in the Southern Mahratta country ; by Roxburgh cor. i. pi. 20, Wight, and Drury, in other parts of
Hindustan, its wood close-grained and used for a variety of purposes, and in Assam for canoes.
_ Phcenix sylvestris of Tropical Hindustan. The xvild date is called in tlie environs of Bombay
“ sm de e ” (Graham), in Hindustanee “ seyndie,” in Telinga “ eeta,” in Tamil “ eetchum-pannay ” in
Bengalee “ khajoor ” (Drur .); and the trees resembling “ ficis ” and called “ occhi,” from which
honey flows for two hours in the morning, growing according to Onesicritus in the valleys of
Hyrcania — (Plin. xii. 18), may be compared ( “ ook ” being Bengalee and “ uch ” Hindustanee names
of sugar-cane); “ phoinikas ” were seen by Androsthenes on the isle of Tyle {Theophr iv 7 S) ■
p. sjdvestris was observed by Rheede iii. pl. 22 to 25 in Malabar; by Graham, in the environs of
Bombay ; by Roxburgh, Royle, and Drury, common all over India, and on the Coromandel coast “ as
+ l a s m Guzerat and especially in Bengal,” is “ the only tree whose sap is much employed for
boiling down to sugar.” Farther East, was observed by Mason “ e xo tic ” in Burmah. (See P
dactylifera, and Arenga saccharifera).
Asclepias [Calotropis) procera of the Tropical portion of the Desert from the Cape Verd Islands
and shoies oi the Atlantic to tlie Red Sea and Hindustan. Large-leaved and chiefly herbaceous in
defiance of the surrounding aridity, and called in Nubia “ a b o u k / in Egypt “ oT h a r ” (Del.), in
Yemen “ oschar ” p o r s k .) ; and possibly the “ o c ch i” of Onesicritus : — “ sukkar eluscher is
mentioned by Israeli or Ishak ben Soliman, Avicenna, Serapion temp, simpl. 50, Edrisi, Ebn Baitar
and was ascertained by Ange de Saint-Joseph pharm. pers, 361 to be a kind of sugar produced by a l
insect puncturing the plant, the geographical limits of the insect not extending beyond Persia:
C. procera was observed by myself on the' Deccan, apparently the same termed “ c. Hamiltonii” by
Don, Wight, and Graham. Westward, was observed by Hasselquist in the heated deeply sunk
valley containing the Dead Sea, and again on the Sinai peninsula ; by Forskal. everywhere in
Tropical Arabia ; by Grant, as far as “ 3° 15' N .” on the Nile ; by myself, in Upper Egypt in the
Desert; by Alpinus, Norden. and Delile, also in Egypt, its juice employed against ringworm
and other cutaneous affections, also a powerful depilatory ; and again by myself, on the Cape Verd
Islands.
“ Brahmanas” were brought to Alexander {Brahminism being already in existence). The
burning of widows with their dead husbands, among the Kathaians, is also mentioned by Onesicritus
(Strab. -XV. I. 30 to 66).
The flute or pipe AYAOS, according to Onesicritus (Strab. xv. i. 22) unknown to the Indians ;
their only musical instruments being the K Y M B A A Q N cymbals, T Y M n A N a N drum, and K P 0 T A' A Q N
little bells, used hy conjurers. SKIAAIA umbrellas, according to Nearchus (Arrian ind. 16) were
carried before persons of any note.
Onesicritus obtained information of Tapróvanè, an island five thousand stadia in diameter and
twenty days sail from the main land, but the vessels badly provided with sails and otherwise
imperfectly constructed (undecked.?); between this and India there are intervening islands, but
Taprovane is the Southernmost of all ; — is also placed by Eratosthenes seven days sail South from
the Southern extreme of India (Strab. xv. i. 14): the name seems derived from the Negro class cf
languages, and the descriptions agree with Madagascar. (In later times, the name Taprovane was
transferred by the Greeks to Ceylon. See Cosmas Indicopleustes).
