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MAY, 1879.]
PERIPLUS OF THE ERYTHRÆAN SEA.
139
Skythia, which is governed, however, by Parthian princes, who are perpetually at strife among themselves, expelling each the other.
39. Ships accordingly anchor near Barbarike, but all their cargoes are conveyed by the river up to the king, who resides in the metropolis. The articles imported into this emporium are
'Iuatuouos famous travès-Clothing, plain and in considerable quantity.
"Imariuos vódos molus-Clothing, mixed, not much.
Holúpra-Flowered cottons. Xpuoledor-Yellow-stone, topazes. Kopacoy-Coral. Srúpa-Storax. Aißavos-Frankincense (Liban). "Yalá keun-Glass vessels. Αργυρώματα-Silver plate. Xpqua-Specie. Oivos oỦ Tolús-Wine, but not much. The exports are :Kóotos-Costus, a spice. Bda-Bdellium, a gum. Aúkor A yellow dye (Ruzót). Nápdos-Spikenard. Aldos kaklaïvos-Emeralds or green-stones. Sanrepos-Sapphires. Enpurà dépara-Furs from China, 'Olóvrov-Cottons. Nñua Enperdr--Silk thread. 'Ivoiko pehar-Indigo.
Ships destined for this port put out to sea when the Indian monsoon prevails-that is, about the month of July or Epipbi. The voyage at this season is attended with danger, bat being shorter is more expeditious.
40. After the river Sinthos is passed we reach another gulf, which cannot be easily seen. It has two divisions,-the Great and the Little by name,-both shoal with violent and continuous eddies extending far out from the shore, so that before ever land is in sight ships are often grounded on the shoals, or being caught within the eddies are lost. Over this gulf hangs a promontory which, curving from Eirinon first to the east, then to the south, and finally to the west, encompasses the gulf called Barake, in the bosom of which lie seven islands. Should a vessel approach the entrance of this gulf, the only chance of escape for those on board is at once to alter their course and stand ont to sea, for it is all over with them if they are once fairly within the womb of Barak 8, which surges with vast and mighty billows, and where the sea, tossing in violent commotion, forms eddies and impetuous whirlpools in every direction. The bottom varies, presenting in places sudden shoals, in others being scabrous with jagged rocks, so that when an anchor grounds its cable is either at once cut through, or soon broken by friction at the bottom. The
barei in the Delta, but the position he assigns to it, does not correspond with that of Barbari- kon. Minnagar was the Skuthian metropolis. It lay inland, on or near the banks of the Indus.
(39) Ships did not go up to it but remained at Barbarik on, their cargoes being conveyed up the river in small boats. In Ptolemy (VII. i. 61) the form of the name is Binagara, which is less correct since the word is composed of Min, the Indian name for the Skuthians, and nagar, a city. Ritter considers that hatha is its modern ropresentative, since it is called Saminagar by the Jadeja Rajputs who, though settled in Kachh, derive their origin from that city. To this view it is objected that shatha is not near the position which Ptolemy assigns to his Binagara. Mannert places it at Bakkar, D'Anville at Man sare, and Vincent at Men habery mentioned by Edrisi (I. p. 164) as distant two stations or 60 miles from Dabil, which again was three stations or 90 miles from the mouth of the Indus, that is it lay at the head of the Delta. Our author informs us that in his time Minagar was ruled by
Parthian princes. The Parthians (the Parada of Sanskrit writers) must therefore have subverted a Skuthian dynasty which must have been that which (as Benfey has shown) was founded by Yeukaotschin between the years 30 and 20 B.c., or about 30 years only after the famous Indian Æra called Śdkabda (the year of the Saka) being that in which Vikramaditya expelled the Skuthians from Indian soil. The statement of the Periplas that Parthian rulers succeeded the Skuthian is confirmed by Parthian coins found everywhere in this part of the country. These sovereigns must have been of consequence, or the trade of their country very lucrative to the merchant as appears by the presents necessary to ensure his protection--plate, musical instruments, handsome girls for the Harem, the best wine, plain cloth of high price, and the finest perfumes. The profits of the trade must therefore have been great, but if Pliny's account be true, that every pound laid out in India produced a hundred at Rome, greater exactions than these might easily have been supported.
