vi PREFACE 



and owes much to previous writers who have treated 

 the subject from other sides. To Professor Herd- 

 man, my former teacher, I owe very much, and his 

 descriptions of the Ceylon banks have been very 

 largely utilised. The writing up has only been 

 accomplished through the assistance rendered by 

 my wife, for by a curious coincidence it had to be 

 written under the stress and strain of preparations 

 for a removal to one of the countries referred to 

 on many occasions in the text, Western Australia. 

 Mr H. Jackson, M.Sc, has very kindly undertaken 

 the labour of proof reading ; without tliis help con- 

 siderable delay would have occurred in the publication. 

 To Mr Chambers, of University College, London, 

 I owe several interesting references to pearls in the 

 classics; and Dr Johnstone, of Liverpool, has read 

 certain parts of the manuscript. 



If I have occasionally fallen into the pitfall of 

 becoming too technical, I trust that my readers will 

 turn to the glossary, and I earnestly hope that it will 

 help to clear up the difficulty. 



W. J. D. 



R.M.S. Mongolia, 

 Mediterranean. 



February 1913. 



