84 Before Chrift 302. 



Syria and India was almofl entirely given up, though the Syrian kings 

 poflefled the fhores of the Perfian gulf, famous for the fifliery of pearls, 

 with the ifland of Maceta at the mouth of it, and Diridotis at the mouth 

 of the Euphrates, which were two eftablifhed emporia for the fpice 

 trade. [Jrriam Indica.'] From thefe they could very conveniently have 

 difpatched fhips to India, the cargoes of which could be carried into the 

 heart of their dominions by the two great navigable rivers, the Euphra- 

 tes and Tigris, efpecially by the former, which has a longer courfe and 

 a more gentle ftream than the later : and they could be difperfed through 

 the weftern and northern regions by the Euxine and the Cafpian feas 

 with their great tributary rivers, by the help of fhort carriages over 

 land. It is proper, however, to obferve, that Seleucus appears to have 

 conceived the defign of fuch an exteniive inland trade, as he intended 

 to open a navigable communication between the Cimmerian Bofphorus 

 and the Cafpian fea *. And he is probably the fame King Seleucus who 

 brought plants of the amomum and nard, or fpikenard, from India by 

 fea, in hopes to cultivate them in his own dominions, wherein, how- 

 ever, he was difappointed, as they could not bear the change. [/"//«. L. 

 svi, f. 32.] 



Ptolemy, who in the partition of Alexander's empire had obtained 

 Egypt for his fliare, fixed his refidence at the new city of Alexandria, 

 and carefully followed the plans laid down by Alexander for attrading 

 the commerce of the world to that favoured port. Partly by force, 

 partly by perfuafion and encouragement, but principally by the juftice 

 of his governmtnt, he drew great numbers of people to fettle in his ca- 

 piial. For the benefit of navigation, the firfl; Ptolemy, or his fon Pto- 

 lemy Philadelphus, (for authors vary) ereded a light-houfe on a fmall 

 ifland, called Pharos, before the harbour, which was built of white 

 marble in a mort magnificent manner at the expenfe of Moo talents, 

 (about ;^ 1 5,500 of modern Britifh money) under the diredion of Sof- 

 tratus, an archited of Cnidos (a". 284.) It was efleemed one of the 

 feven wonders of the world ; and its name of Pharos has been extended 

 to all fucceeding ligiu-houfes. Its light was feen at the difiance of 300. 

 fladia, or about 30 ge .graphical miles. 



Ptolemy Philadelphus, in purfuance of his father's commercial plans, 

 refl;ored, or completed, the canal between the Nile and the weftern 

 branch of the Red fea, and thereby eflfeded a navigable communication 

 between his capital and the Indian ocean, of which the native and Per- 

 fian fovereigns of Egypt feem fcarcely ever to have conceived an idea 

 for any commercial purpofe. The canal was one hundred cubits ia 



• So wc are told ob tlic aiithority of ilie cm- to tiie Cafpian was navigated by tlie orders of Se- 



pcror Claudius by Piiny. [_HijL mil. L. <i\, c, n.l^ Icucus and Antigonus, wliicli, hciug impofTibW, 



Pliny has bfiii mi(li-d by fomi.' prcci lii.g writer to inuft be falfc. 

 fiiv, [L ii, c. ''17] that ihc Iiuiisc fea Ibctching 



