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50 of the Memoir) we may suppose that it included at least, part of Bengal. In effect, the kingdom of the Prafii could not well be of lefs dimenfions than France and the ftate of it (according to Arrian) was rich, the inhabitants good husbandmen, and excellent foldiers; governed by nobility, and living peaceably; their rulers impofing nothing harfh, or unjuft, upon them. Those who are fonder of contemplating the filent happiness of a whole people, than of tracing the fteps of a conqueror, will be gratified on reflecting that Alexander ftopt fhort, on the borders of the country above described.

The trade from the western world to India, which has ever enriched those who have carried it on, has often changed hands, and been turned into different channels. A paflion for Indian manu factures and products, has actuated the people of every age, in lower Afia, as well as in the civilized parts of Europe: the delicate and unrivalled, as well as the coarfer and more ufeful, fabricks of cotton, of that country, particularly fuiting the inhabitants of the temperate regions, along the Mediterranean and Euxine feas. To this trade, the Perfian and Arabian gulfs, opened an eafy paffage; the latter particularly as the land carriage between the Red fea and the Nile; and between the Red fea and the Mediterranean, took up only a few days. It is highly probable, and tradition in India, warrants the belief of it, that there was from time immemorial, an intercourfe between Egypt and Hindooftan; at least, the maritime part of it: fimilarity of customs in many inftances (as related of the ancient Egyptians, by Herodotus, and which can hardly be referred to phyfical caufes) exifting in the two countries. The intercourse, we may conclude, was carried on, by fea; if we confider the nature of the intervening countries, and the feat of the manufactures: and it might, moreover, be expected, that a nation fo enterprising as to undertake the circumnavigation of Africa (as there can be no doubt, the Egyptians did, under the Pharaohs) would fcarcely leave unexplored, the coafts of a fea, so much

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nearer; and which, from the regularity of the periodical winds, was fo eafy of accefs. Whether Solomon's profitable traffick included that of India, there are, I believe, no means of determining; but it appears highly probable that it did: as also that the voyages of years, made made by the ships that arrived at Tarshish (Tarsus, in Cilicia) were to the remote parts of Africa. We must We must carry in our minds, this fact, that Solomon's fleets were difpatched from the ports of the Red fea, as well as from thofe of the Mediterranean : David's conqueft of Idumea (Edom) giving him poffeffion of the ports in the north-eaftern branch of the Red fea: that is, Eziongaber, &c. Tyre was founded about two centuries and a half, before this period and from the very flourishing ftate she was in, under Hiram, the cotemporary of Solomon, it may be concluded that her merchants poffeffed the greatest part of the trade of the known world, at that time; and the trade of the east among the reft, in all probability. Commerce being fo ready a way to riches, it is no wonder that fo enlightened a Prince as Solomon, should profit by the example of his neighbours: and avail himself of his fituation, from the enlarged state of his kingdom, which extended from the Euphrates to the Red fea; and to the borders of Egypt (1 Kings, chap. 4. ver. 24 and 1 Chron. chap. 18. ver. 13.) and which opened to him, two of the great avenues to the eaft, by way of the Red fea, and the Perfian gulf. M. Volney's idea, refpecting the object that Solomon had in view, when he took poffeffion of Tadmour, or Palmyra, is, in my opinion, no lefs probable, than ingenious namely, to ufe it as an emporium of the East India trade, by way of the Perfian gulf, and the courfe of the Euphrates. This was about 1000 years before our æra. But Solomon's trade, notwithstanding, was merely temporary and reminds us of some feeble efforts, made in our own days, by an inland Prince, who' (in this refpect, like Solomon) poffeffes two ports fituated in oppofite fhores of the continent; and who is conftrained to borrow the mariners of the modern Tyre, as Solomon did those of the ancient.

Whether

Whether the Indian trade was carried on at the fame time, by the Tyrians and Egyptians, as well as by the Judeans, cannot 'now' be afcertained; but I think it probable that it might; and that, both by the route of the Perfian gulf, and the Red fea; as we have feen it, in our days. But whatever might be the mercantile ftate' of Tyre, in the days of Solomon, we find it about a century after, establishing a colony at Carthage; and about three centuries after that, its greatnefs was proverbial. I mean, about the date of Ezekiel's prophecy concerning it.

