Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 



A lady of them in their due and feverall places. And as for thofe 4 provinces or Satrapies^ which I 

 touched before^ I will fpeake of them foone after and within a while ; for now I haften and tlu'nk 

 it lon^' untill I have faid fomwhat of the Ifland Taprobane. And yet before I come to it^there be 

 other Ifles which I cannot pafTe by^ and namely that of Patala, which I noted to lye in the vcrie 

 mouthof the river Indusj and it carrieth the forme and fafhion of a triangle figurcj and is 226 

 miles long. Without the mouth of the river Indus^ two other Iflands there be, Chryfe andA- 

 £;yr^_, fo named (as I thinke) of the gold and filver mines which they doe yeeld : for I cannot ea- 

 fily beleeve^that the verie earth and Ibile there is all gold and filver entircjas fome have made rs- 

 porr.Twentie miles from themjlyeth the Ifle Grocala : and 1 2 miles farther into the fcajBibagaj 

 where^of oyfters and other fhell fidies called Purplesjare found good ftore. And laft of aliening 



B miles beyond itjTorallib^. fheweth it felfe^and many other petie Iflands of no regard. 



Chap, xxii, 

 ^ The lUfid T^ifrob^nei 



IThathbecncof long time thought by men in aiincientdayesj that Taprobane was a fecond 

 world, in fuch fort as many have taken it to be the place of the Antipodes, and called it. The 

 Antichthones world. But after the time of Alexander the Great, and the voiage of his armie 

 into thofe parts, it was difcovered and known^ for a truth, boththatit was anlfland,and what 

 compare it bare. Oneficratm the Admirall of his fleet,hath written, that, the Elephants bred in 

 Q this ifland be bigger, more fierce and furious for war-rcrvice,than thofe of India . OUegdfihenes 

 faith, that there is a great river which partethitintwaine^ and that thepeople thereof dwelling 

 along the river,be called Palaeogoni : adding moreover, that it affourdeth more gold, and big- 

 gerpearles by far,than India doth. Eratofihems alfo tooke the meafure thereof, and faith, that in 

 length i t beareth 7000 lbdia,and in bredth 5 000 : that in it there be no cities & great towns,but 

 villages to the number of 700. It beginneth at the Levant fea of Orientall Indians, from which 

 itftretcheth and estendetii between the Eafi and Weil: of India : and was taken in times pafl to 

 lyc out into the Tea from the Prafian countrey twentie dayes failing . But afterwards, for that the 

 boates and veilels ufed upon this fea in the palTage thither, were made and wound ofpapyr reeds 

 like thofe of the river Nilus,andfiirniflied'vT;ith thefamekindof tackling, the voyage thither 

 13 from the forcfaid countrey was gaged within a lefTe time : and well knowne it was,chat according 

 to the faile of our fhips and gallies, a. man might arrivcthere in feven daies.Alhhe fea lying be- 

 twesne,is verie ebbe, full of ihallowcs and ilielves jUo more than five fathom deepe. Howbeit in 

 certain chancls that it hath,!! is Co deepe that it cannot be founded,neither will any ancres reach 

 the botome and there reft : and v^ithali, fo ftreight and narrow thefe chanels are, that a fliip can- 

 not turne within them: and therefore to avoid that neceffitie of turning about in thele feas, the . 

 iliips have ptoes at both ends, and are pointed cch way . Infailing, ri jcy obferve no ftarre atalL 

 As for theNorth pole, they never fee it : but they carrie ever with them certaine birds in their 

 Thippes, which theyfcndoutoftenrimes when they fcekeforland, obferving ever their flight; 

 for knowing well that they will flie to land,they accompanie them, and bend their courfeaccor- 

 E dingly : neither ufe they to faile more than one quarter in the yecre : and fo£^?ne hundred dayes 

 after the funne is entredinto Cancer, they take moft heed and never make faile • for during thats 

 timeic is winter feafon with them. And thus much we come to knowledge of, by relation otaun- 

 cient writers.But wee came to farre better intelligence, and more notable information,by cer- 

 taine EmbaiTadours commuig out of that Ifland, in the time of Clandim C^far the Emperour t 

 which happened upon this occafion and after this manner. It fortuned, that a freed flave of An- 

 VAus Plocamus, who had fermed of the Exchequer the cuftomes for impoft ofthe red fca,as he- 

 made faile about the coaftsof Arabia, was iafuch wife driven with the North winds befides the 

 f ealme of Carmania, and that for the fpace of 1 5 dayes, that in the end hee fell with an harbouir 

 thereofcalledHippuros, and there arrived. When he was fet on land, he found the king of that 

 p countrey lb courteous, that hee gave him entertainment for 6 moneths, and entreated him with 

 all kindnciTe that could be devifed.And ashe ufed to difcourfe and queftion with him about the 

 Romanes and their Emperour, he recounted unto him at large of all things . But among many 

 other reports that he heard,he wondred m.oi^ of all at their jultice in all their dealings,and was in 

 love therewith, and namely^ that their Denieres of the money which was taken were alwaics of 



like 



