derable distance from the shore, and the cargoes
have to be conveyed in boats, either for loading or discharging. At the
moment that I am writing these pages," continues Pliny, "the name of
the king of the place is Caelobotras. Another part, and a much more
convenient one, is that which lies in the territory of the people called
Neacyndi, Barace by name. Here King Pandian used to reign, dwelling at a
considerable distance from the mart in the interior, at a city known
as Modiera. The district from which pepper is carried down to Barace
in boats hollowed out of a single tree, is known as Cottonara. None of
these names of nations, ports, and cities are to be found in any of
the former writers, from which circumstance it would appear that the
localities have since changed their names. Travellers set sail from
India on their return to Europe, at the beginning of the Egyptian month
Tybus, which is our December, or, at all events, before the sixth day of
the Egyptian month Mechir, the same as our ides of January: if they do
this, they can go and return in the same year. They set sail from
India with a south-east wind, and, upon entering the Red Sea, catch the
south-west or south."

The places on the Indian coast which the Egyptian merchant vessels then
reached are verified from the coins found there; and as we know the
course of the trade-wind by which they arrived, we also know the part of
Africa where they left the shore and braved the dangers of the ocean.
A hoard of Roman gold coins of these reigns has been dug up in our own
days near Calicut, under the roots of a banyan-tree. It had been there
buried by an Alexandrian merchant on his arrival from this voyage, and
left safe under the cover of the sacred tree to await his return from a
second journey. But he died before his return, and his secret died with
him. The products of the Indian trade were chiefly silk, diamonds, and
other precious stones, ginger, spices, and some scents. The state of
Ethiopia was then such that no trade came down the Nile to Syene;
and the produce of southern Africa was brought by coasting vessels to
Berenice. These products were ivory, rhinoceros teeth, hippopotamus
skins, tortoise shell, apes, monkeys, and slaves, a list which throws
a sidelight both on the pursuits of the natives and the tastes of the
ultimate purchasers.

[Illustration: 047.jpg AN ARAB GIRL]

The Romans in most cases collected the revenues of a province by means
of a publi