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 ascertained; 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 acrofs the deferts to Rhinocorura, a town on the Mediterranean, and on the common frontiers of Paleftine 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 alfo became the capital of the kingdom. Ptolemy Philadelphus conftructed 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 sea, and nearly under the tropic (that is, 450 miles below Suez) from whence the merchandise was transported 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 appear,

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 preserved it in a confiderable degree, during the various revolutions that happened in the eaft*; 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 fays, that it coft 50 millions of festerces every year (at is. 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 ftatement: 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 strait of Bab-el-mandel: Another port was Muza (Mocha) but Ocelis was reckoned the beft, and most commodious for departure. From thence to Muziris, the first port of merchandise in India, was 40 days fail: fo that, as they left Berenice about midfummer,

they might arrive

in India in the latter end of Auguft, when the violence of the S W monfoon was abated; and the coafting navigation, fafe and eafy:

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

7

Pliny does not forget to mention that they departed with the weft wind: and thefe 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 coast of Perfia to the mouth of the Indus, &c. In the next age, a fhorter and fafer course 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 compafs, 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 shallowness of the port, or river's mouth, made it neceffary to difcharge 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 ftored 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 fmall 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 ftudy and inveftigation, I cannot apply to any particular spot, thefe ports of Muziris and Barace: for the Malabar coaft abounds with ports of the above description: and it must be confidered, too, that a fhallow port for one of the Roman traders, which, in all probability, were fmaller than ours, would be reckoned, in the prefent times, no port at all. The circumftances of the pirate f 2

coast,

coaft, and pepper country, however, confine us within certain limits for, in the courfe to Muziris, the traders paffed near the pirate's ftations; and as thefe, by the lights which I have received from Pliny and Ptolemy, were nearly the fame as the prefent (that is, between Bombay and Goa) I conceive the trading ports meant by Pliny, were fituated between Goa and Tellicherry. The Periple of the Indian fea, and the geography of Ptolemy, throw fome faint light on the fubject.

Ptolemy's ideas are thefe: Tyndis (going fouthward) fucceeds Nitria; then Muziris; Becare (which is one of the readings of Barace) Melcynda, or Nelcynda; Cottiara; and then Comaria, or Cape Comorin; whose proper name is Komrin or Komry. And the Periple (my information is from M. D'Anville) enumerates in the fame order, Tyndis, Muziris, and Barace: allowing 500 ftadia between each, respectively. No three places appear more convenient to this relative difpofition, and to the circumstances of the pirate coaft and pepper country, than Goa, Meerzaw (vulgarly, Merjee) and Barcelore, or Baffinore. The first, namely, Goa, is juft clear of the pirate coaft: having Newtya, poffibly the Nitrias of Pliny and Ptolemy (near which the pirates cruifed on the Roman veffels in their way to Muziris) on the north of it. The fecond place, Meerzaw, or Merjee, has even fome affinity in found, with Muziris; and is fituated on a river, and at fome diftance from the fea. And Barcelore, or Baffinore, which may poffibly be Barace, is one of the principal pepper factories, at prefent: and therefore anfwers fo far to Barace. Nelcynda, I take to be Nelifuram: and do not, with M. D'Anville, fuppofe Barace to be the port of Nelcynda, but a diftinct place. It is faid by Pliny, to be fituated within the kingdom of Pandion; which is pretty well understood to be Madura: or to be comprised, at leaft, within the fouthern part of the peninfula: and therefore, the farther fouth we go for Nelcynda, the lefs we are likely to err. But even all this is conjecture, as far as relates to particular pofitions: nor is it of much

confe

confequence: for we are clear that the ports of merchandise, muft be fituated, in or near to the country of Canara, the Cottonara, or pepper country of Pliny: that is, between Goa and Tellicherry; as before observed.

The ships returned from the coaft of India, about the month of December, with the north-eaft monfoon: and when entered into the Red fea, they had a fouth, or fouth-west wind: fo fays Pliny. The voyage was made much within the compafs of a year and the profits are stated to be immense: but the particulars of the are not recorded.

cargoes

There are no notices in Pliny (as far as I know) concerning any voyages of the Romans, to the gulf of Bengal, or to the peninfula of Malay (the golden Cherfonefe) although it is clear fron Strabo, who wrote before Pliny, that the Ganges had then been failed up, as high as Palibothra. Ptolemy's geography, faid to be composed about 60 years after Pliny, contains evident proofs that both of the Indian peninfulas had been explored: fuch is the mention of the pearl fishery, between Ceylon and the continent; the diamonds found on the banks of the Sumbulpour river; and the point from whence fhips that traded to the Malay coaft, took. their departure (fuppofed to be Point Gordeware :) befides many names, that can hardly be misunderstood in the application of them; as Arcati, the capital of the Sora (or Sora-mandalum, from whence corruptly Choromandel) Mefolia, the diftrict which contains Mafulipatam; the river Cauvery, under the name of Chaboris, &c. The peninfula beyond the Ganges is alfo defcribed in Ptolemy, as far as Cochin China, or perhaps, to the borders of China, or Sina. (See M. D'Anville's Antiquité Geographique de L'Inde.) We may here obferve alfo, by the way, that the islands fcattered over the gulf of Bengal, in Ptolemy, and probably meant for the Andaman and Nicobar iflands; are most of them faid to be inhabited by Anthropophagi: and this idea has also been adopted by the modern navigators. Other iflands, which may be meant either

for