BY THE ANCIENT HINDUS. 



221 



We read in the extracts remaining from the work of 

 Ktesias 101 on India, that an oil was prepared from a big worm, 

 which lived in the deep bed of the river Indns. This animal 

 had two big tusks (jaws ? branchice), slept during the day in 

 the muddy sands of the banks of the rivers, which it 

 left at night in search of food, seizing big animals, which 

 it devoured. According to C. Plinius Secundus this worm 

 catches even elephants. 102 When such an animal has been 

 caught — which is generally done by binding a sheep or a 

 goat to a strong pole — it is kept suspended in the sun for 

 thirty days, that the oil may drip from it, and this oil was 

 collected in earthen pots. Each worm supplied a quantity 

 equal to ten measures of oil. This was sent to the king in 

 sealed jars. The oil had the power to ignite every thing and 

 was for this reason used especially at sieges. Jars filled with 

 this material were thrown into besieged towns and whatever 

 they touched ignited as soon as they broke. Nothing 

 but rubbish and sweepings could extinguish the flame, when 

 once ignited. Neither man, nor animal, nor anything could 



101 See Photii Myriobiblon, 1653, p. 153-156. 



"On iv rtp irorafxi^ rwv 'IvScov ffKcoXr}^ yiverai, rb fxkv e?5os 6i6v irep iv rats 

 ffvuous tfoode ylveaOai, rb 5e {iT}Kos, ir't]X e<av ^7rTa robs fxel^ovs Se Kal iAarrovs. 

 rb 5e ir&xos Se/caerea ireuda fi6\LS (pad reus tteptjSaAelV. exowrt Se 686vras 



8vo, %va &vco Kal eva Karoo' teal '6,ri av Xafioocri rots 08 overt, KareaOiovcri. nal 

 rh\v fiev rj/xepav iv rr\ \\vi rov irora^ov hiairobvrai, rrj 5e wktI il-epxov. K <d 

 rovrcov bs av evrvxv tiv\ iv rfi yf, fiot ^ Ka/J.r)\cp, Kal 8a/o? ffvXhafSkv eA/cet els 

 rbv irorafibv, Kal irdvra Karecrdiei irX^v ras KoiXias. aypove 5e ayKiffrpcp 

 fxeydXq), epicpov apva ivfirio'dvTwv rip ayKiffrpcp, Kal aXvfferai aidr^paLs ivapjxo. 

 ordvroov. aypovffavres 5e rpiaKovra rj/xepas Kpefj.&o'tv avrov. Kal ayyeia viro- 

 rideacri. Kal pel e£ avrov, '6<rov SeKa Korv\as arrLKas rb irXr/dos. '60-av 5e irap- 

 4xQooariv ai rpiaKovra rifiepai, airoppiirrovo'i rbv ffKdoXrjKa. Kal rb ehaiov acr<pa\i- 

 (rd/xevni, dyovci r$ fiaaiXei fiSva; robv 'Ivdwv. &XAcp 5e ovk e(effriv e| avrov 

 €X eiJ/ - rovro rb eXaiov, e<p' b av iirixvOrj, avdirrer Kal KaracpKeyei |uAa Kal 

 C&a. Kal &\\<as ov o~fievvvri el fir] irrj\cp 7roAA<£ re Kal Trax^i. 



102 See Caii Plinii Secundi Historice Naturalis, Libr. IX, 17 : "In eodem 

 (Grange flumine) esse Statius Sebosus baud medico miraculo affert, vermes 

 branchiis binis, sex cubitorum, cseruleos, qui nomen a facie traxerunt. His 

 tantas esse vires, ut elephantos ad potum venientes, mordicus comprehensa 

 manu eorum abstrahant." Just previously Plinius had spoken of the 

 Delphinus Gangeticus (platanista). 



