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| [35,19] ξυνίασιν οὖν καθ´ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν μετὰ παίδων καὶ γυναικῶν
εἴς τε τὰς πηγὰς καὶ {πρὸς} τὰ ῥεύματα τῶν
ποταμῶν παίζοντες καὶ γελῶντες, ὡς ἂν ἐπ´ εὐωχίαν. φύεται δὲ
παρὰ ταῖς ὄχθαις ὅ τε λωτὸς ἰσχυρὸς καὶ σχεδὸν ἁπάντων σιτίων
ἥδιστος, οὐχ ὥσπερ ὁ παρ´ ἡμῖν τετράποσι τροφή, καὶ πολλὰ
σήσαμα καὶ σέλινα, ὡς ἂν εἰκάσειέ τις ἐκ τῆς ὁμοιότητος· τὴν δὲ
ἀρετὴν οὐκ ἄξιον συμβάλλειν. γίγνεται δὲ αὐτόθι ἕτερον σπέρμα,
τῶν πυρῶν καὶ τῶν κριθῶν ἀμείνων τροφὴ καὶ μᾶλλον ξυμφέρουσα.
φύεται δὲ ἐν κάλυξι μεγάλαις, οἷον ῥόδων, εὐοσμοτέραις δὲ καὶ
μείζοσιν. ταύτας τὰς ῥίζας καὶ τὸν καρπὸν ἐσθίουσιν, οὐδὲν πονήσαντες.
| [35,19] So every day the Indians assemble with their
children and their wives at the springs and river-banks,
sporting and laughing as if in expectation of
a feast. And by the banks there grows the lotus—
a sturdy plant and, one might say, the sweetest of
all foods, not, as the lotus in our land, mere fodder
for quadrupeds—and also much sesame and parsley,
at least as one might judge from the outward similarity
of those plants, although for quality they are
not to be compared. And that country produces
also another seed, a better food than wheat and
barley and more wholesome. And it grows in huge
calyxes, like those of roses but more fragrant and
larger. This plant they eat, both root and fruit, at
no expense of labour.
| | [35,20] εἰσὶ δὲ ὀχετοὶ πολλοὶ ῥέοντες ἐκ τῶν ναμάτων, οἱ μὲν
μείζους, οἱ δὲ ἐλάττους, ξυμμιγνύντες ἀλλήλοις, τῶν ἀνθρώπων
πεποιηκότων, ὅπως ἂν αὐτοῖς δοκῇ. μετοχετεύουσι δὲ ῥᾳδίως,
ὥσπερ ἡμεῖς τὸ ἐν τοῖς κήποις ὕδωρ. ἔστι δὲ καὶ λουτρὰ πλησίον
αὐτοῖς ὕδατος, τὸ μὲν θερμὸν λευκότερον ἀργύρου, τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ
βάθους καὶ τῆς ψυχρότητος κυανοῦν. ἐνταῦθα νήχονται γυναῖκες
ἅμα καὶ παῖδες, καλοὶ πάντες. ἔπειτα οἶμαι κατακλινέντες ἐν τοῖς
λειμῶσιν ᾄδουσι καὶ μινυρίζουσιν.
| [35,20] And there are many canals which issue from the
rivers, some large and some small, mingling with one
another and made by man to suit his fancy. And
by their aid the Indians convey with ease the fluids
I have named, just as we convey the water of our
gardens. And there are baths also close by at their
disposal, the water of which in the one case is warm
and whiter than silver and in the other it is blue
from its depth and coldness. In these they swim,
women and children together, all of them beautiful.
And after the bath, I dare say, reclining in the
meadows they sing and hum.
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