " * fell into the drinking-cup of Ri-tsiou while once sailing on an artificial 

 lake. 



"In this year" (Burm. ann., Bigandet, and Max Mull. p. xvi), Budhaghosha of Thaton visiting 

 Ceylon, where he transcribed the Budhist scriptures, making use of "Burmese or rather Taking 

 characters." In this form these scriptures were now first communicated to the people living on the 

 shores of the Gulf of Martaban. — The visit of Budhaghosha is placed at least eleven years later by 

 the Ceylon historian Mahanama (Mahavams. xxxvii). 



Excavating a "stone temple" or "stone cave," is mentioned by Budhaghosha parab. xviii. 



Diospyros hirsuta of Ceylon. Affording the most valuable cabinet-wood of the island, surpassing 

 rosewood in beauty and durability, and from early times in the greatest repute : "ebony forests" are 

 mentioned by -Budhaghosha parab. iii : f — D. hirsuta was received from Ceylon by the younger Lin- 

 na;us ; and according to Drury, grows " chiefly in the southern provinces and especially in the forests 

 at the foot of Adam's Peak," but having been prodigally felled "has become exceedingly rare." 



herbal, Du Halde 217; doubtless from the root occasionally resembling the human form) : according 

 to the emperor Kang-hi, from the frontier of China to Hei-tong-kiang and from the eastern sea a good 

 distance westward are forests so dense that they hide the sun, some of pine and some of cedar, and in 

 these dark woods grows the "gin-cheng" (mem. Chin. iv. 465) ; or according to Kaempfer i. 4, "in 

 the provinces of Corea and Fakusai, as also in Siansai, a province of the neighbouring Tartary : " 

 ginseng is described by P. Jartona in making his map of Tartary, and "in 1709" the emperor ordered 

 ten thousand Tartars to go in quest of the root, and so procured twenty thousand katye or Chinese 

 pounds, Osbeck further found the Chinese in their " apothecary shops always selling ginseng : " among 

 the productions of Yeso, " ninzin " or " ginsen '' is enumerated in the San-kokf, and by Siebold ; the 

 Ainos of Yeso are known to have long held communication with the Aleutian Islands, and though the 

 plant has not been seen growing in Alaska (Rothr. in Smith's report for 1867), ginseng has been enu- 

 merated among Alaskan articles of commerce ; I have in fact met with no direct evidence that the 

 plant has been seen growing in Asia, and the law of geographical distribution requires either two 

 species, or else China has always been supplied with ginseng from North America. P. quinquefolium 

 was discovered in Northeast America in" 1715 " by the Jesuit P. Lasitan(Hardie's tablet, and Holmes); 

 " in 1752," its root was extensively collected by the Mohawks and brought to the colonists on the Hud- 

 son for exportation to China (G. Hawley hist. coll. iv. 53) ; "in 1775," Thunberg in Japan found gin- 

 seng root "imported unadulterated only >y the Chinese,"' and that "brought by the Dutch, said to 

 come from America," strictly prohibited : P. quinquefolium seems to grow chiefly on and around the 

 Alleghanies, as far according to Kalm as a little North of Montreal ; was observed also in Canada by 

 Michaux, and Cleghorn (Hook.) ; by Pursh, from Canada to Tennessee ; by A. Gray, in " rich moun- 

 tain woods, becoming rare ; " by Conrad, as far East as the vicinity of Philadelphia, and by Darlington 

 near West Chester; by Eliot, on the Alleghany mountains of Carolina; and by Chapman, in "rich 

 woods along the mountains, Georgia and northward." 



* Cerasus kariuka of Japan and Yeso. A cherry tree called by the Ainos "karinka," in Japan 

 " sakura " (Sieb.), and clearly the " sakoura " in question : — enumerated by Siebold among the edible 

 and useful plants of Yeso. 



f Diospyros chloroxylon of Eastern Hindustan. A thorny species yielding a kind of ebony, very 

 hard and durable timber, known from early times : —observed by Roxburgh cor. pi. 49 (Pers., and 



Drur.). 



Diospyros cordifolia of Eastern Hindustan. A tree armed with branching thorns and yielding a 

 kind of ebony, timber from early times used for many economical purposes : —observed by Roxburgh 

 cor. pi. 50 (Pers., and Drur.). 



Diospyros tomentosa of the Northern parts of Bengal. A tall and elegant tree, deciduous-leaved 

 and shaped somewhat like the cypress; its black hard heavy timber known from early times: — 

 observed by Roxburgh (Drur.). From transported specimens, described by Poiret (Steud.). 



Jasmhmm angustifolium of Southern Hindustan. A woody twiner called in Tamil " caat- 



