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MAY, 1879.]
kingdom, that of Pandiôn. It likewise is situate near a river and at about a distance from the sea of 120 stadia.
PERIPLUS OF THE ERYTHREAN SEA.
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55. At the very mouth of this river lies another village, Bakarê, to which the ships despatched from Nelkunda come down empty and ride at anchor off shore while taking in cargo: for the river, it may be noted, has sunken reefs and shallows which make its navigation difficult. The sign by which those who come hither by sea know they are nearing land is their meeting with snakes, which are here of a black colour, not so long as those already mentioned, like serpents about the head, and with eyes the colour of blood.
56. The ships which frequent these ports
are of a large size, on account of the great
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amount and bulkiness of the pepper and betel of which their lading consists. The imports here are principally
Χρήματα πλεῖστα—Great quantities of specie. Xpuoroda (Topaz P) Gold-stone, Chrysolite. 'Ipariopos ánλous ou moλus-A small assortment of plain cloth.
Пloλúra-Flowered robes.
Eripu, kopácov-Stibium, a pigment for the
eyes, coral.
"valos apyn xaλeds-White glass, copper or
brass.
Κασσίτερος, μόλυβδος--Tin, lead. Οἶνος οὐ πολύς, ὡσεὶ δὲ τοσοῦτον ὅσον ἐν Βαρυγάζοις -Wine but not much, but about as much as at Barugaza.
Savdapáky-Sandarach (Sindúrd). 'Apored-Arsenic (Orpiment), yellow sulphuret
of arsenic.
Σίτος ὅσος ἀρκέσει τοῖς περὶ το ναυκλήριον, διὰ τὸ μὴ
τοὺς ἐμπόρους αὐτῷ χρῆσθαι—Corn, only for the use of the ship's company, as the merchants do not sell it.
made by that Columbus of antiquity Hippalus. This account, Vincent remarks, naturally excites a curiosity in the mind to enquire how it should happen that the monsoon should have been noticed by Nearkhos, and that from the time of his voyage for 300 years no one should have attempted a direct course till Hippalus ventured to commit himself to the ocean. He is of opinion that there was a direct passage by the monsoons both in going to and coming from India in use among the Arabians before the Greeks adopted it, and that Hippalus frequenting these seas as a pilot or merchant, had met with Indian or Arabian traders who made their voyages in a more compendious
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The following commodities are brought to it for export:
Πέπερι μονογενῶς ἐν ἑνὶ τόπῳ τούτων τῶν ἐμπορίων γεννώμενον πολύ τῇ λεγομένῃ Κοττοναρικῇ-Pepper in great quantity, produced in only one of these marts, and called the pepper of Kottonara.
Μαργαρίτης ἱκανὸς καὶ διάφορος—Pearls in great quantity and of superior quality. Ελέφας—Ivory·
*Οθόνια Σηρικὰ-Fine silks.
Νάρδος ἡ Γαγγητικὴ—Spikenard from the Ganges. Μαλάβαθρον-Betel-all brought from countries further east.
Λιθία διαφανὴς παντοία-Transparent or precious stones of all sorts.
Adápas Diamonds.
'Yáxiveos-Jacinths.
Χελώνη ἥτε Χρυσονησιωτικὴ καὶ ἡ περὶ τὰς νήσους
θηρευομένη τὰς προκειμένας αὐτῆς τῆς Λιμυρικῆς-Tor
toise-shell from the Golden Island, and another sort which is taken in the islands which lie off the
coast of Limurikê.
The proper season to set sail from Egypt for this part of India is about the month of Julythat is, Epiphi.
57. The whole round of the voyage from Kanê and Eudaimon Arabia, which we have just described, used to be performed in small vessels which kept close to shore and followed its windings, but Hippalos was the pilot who first, by observing the bearings of the ports and the configuration of the sea, discovered the direct course across the ocean; whence as, at the season when our own Etesians are blowing, a periodical wind from the ocean likewise blows in the Indian Sea, this wind, which
is
the south-west, is, it seems, called in these seas Hippalos [after the name of the pilot who. first discovered the passage by means of it]. From the time of this discovery to the present
manner than the Greeks, and that he collected information from them which he had both the prudence and courage to adopt, just as Columbus, while owing much to his own nautical experience and fortitude was still under obligations to the Portuguese, who had been resolving the great problems in the art of navigation for almost a century previous to his expedition.
(55) Nelkunda appears to have been the limit of our author's voyage along the coast of India, for in the sequel of his narrative he defines but vaguely the situation of the places which he notices, while his details are scanty, and sometimes grossly inaccurate. Thus he makes the Malabar
