Chap. 24.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTKIES, ETC. 51 



place, in a future portion of this work. I shall also very 

 shortly have to make some further mention of the four Satrapies, 

 it being at present my wish to hasten to a description of the 

 island of Taprobane. 



But first there are some other islands of which we must 

 make mention. Patala, 86 * as we have already stated, lies at 

 the mouth of the Indus : it is of a triangular figure, and is two 

 hundred and twenty miles in breadth. Beyond the mouth of 

 the Indus are the islands of Chryse and Argyre, 87 abounding in 

 metals, I believe ; but as to what some persons have stated, 

 that their soil consists of gold and silver, I am not so willing 

 to give a ready credence to that. After passing these islands 

 we come to Crocala, 88 twenty miles in breadth, and then, at 

 twelve miles' distance from it, Bibraga, 89 abounding in oysters 

 and other shell-fish. At eight miles' distance from Bibraga we 

 find Toralliba, and many others of no note. 



CHAP. 24. (22.) TAPKOBANE. 



Taprobane, 90 under the name of the " land of the Antich- 

 thones," 91 was long looked upon as another world : the age and 

 the arms of Alexander the Great were the first to give satis- 

 factory proof that it is an island. Onesicritus, the commander of 

 his fleet, has informed us that the elephants of this island are 

 larger, and better adapted for warfare than those of India ; and 

 from Megasthenes we learn that it is divided by a river, that 

 the inhabitants have the name of Palaeogoni, 92 and that 'their 



86 * Supposed by some to have been Lower Scinde, and the vicinity of 

 Kurrachee, with its capital Potala. 



87 Ansart suggests that these may be the Laccadives. Their name means 

 the " gold" and " silver" islands. 



88 Probably an island near the mouths of the Indus. 



89 Probably the same as the Bibacta of Arrian. The present name of it 

 is Chilney Isle. 



90 Although Poinsinet will not admit its identity, it is now universally 

 agreed among the learned that the island of Taprobana is the modern 

 Ceylon. As Gosselin observes, in the accounts said to have been given of 

 Ceylon by the ambassadors to Claudius, great allowance must be made for 

 the wrong interpretation which, owing to their ignorance of the language, 

 the Romans must have given to much of their narrative. 



91 From dvri, "opposite," and \tiwv, "the earth." Its people being 

 supposed to be the antipodes of those of Europe. 



93 "The ancient race." As Ansart observes, the island contains a 

 mountain, the name of which is " Adam's" Peak. 



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