Page:Ancient India as described by Megasthenês and Arrian.djvu/73

 54 says, in that part of the country are only once visible in the course of the year, and not for more than fifteen days. Megasthenes says that this takes place in many parts of India. Conf. SoUn, 52. 13 :— Beyond Palibothra is Mount Maleus, on which shadows fall in winter towards the north, and in summer towards the south, for six months alternately. The North Pole is visible in that part of the country once in the course of the year, and not for longer than fifteen days, as Baeton informs us, who allows that this occurs in many parts of India. Feagm. XI. Strabo, XV. i. 20,— p. 693. Of the Fertility of India, Megasthenes indicates the fertility of India by the fact of the soil producing two crops every year both of fruits and grain. [Eratosthen& writes to the same effect, for he speaks of a woTdd seem to be the same as the famous monat Maletis of the Monedes and Suari. I think it highly probable that both names may be intended for the celebrated mount Mandar, to the south of Bhfegulpur, -which is fabled to have been used by the gods and demons at the churning of the ocean. The Mandei I would identify with the inhabitants of the Mahfinadi river, which is the Maoada of Ptolemy. The Malli or Malei would therefore be the same people as Ptolemy's MandaljB, who occupied the right bank of the Ganges to the south of Palibothra, or they may be the peo- ple of the Rajmah&l hi Us who are called Maler The Suari of Pliny are the Sabanw of Ptolemy, and both m&y be identified with the aboriginal l^avaras or Suars, a wild race of woodcutters who live in the jun- gles without any fixed habitation." — Cunningham's Anc, Oeog. of India, pp. 508-9. II Conf. Epit. 5, 9.