When Tyre fell into the hands of Alexander (Before Chrift 332, and about 260 after the time of Ezekiel) that city was in full poffeffion of the Indian commerce. The route of their trade from India, was up the Red fea to Exiongaber; and thence across the deferts to Rhinocorura, a town on the Mediterranean, and on the common frontiers of Palestine and Egypt: both of which countries were then in the hands of the Perfians. From Rhinocorura, the goods were carried by fea to Tyre, and circulated from thence. The deftruction of Tyre by Alexander, and the confequent foundation of Alexandria, turned the trade into a new channel: or rather perhaps, returned it into its ancient one, Egypt. The Ptolemies, into whofe hands Egypt fell, on the divifion of Alexander's empire, bestowed a foftering care on the new emporium, which also became the capital of the kingdom. Ptolemy Philadelphus constructed a canal from Arfinoe (near the prefent Suez) to the Pelufiac branch of the Nile: and afterwards, poffibly because of the tedious and dangerous navigation of the upper part of the Red fea, founded the city of Berenice on the western fide of that fea, and nearly under the tropic (that is, 450 miles below Suez) from whence the merchandise was tranfported acrofs the defert of Thebais, to Coptus on the Nile; and thence, down the stream of that river, to the neighbourhood of Alexandria; which thus became the centre of trade between the eastern and western world; and, of course, one of the most opulent cities in either. It would It would appear, f

that

that under the Ptolemies, the Egyptians, extended their navigation to the extreme point of the Indian continent, and even failed up the Ganges to Palibothra.

Alexandria held its rank as an emporium, even after Egypt became a Roman province: and preferved it in a confiderable degree, during the various revolutions that happened in the caft *; until the re-discovery of the paffage round the fouth point of Africa, about 300 years ago, turned the bulk of the Indian trade into an entire new channel; and from which it is not likely ever to be diverted.

Berenice continued to be the port of outfit for the Roman East India trade in the time of Pliny (A. D. 79) who details, in his fixth book, the account of the navigation to India; with many curious particulars relating to it: and among other matters, we may gather, that it was a complaint even in his time, that the trade to India, drained Europe of its riches. Pliny says, that it coft 50 millions of fefterces every year (at 1s. 3d, 3,275,0001) and yet the trade is not defcribed as being extended to every part of India. I should apprehend a mistake in this statement: as the prime cost of the cargoes brought into England, from India and China, in any one year, has been little above three millions, freight included; and one would not expect that the value of the goods imported by the Romans, was equal to that, imported from China and Hindooftan, into England,

From Berenice it was reckoned 30 days navigation, down the Red fea, to Ocelis (Gella) juft within the ftrait of Bab-el-mandel. Another port was Muza (Mocha) but Ocelis was reckoned the best, and most commodious for departure. From thence to Muziris, the first port of merchandife in India, was 40 days fail: fo that, as they left Berenice about midsummer, they might arrive in India in the latter end of August, when the violence of the SW monfoon was abated; and the coafting navigation, fafe and eafy

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* The Venetian trade to the caft, was by the channel of the Red fea, and Alexandria.

Pliny does not forget to mention that they departed with the weft wind: and these 40 days failing, would be about 15 days run, for an European ship, in the modern ftyle of navigating: being about 1750 marine (the fame as geographical) miles, on a ftraight courfe.

We are told that the first of these voyages were made by coafting the Arabian shore to the promontory Syagrus (Cape Rafalgate) and thence along the coaft of Perfia to the mouth of the Indus, &c. In the next age, a fhorter and fafer courfe was difcovered: for from Cape Rafalgate, the ships made a direct courfe to Zizerus, a port in India; fituated, as would appear by circumftances, on the northern part of the Malabar coaft. After this, a direct course was made from the outlet of the Red fea to Muziris, as above related. It is probable, after all, that they coafted a great part of the Arabian coaft, in order to reduce the length of that part of their course, that lay out of the fight of land: unless the habit of depending on the compass, has, in my idea, increased the difficulty of fhaping a courfe without one.

Muziris is faid by Pliny to have been an incommodious place of merchandise, because the fhallowness of the port, or river's mouth, made it neceffary to discharge or take in the cargo in fmall boats,. at a distance from the emporium: and befides, there was danger from the pirates, at Nitria. Another port, more commodious and better stored with merchandise, was named Barace (or Becare) in the country of the Niconidians; and as the pepper of Cottonara was: brought to this place in small boats, it may be concluded that Barace was within, or near to, the country of CANARA; which produces the best pepper in those parts, at the present day. After much study and investigation, I cannot apply to any particular spot, thefe ports of Muziris and Barace: for the Malabar coaft abounds with ports of the above defcription: and it must be confidered, too, that a fhallow port for one of the Roman traders, which, in all probability, were smaller than ours, would be reckoned, in the present times, no port at all. The circumftances. of the pirate. f 2

coaft,

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