Appendix. 287 



aloes is exported, called Al-Senfy. In another ten days the 

 island of Sender-Foulat is reached, where fresh water is also 

 found. Finally, when, by God's help, ships get safe out of 

 Scnder-Foulat, they make sail for China, and arrive at 

 Khanfou at the end of a month." 



With a large variety of fruits in China, Soleyman mentions 

 le citron. (Qth century.) 



Massoudi, a celebrated Arabic writer, according to 

 Reinaud, lived in the first half of the loth century A.D. 



The publication of these tales (ist book) in Arabic was in 

 the year of the Hegira 237 (851 A.D.), the epoch in which the 

 commercial relations of the Khalifs of Baghdad with India 

 and China were at their Highest. 



In the preliminary discourse, at page 28, Reinaud says : 

 " The commercial relations between the Red Sea, Persian 

 Gulf, and Eastern coast of Africa on the one side, and the 

 Western coast of India on the other, are of great antiquity. 

 There cannot be any doubt that this was the object of certain 

 Phoenician expeditions, in which King Solomon wished to 

 take a part. It was by this route that the products of Arabia 

 Felix, of the coast of Sofala, and of India reached the 

 Western nations. It was a commerce of great value. These 

 commercial relations continued under the Greek kings after 

 the death of Alexander. They were the basis of the great- 

 ness of Alexandria, in Egypt, for some time, and of Seleucia, 

 on the Tigris. Nevertheless, the voyage was slow and 

 troublesome, on account of the periodical winds called 

 maussam (hence monsoon), and the ships were obliged to 

 keep sight of the coast during their voyages. 



All of a sudden, a Roman navigator, named Hippalus 

 conceived the idea that a shorter and more direct line to 

 India than that of the coast might be followed. At a 

 favourable season he started from the straits of Babelmandeb 

 (with the S.W. monsoon) for the Gulf of Cambay. Six 

 months later, he availed himself of the change of wind 

 (X.E. monsoon), to return to his starting point. The 

 example of Hippalus was followed by others, and so the 

 commerce of spices and silk got an unprecedented impetus. 



From that epoch the Chinese vessels, starting from the 

 ports of the Celestial Empire, came to Java, Malacca, Ceylon, 