The KHTH;A:AM<I>IBIA described to Onesicritus as inhabiting the coast of Taprovane,—
may have been the dugong. Not far distant at Zanzibar, a dugong captured by the native fisliermen
was sketched by myself.
325 h. C. (Sm. b. d.), L. Furius Camillus and D, Junius Brutus Scaeva consuls at Rome.
Victory over the Samnites gained by O. Fabius Maximus “ magister equitum” in the absence and
contrary to orders from the dictator : flight to Rome and the intércession of the senate, people, and
his own family, barely saved his life.
The same y e a r ” (Clint., see also Quint. Curt.), after witnessing the bore or overwhelmina
tide-wave at the mouth of the Indus, Alexander and his army commenced their return Westward
Leaving Nearchus and the ships to follow by sea ; the navigation of the Persian Gulf beiiro as vet
unknown to the Greeks.
Artocarpus mtegidfolia of Ceylon and Java. The ja ck tree is called in Tamil “ p ila ” (Yule)
in the environs of Bombay “ phunnus” (Graham), in Telinga “ panasa,” in Bengalee “ kantal,” and
its fruit in Sanscrit “ tchackka” (Drur.) ; in which we recognize the “ mégalòkarpón ” tree, remarkable
for the size and sweetness of its fruit, on wliich the naked wise men of India live — (Tlieophr
iv. 4. 5), also the “ palae” tree of Pliny xii. 12 putting forth from its bark fruit called “ arienae” 1
single one satisfying four persons: the “ chaqui” was seen in Hindustan by Jordanus mirab. (.Jc
Haki.), and the “ sh a k i” producing fruit at the base of the trunk, by Ebn Batuta: A. integrifolia
was observed by Rheede 111. pl. 26 to 28 in Malabar; by Graham, “ generally to be met with about
villages throughout the Concans, the large fru it ” an article of diet with the natives, “ and the wood
in common u s e ” for household furniture; by Roxburgh cor. iii. pl, 250, Wight, and Drury, planted
in other parts of Hindustan as far as Bengal; but by Rumphius i. 106, wild in the Ceylon forest.
Farther East, wa.s observed by Mason “ e x o t ic ” in Burmah and called “ pe ing -nai;” by Loureiro,
under cultivation in Anam and Tropical C h in a ; by Rumphius i. 105, becoming rare in the Eastern
portion of the Malayan archipelago and devoid of a native name; by Biume! a wild kind on Java.
Westward from Hindustan, was observed by myself on Zanzibar, introduced probably by either Banyans
or Arabs, By European colonists, was carried to the Mauritius Islands, observed by Bojer
inclining to become naturalized ; about A. D. 1800 to the West Indies, where it continues under
successful cultivation (Hook. bot. mag. pl. 2833, »1* A. Dec.).
Areca catechu of the Malayan archipelago. The betel palm is called in the environs of Bombay
“ foflee-sooparee ” (Graham), in Telinga “ poka-chetlu,” in Tamil “ paak-marum ” or “ camooghoo,”
in Bengalee “ g o o a ” (Drur.); and the tree with leaves like ostrich plumes on helmets, but two cubits
long — (Theophr. iv. 4. 5), mistranslated by Pliny xii. 12, maybe compared : A . catechu was observed
by Rheede i. pl. 5 to 8 in Malabar; by Graham, “ commonly cultivated ” in the environs of Bombay,
also by myself; by Roxburgh cor. i. pl. 76, Siramonds, and Drury, in other parts of Hindustan, and
from Ceylon to Northern Bengal. Farther East, by Mason “ e xo tic ” in Burmah and called “ kwon-
thee ; by myself, under cultivation throughout the Malayan archipelago as far as the Philippines,
wheie according to Blanco it is called in Tagalo and Bisaya “ bonga,” in Pampango “ luyos.” Westward
from Hindustan, was observed by myself under cultivation on Zanzibar: the “ pgtros” of the
Erythraean Periplus is regarded as the imported n u t ; and “ areca ” nuts according to Wilkinson
have been e.xlnimed in ancient Egyptian tombs: the “ faw fa l” is mentioned by Maserjawia, Ebn
Amran, Abu Hanifa, Gafeki, Mesue, Avicenna, Serapion, Ebn Redwhan, and Ebn Baitar; and
“ arica” nuts called “ fufal” were found by Forskal mat. med. imported into Egypt. (See Acacia
catechu, and Piper betle).
