136 History of Nature, [BooK VI. 



Necanidon, which they call Becare: the King's Name at 

 present is Pandion ; far off is another Town of Merchandise 

 within the Land, called Modusa. The Region from whence 

 they transport Pepper in small Lighters made of one piece 

 of Wood to Becare, is named Cotona : of all which Nations, 

 Ports, and Towns, there is not a Name found in any of the 

 former Writers. By which it appeareth, that there hath 

 been great Change in these places. From India, our Mer- 

 chants return in the Beginning of our Month December, 

 which the ^Egyptians call Tybis : or at farthest before the 

 Sixth Day of the .Egyptian Month Machiris, which is before 

 our Ides of January : arid by this reckoning they may pass 

 and return within the compass of One Year. When they 

 sail from India they have the (North-East) Wind, Vulturnus, 

 with them : and when they have entered into the Red Sea, 

 the South or South-west. Now will we return to our pro- 

 posed Discourse concerning Carrnania : the Coast of which, 

 after the reckoning of Nearchus, may take in Circuit 12,050 

 Miles. From its Beginning to the River Sabis is 100 Miles; 

 from whence as far as to the River Andanin, are Vineyards 

 and Corn-fields, well cultivated. The Region is called Ar- 

 muzia. The Towns of Carmania are Zetis and Alexandria. 

 In this part the Sea breaketh into the Land in two Arms ; 

 which our Countrymen call the Red Sea, 1 and the Greeks 

 Erythraeum, from a King named Erythras: or (as some 

 think) because the Sea, by reason of the Reflexion of the Sun, 

 seemeth of a reddish colour. Others suppose that this Redness 

 is occasioned of the Sand and Ground, which is Red: and others 

 again, that the very Water is of its own nature so coloured, 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

 The Persian and Arabian Gulfs. 



THIS Red Sea is divided into Two Gulfs. That from the 

 East is named the Persian Gulf, and is in Circuit 2500 Miles, 



1 Another reason for the name is to be found in Esau, the son of the 

 patriarch Isaac, and whose dominion was on its borders. Bruce and others 

 have advanced opinions with regard to the origin of the name of this cele- 

 brated sea ; but its most ancient name may be rendered the Weedy Sea. 

 Wcrn. Club. 



