Γεωγραφικά 15.1.34

15.1.34

φησὶ δʼ Ὀνησίκριτος τὴν πλείστην παραλίαν τὴν ταύτῃ πολὺ τὸ τεναγῶδες ἔχειν καὶ μάλιστα κατὰ τὰ στόματα τῶν ποταμῶν διά τε τὴν χοῦν καὶ τὰς πλημμυρίδας καὶ τὸ μὴ πνεῖν ἀπογαίους ἀλλʼ ὑπὸ τῶν πελαγίων ἀνέμων κατέχεσθαι τούτους τοὺς τόπους τὸ πλέον. λέγει δὲ καὶ περὶ τῆς Μουσικανοῦ χώρας ἐπὶ πλέον ἐγκωμιάζων αὐτήν, ὧν τινα κοινὰ καὶ ἄλλοις Ἰνδοῖς ἱστόρηται, ὡς τὸ μακρόβιον ὥστε καὶ τριάκοντα ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑκατὸν προσλαμβάνειν (καὶ γὰρ τοὺς Σῆρας ἔτι τούτων μακροβιωτέρους τινές φασι) καὶ τὸ λιτόβιον καὶ τὸ ὑγιεινόν, καίπερ τῆς χώρας ἀφθονίαν ἁπάντων ἐχούσης. ἴδιον δὲ τὸ συσσίτιά τινα Λακωνικὰ αὐτοῖς εἶναι δημοσίᾳ σιτουμένων ὄψα δʼ ἐκ θήρας ἐχόντων, καὶ τὸ χρυσῷ μὴ χρῆσθαι μηδʼ ἀργύρῳ μετάλλων ὄντων, καὶ τὸ ἀντὶ δούλων τοῖς ἐν ἀκμῇ χρῆσθαι νέοις, ὡς Κρῆτες μὲν τοῖς Ἀφαμιώταις Λάκωνες δὲ τοῖς Εἴλωσι· μὴ ἀκριβοῦν δὲ τὰς ἐπιστήμας πλὴν ἰατρικῆς· ἐπί τινων γὰρ κακουργίαν εἶναι τὴν ἐπὶ πλέον ἄσκησιν, οἷον ἐπὶ τῆς πολεμικῆς καὶ τῶν ὁμοίων· δίκην δὲ μὴ εἶναι πλὴν φόνου καὶ ὕβρεως· οὐκ ἐπʼ αὐτῷ γὰρ τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ταῦτα, τὰ δʼ ἐν τοῖς συμβολαίοις ἐπʼ αὐτῷ ἑκάστῳ, ὥστε ἀνέχεσθαι δεῖ ἐάν τις παραβῇ τὴν πίστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ προσέχειν ὅτῳ πιστευτέον, καὶ μὴ δικῶν πληροῦν τὴν πόλιν.

Onesicritus says, that the greatest part of the coast in this quarter abounds with swamps, particularly at the mouths of the river, which is owing to the mud, the tides, and the want of land breezes; for these parts are chiefly under the influence of winds blowing from the sea.
He expatiates also in praise of the country of Musicanus, and relates of the inhabitants what is common to other Indian tribes, that they are long-lived, and that life is protracted even to the age of 130 years, (the Seres, however, are said by some writers to be still longer lived,) that they are temperate in their habits and healthy; although the country produces everything in abundance.
The following are their peculiarities : to have a kind of Lacedaemonian common meal, where they eat in public. Their food consists of what is taken in the chase. They make no use of gold nor silver, although they have mines of these metals. Instead of slaves, they employed youths in the flower of their age, as the Cretans employ the Aphamiotae, and the Lacedaemonians the Helots. They study no science with attention but that of medicine; for they consider the excessive pursuit of some arts, as that of war, and the like, to be committing evil. There is no process at law but against murder and outrage, for it is not in a person’s own power to escape either one or the other; but as contracts are in the power of each individual, he must endure the wrong, if good faith is violated by another; for a man should be cautious whom he trusts, and not disturb the city with constant disputes in courts of justice.
Such are the accounts of the persons who accompanied Alexander in his expedition.