H e ig h t o f t h e
G h a u t s .
A n t i e n t C o m m
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In the following year, he again afcended the toilfome paths
to fame, fuccefsfully joined his great commander, and received
the moil: pleafing reward to noble minds, praife well deferved,
and earned with hardihips, perfeverance, and judgment.
V i e w in g the immenfe range o f mountains from below, in
h e igh t a mile and a quarter from the fea? covered w ith forefts,
the tops often hid in the clouds, th e y appear to form an un-
furmountable barrier between the My fore country and the Malabar
coa ft* .
T h e tract which now bears the name of Canhara, is by
Arrian ftyled Cottonara. The trans-ghautian part is the Pan-
dionis Regio, which anfwers to the modern kingdom of My/ore.
A l l this trait was, in Arrian's time, noted for its rich pro-
duitions and great commerce, particularly in the article pepper.
The Piper cottonaricum was famous in all parts, but the hifto-
rian limits the growth to one fpot. The country was far from
being confined to that fingle article : It fupplied the merchants
with numbers of the fineft pearls, ivory, and Othonia ¡erica, a
certain mixed manufaiture of cotton and iilk.
Arrian, i. 539, fpeaks of the beautiful white linens of India,
probably the fame with the modem calicoes. Thefe formed,
as they do at prefent, a great part o f their clothing. This trade
is probably continued, to the prefent day, to the emporia of
Tartary. When Anthonie Jenkinfon was at Bocbara, in 1558,
the Indian caravans brought great quantities of this fpecies of
linen, which was much ufed by the tartars to form their head.
* Major Dirom’s Campaigns, p. 90.
drefs,
drefs, infomuch that they rejected our kerfies and cloths, which
Jenkinfon offered-to fale
Nardos Gapanica, or Nardus, from a certain part o f India
called Gapana, is another article o f commerce. The Nardus
was in high repute in former times, but now is out o f fafhion.
It was much ufed in form of a pomatum, with which the Romans
perfumed their hair., Horace fpeaks o f it frequently, on
feftive occcafions, and in one exemplifies the antient cuftom
o f bringing their pretious ointments in a box o f Onyx or
Alabajirites: .
u Nardi parvus Onyx eficiet cadum.”
Old Gerard, p. 1081, fpeaks o f its medical virtues in his days.
I cannot afcertain the plant.
T h e Malebathrum was another valuable drug from this region.
Pliny, lib. xii. c. 12, and lib. xiii. c. 1, fpeaks highly of
it as a perfume, in which it feems to have been an ingredient
among many others. The Unguentum Regale was compofed of
not fewer than twenty-fix. That o f Syria was alfo in high
requeft. ■ Horace fpeaks of his fitting with his old friend, Pom-
peius Varus, at a feaft, crowned with wreaths of flowers, and
highly perfumed:
** Sa?pe diem mero
. Fregi, coronatus nitentes
4< Malebathro Syrio capillos,”
Pliny gives a very long lift o f the perfumes ufed by the Romans.
They were moftly pomatums, and confequently not the moft
* Purchas, iii. p, 240,
delicate*
N a r d u s *
M a l e b a t h r u m »