foil.
S. Australis was observed by Honorius Bellus eaten on Crete (Clus. hist. 199 to 300) ; is termed
“ s. cretica minor ” by Tournefort inst. 326; was observed by Sibthorp, Gittard, and Fraas, in cultivated
and fallow ground from the Peloponnesus to Caria and Cyprus. Westward, the account of
the “ scandix” by Pliny seems chiefly taken from the Greeks; but S. Australis is described by
Columna ecp. 90, and C. Bauhin prod. yS (Spreng.) ; and is known to occur in Austria and Southern
France (Crantz, All., Lam. fl. fr., and Pers.).
Scandix pecten of Sicily. Called in Britain shepherd's needle or Venus' comb (Prior), in Italy
“ pettine di Venere ” or “ spilettone ” (Lenz), in Greece “ agria kaukalithra ” (Fraas) or “ santhuki ”
(Sibth.); and possibly connected with the above scandal; the “ santhukos ” herb whose juice dyes
garments “ sarkoSithes,” was discovered by the Lydians — (J. Lydus mag. iii. 64), is mentioned by
Democritus (geopon. vi. 19); and the “ sandyx ” dyeing the fleeces of lambs feeding on it, by Virgil
(Plin. xxxv. 23) ; the cosmetic “ paithSrbt” of Alexis, Demetrius Poliorcetes, Aelian ix. 9, Athenaeus
xiii. 23, and Hesychius, identified with the “ caerefolium ” by Pliny xix. 54, may also be compared :
S. pecten was observed by Sibthorp, Chaubard, and Fraas, in cultivated ground from the Peloponnesus
to Cyprus and Constantinople ; is known to occur also as far as the country South of Caucasus
(C. A. Mey., and Plohen.). Westward, the “ akikoulam ” or “ skanaria” of the Romans is mentioned
in Syn. Diosc. ii. 167; the “ veneris pectinem ” named from resembling a comb, its root according
to Pliny xxiv. 114 bruised with'“ malva” extracting substances imbedded in the flesh : S. pecten is
described by Gerarde 884 ; is termed “ s. semine rostrato vulgaris ” by Tournefort inst. 326; is known
to occur from Algeria Sardinia and Italy as far as Denmark (fl. Dan. pl. 844, Pers., Moris, and
Munby), confined to cultivated ground except only in Sicily, where it was observed by Gussone
i. 341 in wild situations (A. Dec.).
“ The same y e a r ” (Pauth. p. 180), death of Khoung-tseu or Confucius, in his “ seventy-third year.”
A “ kiai ” tree, planted near his tomb by his disciple Tseu-koung — is said to be still standing ; and
his descendants, much honoured in China, now number many thousands.
“ 478 B. C.” (Diodor., and Clint.), in Sicily, Gelon succeeded by Hiero as king at Syracuse.
“ In the S p rin g” (Herodot., and Clint.), Sestus on the Hellespont surrendered to the Athenians:
giving them control of the commerce on the Black Sea. (Herodotus’ history here closes ; —
though an event twenty-four years later, is incidentally mentioned).
Hardly later than this date (Herodot. iv. 43), Sataspes sent by Xerxes to circumnavigate Africa.
Sailing from Egypt through the Straits into the Atlantic, he turned Southward and followed the
African coast, passing Cape Soloe, and several months beyond reached a district inhabited by dwarfish
people clad in “ phoinikeie” palm-leaves and keeping “ provata” sheep or cattle, and who on a
landing being effected abandoned their towns and fled to the ‘mountains {Hottentot tribes). More
than half the distance remaining unaccomplished and finding his ship could proceed no larther
(doubtless on account of the opposing winds and current) Sataspes turned back.
■ Phoenix recUnata of Subtropical Austral Africa. Possibly affording the “ phoinikeie ” in question
: — known to grow in the interior region of Austral Africa (Pers.). From transported specimens,
described by Jacquin frag. pl. 24.
“ 477 B. C. = 43d year of Keng-wang ” (Chinese chron. table), beginning of the Thirty-seventh
cycle.“
The same y e a r ” (Diodor. xi. 41, and Clint.), naval dominion having been acquired, beginning
of the ascendancy o f Athens among the States of Greece.
A s early perhaps as this year, coins issued by the Macedonian king Alexander. He had accompanied
the army of Xerxes but secretly favoured the Greeks ; and sent by Mardonius after their naval
advantage at Salamis, urged them to make peace. He subsequently warned them of the impending
attack at Plataea; — and having proved his Greek descent, vvas the first of the royal family of Macedonia
admitted as competitor at the Olympic games (Sm. b. d.).
His are the earliest inscribed Greek coins, and they present the following form of the letter S.
“ 475 B. C.” = 1st year of Youan-wang, of the Tcheou or Fifth dynasty (Chinese chron. table).
“ In his reign ” (Pauth. p. 186), the estates of the prince of On seized by Keou-tsien prince of
Youe : several members of the dispossessed family retiring to Japan, being descendants of Tai-pe
already mentioned. Wishing to punish an officer without disgracing him, Keou-fsien sent a sword
with orders to pu t hiinsetf to death : the earliest instance of this custom on record.
