DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.643#0154
'34
WESTERN HINDOOSTAN.
delicate. The variety was endlefs, and fome of the ingredients
would feem now very lingular. They anointed themfelves with
fome-kinds, to fupprefs the rank fmell of their bodies, and often
to prevent the effects of their intemperance and excefs in meats
and drinks, being too fenfibly perceived. Diofcorides and Pliny
fay, that the vegetable which yielded this perfume was a certain
water-plant, that floated on the furface, like what we call duck-
meat. Gerard, p. 1534, called it falapatra, or Indian leaf, and
gives the figure of a fhrub, related to the clove,
Hyacinth. The Hyacintbus, a pretious ftone, mentioned by Arrian as an
article of commerce, That of the antients approached the
methyst. Amethyjl in value and color. " Emicans" fays Pliny, " in
" Amethyjio fulgor violaceus, dilutus eft in Hyacintho" Thofe
of India were the moft valuable.
estujjo. The Tejiudo Chryjonetiotica was a fmall fpecies of land-tor-
toife, another export: it was fo called by the Greeks, being
marked as if with threads of gold ; this is a faithful defcrip-
tion given by the antients: Linnaeus calls it Te/ludQ Geometrica;
La Cepede gives a good figure of it in tab. ix.
uports. The imports here (for it is well to know the antient wants
of the country) were, a confiderable quantity of fpecie; hence
wTe may account for finding in India the coins of Europe; cbry-
folites, an ALthiopian gem of a golden color; a few plain
cloths; Polymeta, or embroideries of different colors; Stimmi%
Coral, probably the red, from the Mediterranean fea, all
others abounding in the eaftern feas; rude glafs, brafs, tin,
lead, a little wine, Sandarac, or red arfenic, Arfenicum^ or the
common, wheat for the ufe of the fhips only? being fcarcely
an article of commerce,
6 All
WESTERN HINDOOSTAN.
delicate. The variety was endlefs, and fome of the ingredients
would feem now very lingular. They anointed themfelves with
fome-kinds, to fupprefs the rank fmell of their bodies, and often
to prevent the effects of their intemperance and excefs in meats
and drinks, being too fenfibly perceived. Diofcorides and Pliny
fay, that the vegetable which yielded this perfume was a certain
water-plant, that floated on the furface, like what we call duck-
meat. Gerard, p. 1534, called it falapatra, or Indian leaf, and
gives the figure of a fhrub, related to the clove,
Hyacinth. The Hyacintbus, a pretious ftone, mentioned by Arrian as an
article of commerce, That of the antients approached the
methyst. Amethyjl in value and color. " Emicans" fays Pliny, " in
" Amethyjio fulgor violaceus, dilutus eft in Hyacintho" Thofe
of India were the moft valuable.
estujjo. The Tejiudo Chryjonetiotica was a fmall fpecies of land-tor-
toife, another export: it was fo called by the Greeks, being
marked as if with threads of gold ; this is a faithful defcrip-
tion given by the antients: Linnaeus calls it Te/ludQ Geometrica;
La Cepede gives a good figure of it in tab. ix.
uports. The imports here (for it is well to know the antient wants
of the country) were, a confiderable quantity of fpecie; hence
wTe may account for finding in India the coins of Europe; cbry-
folites, an ALthiopian gem of a golden color; a few plain
cloths; Polymeta, or embroideries of different colors; Stimmi%
Coral, probably the red, from the Mediterranean fea, all
others abounding in the eaftern feas; rude glafs, brafs, tin,
lead, a little wine, Sandarac, or red arfenic, Arfenicum^ or the
common, wheat for the ufe of the fhips only? being fcarcely
an article of commerce,
6 All