Pliny the Elder, Natural History 6.75

6.75

ab his Oratae, quorum regi elephanti quidem X, sed amplae vires peditum, Suarattaratae — et hi sub rege elephantos non alunt fiducia equitum peditumque — Odonbaeorae, Sarabastrae Thorace urbe pulchra, fossis palustribus munita, per quas crocodili humani corporis avidissimi aditum nisi ponte non dant. et aliud apud illos laudatur oppidum Automula, inpositum litori quinque amnium in unum confluente concursu, emporio nobili. regi eorum elephanti M.DC, peditum CL, equitum V???. pauperior Charmarum rex elephantos LX parvasque reliquas vires habet.

After them come the Nareæ, who are bounded by Capitalia, the most lofty of all the Indian peaks: the inhabitants who dwell on the other side of it have extensive mines of gold and silver. After these again are the Oratæ, whose king possesses only ten elephants, but a large army of foot; next come the Suarataratæ, who live under the rule of a king as well, but breed no elephants, as they depend solely on their horse and foot; then the Odonbeores, the Arabastree, and the Horacæ, which last inhabit a fine city fortified by trenches cut in the marshes. It is quite impossible to approach the city, except by the bridge, as the water in the trenches is full of crocodiles, an animal most insatiate for human flesh. There is another city also in their territory, which has been greatly extolled, Automula by name, situate on the sea-shore, a famous mart, lying at the point of confluence of five rivers: their king possesses sixteen hundred elephants, one hundred and fifty thousand foot, and five thousand horse. The king of the Charmæ is a less opulent potentate; he has only sixty elephants and some small remains of his former strength. After these we come to the nation of the Pandæ, the only one throughout all India which is ruled by women. It is said that Hercules had but one child of the female sex, for which reason she was his especial favourite, and he bestowed upon her the principal one of these kingdoms.