He is the first author in whom can clearly be traced
the name of the great southern division of India: his term is
Dachanabades,--Dachan signifying south, and abad a city; and Decan is still
the general name of all the country to the south of Baroche, the boundary
assigned by the author. The particulars he mentions of the bay of Cutch, of
Cambay, of Baroche, and of the Ghauts, may also be mentioned as proofs of
his accuracy with respect to those parts of India, which he visited in
person.
Having thus given a sketch of the geographical knowledge contained the
Periplus, we shall next attend to the commercial information which it
conveys. As this work is divided into two distinct parts, the first
comprising the coast of the Red Sea, and of Africa, from Myos Hormos on the
former, to Rhapta in the latter: and the second part, beginning at the same
place, and including the whole coast of Arabia, both that which lies on the
Red Sea, and that which lies on the Ocean, and then stretching from the
Gulf of Persia to Guzerat, describing the coast of Malabar, as far as
Ceylon, we shall, in our abstract of the commercial intelligence it
contains, enumerate the principal imports and exports of the most
frequented marts in Africa, (including the Red Sea,) Arabia, and India.
I. The Red Sea and Africa. Myos Hormos is described as the first port of
Egypt on the Red Sea; as it lies in twenty-seven degrees north latitude,
and Rhapta, the boundary of the Periplus to the south, in nearly ten
degrees south latitude, the distance between them will be about 2,500
miles.
Pages:
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416