46 Remarks on the Sequel to the [Jan. 



them as possessing neither flocks nor herds, but as employed in gather- 

 ing from the flowers of the desert, a substance that was carded and woven 

 into precious or costly fabrics, which surpassed in the variety and rich- 

 ness of their colors the mingled beauties of the enameled mead, and 

 which rivalled in their delicate texture, even the fineness of the spider's 

 web. The material here referred to, is tassar or moonga silk, which 

 abounds in the forests or jungles of Assam (the desert aruni mentioned 

 in the text), and the rich and varied colours that are mentioned, were no 

 doubt, imparted to it by the indigenous dyes of Assam, namely, lac, 

 room, manjit, and mismee-tita, which give the beautiful red and blue 

 colours with which the silks of that country are prepared in the present 

 day. 



The Schiratee or Sirata3 of Elian are evidently the Ethiopic Seres of 

 Pausanius, or the Sesatse of the Sequel. They are mentioned as a peo- 

 ple with flat noses, situated in India ultra Gangem — in whose country 

 there were serpents of an enormous size (Boa or python tigris) that de- 

 voured cattle. Sir. W. Jones regards the country of the Siratse of Elian 

 as identical with Sylhet, Siret or Srihaut, a place, which he states, was 

 celebrated among the ancients for the fragrant essence extracted from 

 Malabathrum.* The Seres mentioned by Horace, 



" Doctus sagittas tend ere Sericas 



Arcu paterno ? " 



Hor. Lib. i. 29. 



are the mountain tribes bordering on Assam, all of whom are expert at 

 the use of the bow and arrow. 



The Seres are mentioned by ancient writers as a people who are re- 

 markable for their longevity. They were said to live to the age of two 

 hundred years. Ctesias and Elian state that the fruit of a tree called 

 Siptachora, from which amber exuded, and upon which there was found 

 a small insect yielding a purple dye, possessed the virtue of prolonging 

 life to the same number of years. It would seem from this circum- 

 stance that the Seres inhabited the country in which the Siptachora grew, 

 and as there can be no doubt that the insect alluded to is the lac insect, 

 it may be concluded that Lower Assam is the region which is here re- 

 ferred to. This is rendered the more probable from the account which 

 Ctesias gives of this country. Wilford mentions that Ctesias (accord- 

 * Works of Sir W. Jones, Vol. VI. p. 384. 



