Plinies Naturall Hiftorie* 



A ismofttichin gold mines -jand theSeliatij infiiver. But above all the nations of India through- 

 out, and not of this tra6t and quarter onely, the Prafij farre GKceed in puifllincej wealth, and re- 

 putation 5 where the moft famous^richjand magnificent citie Palibotria ftandeth : whereof fbme 

 have named the people about it, yea and ail the nation generally beyond Ganges,Palibotrians, 

 Theirkingkeepethcontinuallyinpay ^00000 footmen, 30000 horlinen,and poooElephants^ 

 everyday in the yeere. Whereby you may fooneguefle the mightie power and wealth of this 

 prince. Beyond Palibotria, more within the firme land,inhabite the Monedes and Suari^ where 

 Ifandeth the mountaine Maleus : and there for fixe moneths fpace, the fliadowes in win ter time 

 fall Northward; andinfummerfeafon,goeintothe South. Thepole Arx^ickeftarresin allthac 

 tra6^:,arefeene but once in the yeere,and that, no longer than for 1 5 dayes, as Bet on raakethie- 



B port: but MegaHhem writeth, that this is ufuall in other parts of India.The Antar£lick or South 

 pole,the Indians call Dromofa. As for the river Iom3nes,which runneth into Gan geSjittraver- 

 feth through the Palibotrians countrey, and pa0eth betweene the townes Methora and Cyri- 

 foborca. Beyond the river Ganges, in that quarter and climate which lyerh So uthward,the peo- 

 ple are caught with the funne,and begin to be blackifh;but yet not all outfo fiin-burnt and bJack 

 indeed as the Moores and ^Ethiopians. Audit feemeth , that the neerer they approach to the ri^. 

 ver Indus jthe deeper coloured they are and tanned with the (unne ; for you are not fo foone pa ft 

 thePrafians country, but prefently you arc upon Indus : and among the niountains of this trad^ 

 the Pygmxans (by report) doe k^z^^.Artemidorm writeth^that betweene thefe two rivers^chere 

 isadiftanceof 21 miles. 



C 



Chap, xx. 

 ^ The river Ind^t * 



THe great river Indus, which the people.of that countrey call Sandus, iiTueth out of a part 

 or dependance of the hill Caucafus,which is called Paroparaifus; he taketh his courfe and 

 runneth full againil thefun-rifing,^and maketh 19 rivers more to loofe their names,which 

 he taketh in unto him. Among which,the principall are thefe,Hydafpes one,bringing with him 

 foure more : and Cantabra another,accompanied with three befides. Moreover, of l uch as are 

 of therafelves navigable without the help of others,Acefines and Hypafis. And yet for all thefe 

 D additions, the river of Indus (fuch a fober and raodeif courfc as it were, his waters keepe) is in 

 no place either above 50 ftadia over, or deeper than 15 paces, /.threefcore and fifteene foot, or 

 twelve fadome and a halfe. This river enciofcth within two braunches of it, a right great Ifland 

 named Prafiane, and another that is leiTe, which they call Patale.As for himfdfe,diey that have 

 writtenof him with the leatf, fay that hec beareth veflels for 1240 miles: and turning with the 

 courfeofthefunnejkeepeth him companie Weftward, until! he is difcharged into the Ocean. 

 The meafure of the fea-coaft fcom Ganges unto him, I will fee downe generally and in grolTe, as 

 Ifindit written .-albeit there is no agreement at all of Authors,as touching this point. From the 

 mouth of Ganges where he entreth into the fea unto the cape Cahugon,and thetowneDanda- 

 guIa,arecounted 725 miles: from thence to Tropina 1225 miles. Then to thepromontorie of 

 Perimula, where ftandeth the chiefemart or towne of merchandife in alllndiajthey reckon 75a 

 miles: from which to the towne abovefaid Patale within the liland ^20 miles. The mountainers 

 •» inhabitingbetwceneitand Iomanes,aretheCelfiand CeUboni, wild and favagc people: next 

 to them,the Megall^e, whofe king hath in ordinarie prefl for fervice 5 00 Elephants :of foot and 

 horlemen a great number, but uncertaine it is how many ; fomctime more,fometime fewer. As 

 for the ChryfeanSjParafangianSjand Afangians, they are full of the wild and cruell tygres : they 

 are able to arme 30000 foot and 8oohorfe,and tofetout with furniture 300 Elephants. This 

 countrey is on three fides environed and enclofed with a raunge of high mountaines rail defert 

 and full of wilderneflefor 61 5 milesjand ofone fide confined with the river Indus.Beneath thold 

 wild hills,youenter among the Dari and Surse; and then you come againe to waft dcferts for 

 F 1 SS mileSjCompafted about for the moft part with great barres and bankcs of fand, like as the 

 rdands with the fca.Vnder thefe defert forrefts,you fballmeet with thejVlaltecores,Cingians^ 

 Marobians, Rarungians, Moruntes, Maliiae, andPangungas.Nowforthofewho inhabitethc 

 mountainesjwhichin a continuall raunge without interruption ftanduponihecoaftsofthe O- 

 cean^they §re free ftates and fubje<^t to no prince^ and many faire townes and cities they hold 



