164 A. D. 73. 



Beyond Rhapta the coaft was unknown in the days of our author. 

 He therefor returns to the Red fea, and goes down the eaft fhore of it, 

 beginning at Leuke kome (or White town) a port and caftle in the pof- 

 feffion of the Romans, which was frequented by fmall vefleis from the 

 cpnfiderable trading ports in the fouth, loaded with merchandize for the 

 fupply of the neighbouring country and for the merchants of Tyre, upon 

 which a duty of twenty-five t:)ercent was exacted by a Roman centurion, 

 ftationed there with a competent miUtary force for that purpofe. 



From Leuke kome down as far as the Burnt ifland the navigation was 

 very dangerous, and the coaft befet with rocks and without any har- 

 bours* ; and therefor the navigators were very careful never to approach 

 it. This inhofpitable coaft was occupied by various barbarous tribes, 

 differing in manners and in language, of whom fome fubfifted by fifh- 

 ing and others by pafturage : but they Avere all pirates, and plundered 

 the vefleis which came near their coaft, or were wrecked, and made 

 flaves of the people. The kings of the neighbouring induilrious nations 

 vs'cre therefor continually exerting themfelves to fupprefs thofe general 

 enemies, and carry them into captivity. 



The country below the Burnt ifland was poffefl^ed by a more civilized 

 people, employed in breeding cattle and camels, the later, no doubt, for 

 the fervice of the caravans. 



In the fartheft bay of the eaft coaft of the Red fea, about thirty miles 

 from the Straits, ftood Muza f , an eftabliflied emporium, inhabited by 

 experienced feamen, and numerous capital merchants, who, befides deal- 

 ing in the native commodities, traded to Barygaza and other foreign 

 countries J. 



The articles imported from Egypt were 



The fineft purple cloths in great 

 quantities ; 



Arabian garments with and with- 

 out fleeves, adorned with gold in 

 various manners ; 



Saft'ron ; 



Cyperus, or galingal ; 



Mullins (or perhaps rather fine 



cotton fluffs of Egyptian nianu- 



fadure) ; 

 Abollas or cloaks ; 

 Coverlets, a few ; 



which anfwers fo well to the nautilus, dcfciibcd by f Muza is defcribed in the Periphis as having no 



him in the preceding chapter, that it feems the harbour, but only a landy fhore, near which the 



fame animal, taken from a difFcrent author. But vefTels lay at anchor in tlic bay. There is now a 



the (hell of it, though very beauiilul, fecms rather poor village called Muza, with good water, a great 



too trifling to be ranked among eilabliihcd articles objert in thofe countries, which is four miles from 



of trade. the fhore at Mokha, apparently the fame place> 



* If this coaft had been occupied by a commcr- though now become inland in confeijuence of the 



cial people, there would have been no want of bar- conilant gradual rcceflion of the water, by which 



hours. It would be eafy to enumerate many : but the whole of the flat bolder called tlie Tehama 



Jidda, about mid -way between the two ends of the feems to have been formed. Mokha, built about 



Red fea, is at preient the principal port, beyond four centuries ago, may be prcfurmd to have arifen 



which YefTcla from India are not allowed to pa(s ; on the decline of Muza. Sec I^^kbuhr, V. i, p. 



and it in capable of r.ceiving large vtlFcls, which 297. 



refort to it from our Eall-Iudia fettlemcnts. [A'fV- \ Pliny was misinformed in rcfpeft to Muza, 



huhr, V. I, p. 224.J wliicli, lie fays [Z. vi, c. 23J had no India trade. 



