Indus as far as
it was navigable. They were then carried by land in caravans through the
country of Parapomissus into the province of Bactria, and shipped on the
river Oxus, which falls into the Caspian, and thence across that sea to
the haven of Citracan, or Astracan, on the river Rha, or Volga. Thence up
that river, and to the city of Novogrod, in the province of Resan, which
now belongs to the great duke of Muscovy, in lat. 54 deg. N. The goods were
carried thence overland to the province of Sarmatia and the river Tanais
or Don, which is the division between Europe and Asia. Being there loaded
in barks, they were carried down the stream of that river into the Paulus
Maeotis to the city of Caffa, anciently called Theodosia, which then
belonged to the Genoese, who came thither by sea in _galliasses_, or
great ships, and distributed Indian commodities through Europe.

In the reign of Commodita, emperor of Armenia, a better course was
provided for this traffic: The goods being transported by land from the
Caspian, through the country of Hiberia, now Georgia, and thence by the
Phasis into the Euxine, and to the city of Trebisond, they were thence
shipped for the various parts of Europe[42]. It is recorded that
Demetrius Nicanor determined, or actually began, to open a canal of
above 120 miles in length between the Caspian and Euxine, for the greater
convenience of the Indian trade. But he was slain by Ptolemy Ceraunos,
and this famous enterprize fell to nothing[43].

All other ways being lost, by reason of the wars of the Turks, the
spiceries of the Indian Islands, particularly of Java, Sumatra, and the
city of Malacca, were carried up the river Ganges, in Bengal, to the city
of Agra; thence they were carried by land to another city near the Indus,
named Boghar, where they were discharged, because the city of Cabor, or
Laor, the principal city of the Mogores, stands too far within the land.
From thence they were carried to the great city of Samarcand in Bactria,
in which the merchants of India, Persia, and Turkey met together with
their several commodities, as cloth of gold, velvets, camblets, scarlet
and woollen cloths, which were carried to Cathay and the great kingdom of
China; whence they brought back gold, silver, precious stones, pearls,
silk, musk, rhubarb, and many other things of great value.

In after times these merchandizes, drugs, and spiceries, were carried in
ships from India to the Straits of Ormus, and