Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/133

 114 pedition against Libya and Iberia, and tha6 having conquered them he planted a colony of these people in the parts lying to the right of Pontes. Fragm< L. Arr. Ind. 7-9. (See the translation of Arrian's Indika.) Feagm. L.B. Plin. Hist. Nat IX. 55. Of Pearls. Some writers allege that in swarms of oysters, as among bees, individuals distinguished for size and beauty act as leaders. These are of wonder- ful cunning in preventing themselves being caught, and are eagerly sought for by the divers. Should they be caught, the others are easily enclosed in the nets as they go wandering about. They are then put into earthen pots, where they are buried deep in salt. By this process the flesh is all eaten away, and the hard concretions, which are the pearls, drop down to the bottom. Fbagm. LI. Phlegon. Mirah, 33. Of the Pandaian Land. (Cf . Fragm. XXX. 6.) !^egasthenSs says that the women of the Pandaian realm bear children when they are six years of age. Digitized by Google