THALIA.

themselves the payment of a gratuity. To this latter
place the Persian authority extends; northward of
this, their name inspires no respect. Every five years
the nations above-mentioned present the king with a
hundred youths and a hundred virgins, which also
has been continued within my remembrance. The
Arabians contribute every year frankincense to the
amount of a thousand talents. Independent of the
tributes before specified, these were the presents which
the king received.

XCVIII. The Indians procure the great number of
golden ingots, which, as I have observed, they present
as a donative to the king, in this manner:—That part
of India which lies towards the east is very sandy;
and indeed, of all nations concerning whom we have
any authentic accounts, the Indians are the people of
Asia who are nearest to the east, and the place of the
rising sun. The part most eastward, is a perfect
desert, from the sand. Under the name of Indians
many nations are comprehended, using different lan­
guages ; of these, some attend principally to the care
of cattle, others not; some inhabit the marshes, and
live on raw fish, which they catch in boats made of
reeds, divided at the joint, and every joint makes one
canoe. These Indians have cloth made of rushes,
which having mowed and cut, they weave together
like a mat, and wear in the manner of a cuirass.

XCIX. To the east of these are other Indians, called
Padtei, who lead a pastoral life, live on raw flesh, and
are said to observe these customs:—If any man among
them be diseased, his nearest connexions put him to
death, alleging in excuse that sickness would waste
and injure his flesh. They pay no regard to his as­
sertions that he is not really ill, but without the
smallest compunction deprive him of life. If a woman
be ill, her female connexions treat her in the same
manner. The more aged among them are regularly
killed and eaten ; but there are very few who arrive
at old age, for in case of sickness they put every one
to death.

C. There are other Indians, who, differing in man­
ners from the above, put no animal to death, sow no