458 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER. 



it enjoyed a moft flourishing trade, to the profpcrity of: r 

 which peace is necefTary. He died in peace and old age 

 after having merited the glorious name -of Soter, or Saviour 

 of the kingdom, which he hirhfelf had founded, the greateft 

 part of which differed from him in language, colour, habit, 

 and religion. 



It is with aftonimment we fee how thoroughly he had 

 eftablifhed the trade of India, Ethiopia, and Arabia, and what 

 progrefs he had already made towards uniting it with that of 

 Europe, by a paffage in Athenseus*, who mentions a feflival 

 and entertainment given by his fon, Ptolemy Philadelphia 

 to the people of Alexandria at his acceflion, while his father. 

 was alive, but had jufl given up his crown. 



There was in this procenlon a great number of Indian 

 women, befides of other countries ; and by Indians we may 

 underftand, not only the Afiatic Indians, but the Abyllini- 

 ans, and the inhabitants of the higher part of Africa, as all 

 thefe countries were comprehended under the common ap- 

 pellation of India. Thefe were in the habit of Haves, and 

 each led, or was followed by, a camel loaded with incenfe 

 ofSheher, and cinnamon, befides other aromatics. After 

 thefe came a number of Ethiopian blacks carrying the teeth 

 of 600 elephants. Another troop had a prodigious quanti- 

 ty of ebony ; and again others loaded with that fmeft gold, 

 which is not dug from the mine, but waihed from the 

 mountains by the tropical rains in fmall pieces, or pellets, 



which 



* Athcn, lib. 5. 



