460 A. D. 1295. 



Whoever compares the Periplus of the Erythraean fea, the relations 

 of Cofmas Indicopleuftes, the Arabian travelers, MafToudi, Ebn Haukal, 

 and Benjamin of Tudela, with the narrative of Marco Polo, will find 

 them in many points Itrongly confirmed and illuftrated by him, as he 

 is by the accounts of all fucceeding travelers of veracity *. The clofe 

 refemblance between the earlieft accounts of the Indians (even thofe 

 obtained by Alexander's officers) and of the Chinefe, is particularly 

 flriking. Both thole great nations had made confiderable progrefs in 

 fcience long before it began to dawn upon the weftern world : and both 

 have continued, ever fince the times in which we have the earlieft know- 

 lege of them, nearly ftationary in fcience, or rather in fome refpeds 

 retrograde. In the age of Marco Polo we find the Indians, and the 

 people of Mangi, or the fouthern Chinefe, navigating every part of the 

 Indian ocean, as, we know, that in earlier ages, though colonies and 

 commercial fettlements of the Arabians, or Saracens, a people of fu- 

 perior commercial enterprife and knowlege, were eftablifhed in every 

 port of that extenfive ocean, and even in their own inland cities, -they 

 vifited every coaft of it in their own veflels, and took into their own 

 hands the moft of the maritime trade between the eaftern and weftern 

 parts of the world. But afterwards both the Indians and the Chinefe, 

 though better qualified in point of fituation and valuable commodities 

 and manufadures than any other people of Afia to command an ex- 

 tenfive and lucrative trade to all parts of the world, have allowed the 

 whole of their foreign trade to go into the hands ot foreigners. The 

 decline of navigation in China may perhaps be owing partly to the po- 

 licy of the government, and partly to their ieamen having loft the 

 knowlege of managing vefi^ls at fea in confequence of the great bulk 

 of their trade being conveyed, without any danger from ftorms or pi- 

 rates, by inland navigation, ever fince the great canal was made by 

 Coublai. 



1296 — Hitherto the gallies in the Mediterranean had never had more 

 than two men to row one oar ; but now three men were put upon each 



* Many other paiticulari, cliarafteriftic of tlie funereal fire along with the bodies of their dc-' 



eaftern nations, and ftrongly proving the veracity ceafed hufbanda ; their cuftom of chewing a leaf 



of Marco's narrative, might be ftleited ; fuch as (betel) which lie calls tembul, with fpiccs and 



the Chinefe cultom of cxpofing infants, 20,coo lime ; a fmall city at the tomb of S'. Thomas, 



ef whom were every year favcd and bred up by frequented by Saracens as well as Cliriftians on ac- 



Fanfur, tlie lall king of Mangi ; the policy, per- count of devotion ; the Clirillians of Socotora and 



haps peculiar to China, of one city having authority other places aeknowleging the pati iarch of Baldach 



over many others, no fewer than 14c being fnU- tor tiieir chief or pope, nearly as it was in tiie 



jt6t to the government of Qiiinfai (the city of time of Cofmas Indicopleulles, &c. 

 Iieaven), the grcatell and richcll city, and, before IJavIng already given the eoniprclTed commercial 



the conquell of it by Conblai, the capital, of fnbllancc of all the early writeis upon Oriental 



M. 1 gi; the plantations of mulberry trees in China afl'airs, it will not be neccdary to pay much atten- 



foi let ding the filk-worms ; the refpec.t paid to tiou to any other travelers into the callern regions, 



cows by the Indians ; their principle of not put- imlefs they add fomcthing confiderable to our lloclj 



tifig any animal to diaih, and abftaining from ani- of matenals for commercial hillory. 

 »ial t(jod} '''*''■ widows devoting liicmlclveb to the 



