i^o A. D. 42. 



ufual practice of the Greeks, called the difcoverer of it *. This judici- 

 ous navigator, having a good idea (and perhaps a rude kind of chart) of 

 the form of the coaft, and fituation of the ports, inftead of going up the 

 fouth fide of the entry of the Perfian gulf till he could fee the oppofite 

 fhore, then going down it, and coafting along Carmania and Gadrofia, 

 and every bay and creek of the coaft, as all his predeceffors had done, 

 obferved the proper feafon of the monfoon, launched out at once in the 

 Ocean, and committing his vefiel to the fure and regular impulfe of the 

 fouth-vveft wind (Libonotus) fleered as ftraight a courfe as he could for 

 his port. And in commemoration of this grand improvement, which 

 forms a new and very important 3?ra in the hiftory of the commercial 

 intercourfe between India and Europe, the Greeks immortalized the 

 name of Hippalus by coiiferring it upon the fouth-weft monfoon, which 

 he firft taught them to avail themfelves of in their voyages to India f . 

 {Feriplus Maris Erytbrai. — Flin, L. vi, c. 23.] 



Previous to the new fyftem of navigation introduced by Hippalus, 

 the traders from Egypt coafted in fmall vefiels to the mouth of the Ind- 

 us, and alfo to Barygaza, Mufiris, and Barake, feemingly in about 12 

 degrees north latitude J, the trade of all which will be afterwards given 

 more at large. [Feriplus Maris Erythrai.'\ 



Hitherto the corn fhips from Alexandria and elfewhere appear to 

 have difcharged their cargoes at Puteoli, a port about feventy-five miles 

 from Rome, which being found very inconvenient, the emperor Clau- 

 dius, in purfuance of a plan projected by Julius Csefar, made an artifi- 

 cial harbour in the mouth of the Tiber at Oftia, by digging a fpacious 

 bafin in the main land, which was defended by a pier on each fide, and 



• I have all along prefumed, that the monfoons found. This feries of improvements infers a confi- 



were known, and applied to the purpofes of navi- derable length of time between the firft nie of the 



gation, by the Oiicntal nations, and efpeeially by wind Hippalus and the compofition of Pliny's 



the Arabs. As we know, that they were navigat- work, which he finilhtd in the year 7^. Therefor, 



ors in the earlicft ages, and we are fure they muft in order to allow for all thofe impiovemcnts as 



have obferved the periodical regularity and l^eady much time as poflible, confiftent with tlie prefump- 



continuation of thofe winds, we may be equally tion that the ufe of the monfoons in navigation 



fure, that they were not fo mad as to attempt fail- was \inknown to the Egyptian Greeks till the ar- 



ing in oppofition to them, or to neglett the olivi- rival of the Taprobanian ambaOadors, we muil be- 



ous advantage of falling before them, and that they licve that they arrived in the very beginniiig of the 



aadc their voyages accoidingly. reign of Claudius, Avhich commenced in January 



\ Unfortunately the date of Hippalus's firft 41, the cullom-farmer's veflcl having diifted to 

 voyage to India by the monfoc<ns cannot be afcer- Taprobane in that of his prcdeccfibr, and that the 

 laincd with the prccifion due to its importance. It firft oceanic voyage of Hippalus took place with 

 was certainly not fo early as Strabo's vifit to Kgypt the return of the proper monloon in the year 42. 

 about 28 years before Cluift : and, as it was un- J Pliny makes Patala at the mouth ot the In- 

 known to that author, it was apparently not be- dus the farthcft extent of their voyages for a cun- 

 fore he finiflied In's great work, wliieh was about fidcrablc time after they began to iail with the 

 the 20th year of the Chiiftian ocra. Pliny [i. vi, wind Hippalus. But Pliny's information was ex- 

 c. 23] mentions the courfe for Patala by the wind ccedlngly defeflivc in Oriental ailairs, as I have al- 

 Hippalus, and a nearer and fafer courfe ftecred in ready had oceafion to obferve, and is nothing when 

 ihc age "which followed (' fecuta Ktat') which was fet againft the Periplus of the lirythirean fca. 

 long ufcd, and afiavjards ftill (hotter routes were 



