The modifications of the external aspects of organic nature produced by man's interference / by George Rolleston.

  • Rolleston, George, 1829-1881.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The modifications of the external aspects of organic nature produced by man's interference / by George Rolleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    which Herodotus gives of them in three or four passages, i. 32, and iv. 172, 182, 183, none of which Martius refers to in his enumeration of profane writers in contradistinction to tlie sacred writers who mention date-palms referred to by Celsius; but partly also upon a single passage of Diodorus Siculus, iii. 4. e find thus that the Nasainones were a numerous and powerful, but certainly a very far from civilised people. They combined polygamy with polyandry, much as the Massagetae did at the same time. Some of their other practices combine several of the notes ot a priscan people, such as the veneration of ancestors, and the regard for justice which has made the words Trollorumfides proverbial; and finally those social feelings which are indicated by the words, i. 32, dvSpcov Swacrricov 7ralSa<i v^pLaTd<i, and which Nillson* has averred to be eminently characteristic of savages. 1 subjoin the entire passage, iv. 172,| for several reasons, in the original Greek ; and 1 submit that a people who embodied so much of wild life in their social condition, could have learnt little from any of the nations to the east of them, whether Egyptian, Arabian, Assyrian, or Persian. But as regards their dealing with the date-palms, we have this remarkable statement made by Herodotus, iv. 172 and 182: “ In the summer they leave their flocks by the sea-side, and go up to the district, Augila, to get in the harvest of the date-palms, which grow there in great abundance, and are of great size, all biding fruit-bearing.” How Herodotus, and, as he tells us, i. 193, the Greeks of his * ‘ Early Inhabitants of Scandinavia,’ Eng. Trans, ed. Lubbock, p. 167, “ Aris- tocracy is strongly developed amongst all savage nations.” t As regards the size of the Fezzaii dates, the dates of the Garamantes referred to by Herodotus, iv. 183, as living ten days’ journey from Augila westwards, and as having (poiviKe^ KapTrocp6poi ttoAAoI KorciTrep Kal iv To7(ri iripoiffi, we have the following information from Dr. Ed. Vogel, cit Seemaim, 1. c. pp. 285, 286: “ The largest date of Fezzan (which is also the best) is 211 Parisian lines and 10 in diameter, the smallest 71 by 5.” Lyon, in bis ‘Narra- tive of Travels in North Africa,’ 1821, p. 72, tells us, “ the dates of Sockan in Fezzan are of a quality far superior to any produced iu the north of Africa.” Herodotus, iv. 172 : Ai/crxtcrewv Se tovtwv rb wphs iaTriptjs exorrai 'Naa'afxwves, fdvos ibv iroW6v' ot rb Oipos Ka.Ta\e'nrovres ivl rfj OaXdaap to, ■KpbPara, ava0a(- vovffi is AuyiXa xcSpov, OTruipievvres robs (poiviKas' oi Se ttoAAoI Kal dp.<pL\a(j>ies ■7Tf(pvKa(rt, irdvres idvres KapirocpSpof tovs Se axTeAe'jSoas iivedv drjpevcrcca'i, avrivavres Trpbs rbv rjAtov KaraXiovoi, Kal iireira cttI ydXa iirncdaaovTfs Trlvovai. yvva?Kas Se vop-'i^ovres iroWds exem eKaffros imKotvov avricav TroieOvrai rtjv pu^iv rpbircp irapa- TXTjffLcp rep Kal Mafferayirat, iTredv (TKiroiva ■jrpo(7r‘f)(raivrai p-iayovrai. irpSorov Se yafiiovTos Nacra^cSj'os dvbpbs vdpos iffrl rtjv vvpL<p7]v vvktI tjj irpuir-p Sid Trdvrwv Sie|eA0e7v raiv Sairu/ubvivv fJueryop.ivrjv ‘ twv S’ qjj 'iKaarbs ol pux^V ' biSoi Sdjpov rb &v ^XV <pfpd/J.fvos i^ oYkou. 'OpKloiat Se Kal p.avriKjj roifjSe. 'O/avvovai p.iv robs Trapd aepiariv dvSpas SiKaiordrovs Kal dplcrovs Xfyofxivovs yevierdai, rovrovs, raiv rvfxPccv dirrdfifVOL. Mavnvovrai Se e’Trl rciv lepoyovuiv tpoireovres to cr-ppara, Kal Kartv^dpfvoL imKaraKOipioovrai. rb S’ IStj iv rfj cij/fi ivvwviov, rovrip xp9toi. nierriiTi Se roipa'iSi X*‘P*^ SiSo? Trjeii/, koI abrbs iK rfjs rod iripov TTiVeC tjv Se prj excvm vypbv priSiv, ol Se t5)s X‘^/^d,6ev a-n-oSot) \a0dvres Xelxauri.