Biga btgemina of Tropical Plindustan and Burmah. The tree with long twisted fruit sweet to
the taste, but inducing dysentery and therefore prohibited by Alexander — (Theophr. iv. 4. 5), an
account copied by Pliny xii. 12, may be compared: I. bigemina was observed by F.heede vi. pl. 12
in Malabar; by Nimmo, in the Concans as far as Bombay (Graham) ; by Roxburgh, a n iW ig h t , in
other parts of Plindustan. Farther East, by Mason v. 459 to 772 indigenous in Burmah and called
“ ta-nyen,” planted besides by the natives who “ are extravagantly fond ” of the seeds as “ a condiment
” to preserved fish, notwithstanding sometimes disastrous consequences.
Mimusops hexandra of Tropical Hindustan. Called in the environs of Bombay “ kernee ” or
“ rayanee” or “ rajun” (Graham), in Telinga “ palla,” in Tamil “ palloe ” (Drur.) ; and the tree with
fruit like that of the cornel “ kranSois ” — (Theophr. iv. 4. 5), may be compared : M. hexandra was
observed by Gibson, and Graham, planted by Muslims, “ very common on Malabar h ill” near Bom-
baj', the fruit eaten, and in Guzerat the wood much used for a variety of purposes where toughness
is required ; by myself, planted trees around the Imampoor station where we rested for a night ; by
Roxburgh cor. pl. 15, on the Circar mountains (Pers.) ; and according to Drury, the berry is of the
“ size and shape of an olive.”
Diospyros ebenum of Ceylon. Of the two kinds of ebony met with, that with good and beautiful
wood, but rare — (Theophr. iv. 4. 6), may be compared: “ nigrum ebenum” produced only in India,
is mentioned by Virgil geor. ii. 117: D. ebenum is described by Rumphius viii. pl. 6: is termed
“ ebeno.xylum verum” by Loureiro, “ d. glaberrima” by Roxburgh (Steud.); was observed by Retz
V. 31 in the Ceylon forest (P e rs .); and according to Tennent i. 117, grows in great abundance
throughout all the flat country West of Trincomalee, and so large that the central black portion
furnishes logs two feet in diameter by ten or fifteen long, excelling all other kinds in the evenness
and intensity of its colour (Drury). The living tree has recently been introduced by Nimmo into
the environs of Bombay (Graham).
Diospyros melanoxylon of Tropical Hindustan and the Siamese countries. The Coromandel
ebony \s called in Tamil “ tumballi,” in Telinga “ toomida,” in Hindustanee “ tindoo,” in Bengalee
r t e n d o o ” ar “ k iew ” (D ru r .) ; and is possibly the beautiful kind of “ gvSne” in question: —
“ SvSnos ” was also seen iu India by Megasthenes (Strab. xv. i. 37) : D. melanoxylon is described
by Roxburgh cor. i. pl. 46; is known to grow from Malabar to Orissa, a large tree “ twenty to
twenty-five feet to the branches ” with the trunk “ eight Or ten in circumference,” yielding according
to Drury “ a fine kind of ebony” exported in small quantities “ from Madras ; ” the bark astringent
and taken by the natives in dysentery (Lindl.). Farther East, was observed by McClelland in Pegu
a « called “ ouk-chin-ya ” (Mason v. 542) ; “ bonus qe est mout noir” was observed by Marco Polo
162 abounding in the forests ot “ Cianba” (Tsiompa), the species doubtless the same seen by Loureiro
p. 752 throughout the'forests of Anam.
Diospyros montana of Tropical Plindustan. Called in Mysore “ ingalagunte ” scolding wife
(Buch.); and the second kind of “ iv g n e ” met with, inferior in quality but abundant— (Theophr.
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