Saccharum officinarum of the Moluccas ? The sugar-cane is called in Burmah “ kyan ”
(Mason); and has been known in China from a very ancient period — (A. Dec.) : was observed by
Mason “ e xo tic ” in Burmah ; by Kaempfer, and Thunberg, under cultivation in Japan ; by Rumphius
V . pl. 74, and myself, under cultivation throughout the Malayan archipelago ; by myself, on the Fee-
jean Islands, cultivated and a juiceless form overrunning territory in regular cane-brakes, the absence
of seeds being the only indication of foreign origin ; on Tongatabu, and Taheiti, also inclined to
become naturalized without the aid of seeds, but here as well as on the Samoan and Hawaiian
Islands clearly introduced by Polynesians. Westward from Burmah, is called in Sanscrit “ ikshoo ’>
or rusala or “ poondra or “ kanguruka,” in Telinga “ cherukoo ” (Roxb.), in Tamil “ karoomboo ”
^ r u r ) ; and its product sugar in Sanscrit “ sarkura,” in Tamil “ sakkara ” (Royle), in Bencmlee
sharkara or bhura or “ chini,” in Hindustanee “ sh a k ar” or “ bura ” or “ chini ” or “ khand”
(D roz.) : sugar is luentioned in the Institutes of Menu, and the Sama Veda (transl.); “ honey made
£ U f U , J " , J ' ’ Herodotus i v . ; a kind of reed “ yielding honey wiihout
the aid of bees was seen by Nearchus in Hindustan (Strab. xv. i. 20), is mentioned also by Theophiastus
fr. 190; sak0 ron ” is descnbed by Dioscorides as a kind of concreted honey obtained
from reeds m I n t o and Arabia Felix (the living plant already in Yemen), is mentioned also by Pliny
was observed by Roxburgh, Graham, and myself, under cultivation in Hin-
to t a n , and the bhooroo reed of which the native pens are made ” is according to Graham “ com-
S yLiL j j < seemingly wild among the mountains
N e / o trib f 1 0dda>-jend ; was ascertained by myself at Zanzibar to be cultivated by
Ne 10 trb e s as far inland as^ the Monomoizi country; was observed by Baumgarten i. 16, Forskal,
and Dehle, under cultivation m E g y p t ; and by Harib in the “ Tenth ” century, in Spain (A. Dec )
was carried “ m 1420” from Sicily to Madeira, thence “ in 1503” to the
to A / r c "omewhat later to the Mauritius Islands (A. Dec.) ; by Columbus, was carried
Tropics Columb. 53), where it continues abundantly cultivated within as well as near the
474 B. C. = “ I2th year of Hesirsa ” or Xerxes ; the latest date in his reign found on the
Egyptian monuments — (C. Mull. fr. Man. p. 596).
kint» o f 's y r a c u s / ^ " ” Clint.), the Tuscans defeated in naval combat by Hiero Greek
U ° to d on coins of Metapontum in Southern I ta ly -
w n / U + r p. 351). From Europe, the wheat-fly was unintentionally carried by colonists to
Northeast America; where in our Middle States, it continues to commit great ravages.
'^ )> Coriolanus banished from Rome finding refuge
among the \ olscians. - Some ten years later, arriving before Rome at the head o f a Volsciln army
he was persuaded by h.s mother and family to withdraw. The account however is re<»arded L
legendary rather than historical. re„araea as
In this year ( = 4 p -j_ “ 18 years re ign ” of the Mahavamsi iv ), Nagadaseka succeeded by
Susanaga, now Hindu king. Sahalin is in this place in the Avadana asoka (Burnouf i 358)
„ f u 1 J""" ” '■ P- see BP'n- ii- 6?), sailing from Carthao-e
of sixty foips containing “ thirty thousand” persons, under Hanno, to found and re-establilh
new city of Tliumiatenon was built. Passing the “ so lo inta ” promontory (Cape Cantin) additional
v‘un°”'" A T u i / i L r ^ l ^ B t t a n , ” a id “ Aram-
“ D e s e r f ” L d 1 if interpreters, Hanno proceeded South along the
m e ! N k U ®°*>“ “ ng a small island which he occupied and named “ K i r n e ”
^ e ne at^the mouth of the Rio do ouro). — Herodotus iv. 195 had heard of gold procured by the
t t o / / ‘ rU o f “ Kuraunin,” and of their trading with African tribes without seeing
S L b l PH nU 0 Ephorus, Lycophron, Eratosthenes, Polybius, Cornelius, Diodorusi
btiabo, Phnms, C. I tolemaeus, Nonnus ; and at the end of a little over nineteen centuries <»oId was
g' Z i£ . t t T
From “ K & rn g Hanno proceeded South to a “ great river full of hippopotami and crocodiles”
( enegal) ; and Mter re-visiting “ K6rne,” continued his voyage ; the natives everywhere fleein<» and
( t o p e L r / T L d u c - ^ ‘ ° t* '’ " ioteforeters. He next reached large and wooded moun/ains
( ape Verd) pioducmg trees whose wood was scented and variegated. After “ two days ” sailin'»
■ became level; and L s U e r e s e e L !
r + t '■ • T 1 / ’ entered a gulf, known to the interpreters as “ EspSrou kiras ■ ” and
containing a large is and, and within the island a sea-water lake, and within the k U a n o toV is lL d
(Harang, one of the B.ssagos Islands). Woods only were in sight ; but at niizht t h e r r / r e fire ! fo
f f iL U L d ” J'®"® beasts), and slunds were heard of
f U l l r L v r I™ 1 '^°*muing beyond, the country was found to be on fire
i rerv fob becoming dry in autumn and fired by the negroes) ; and at the end of “ four days ”
a v e iy lofty mountain came mto view, called “ T h « n ohema” (Mount Sagres, about fifty miles L ’m
t o . r a Leone). 0 ter the next “ three days,” Hanno entered a gulf called “ Notou kgras ” (Sh e rb rl
Soun0 , want of provisions precluding the farther prosecution of the voya'»e
c a D tL U /,'1 , ” ®^"ed by the interpreters T 0 P I A A A S were
captured, but continuing to resist, were killed and their skins preserved ; “L o ra lla s ,” the MandLg®
j
. .
J i
I J