Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/333

 B. xn. c. vii. 3. PISIDIA. 325 all around are forests containing trees of various sorts. The styrax is found here in great abundance, a tree not large but straight in its growth. Javelins, similar to those of the cornel tree, are made of the wood of this tree. There is bred in the trunk of the styrax tree, a worm, which eats through the timber to the surface, and throws out raspings like bran, or saw-dust, a heap of which is collected at the root. After- wards a liquid distils which readily concretes into a mass like gum. A part of this liquid descends upon and mixes with the raspings at the root of the tree, and with earth ; a portion of it acquires consistence on the surface of the mass, and remains pure. That portion which flows along the sur- face of the trunk of the tree, and concretes, is also pure. A mixture is made of the impure part, which is a combination of wood-dust and earth ; this has more odour than the pure styrax, but is inferior to it in its other properties. This is not com- monly known. It is used for incense in large quantities by superstitious worshippers of the gods. The Selgic iris ] also, and the unguent which is made from it, are in great esteem. There are few approaches about the city, and the mountainous country of the Selgeis, which abounds with precipices and ravines, formed among other rivers by the Eurymedon 2 and the Oestrus, 3 which de- scend from the Selgic mountains, and discharge themselves into the Pamphylian Sea. There are bridges on the roads. From the strength and security of their position the Sel- geis were never at any time, nor on any single occasion, sub- ject to any other people, but enjoyed unmolested the produce of their country, with the exception of that part situated be- low them in Pamphylia, and that within the Taurus, for which they were carrying on a continual warfare with the kings. Their position with respect to the Romans was that they possessed this tract on certain conditions. They sent ambassa- dors to Alexander and offered to receive his commands in the character of friends, but at present they are altog*ether subject to the Romans, and are included in what was formerly the kingdom of Amyntas. 1 Pliny, b. xv. c. 7, and b. xii. c. 4. 2 Kopru-Su. 3 Ak-Su.