BOOK VI. XXIV. 82-85 



reeds and with the rigging used on the Nile, its 

 distanee was fixed with reference to the speeds made 

 by our ships as seven days' sail. The sea bctween 

 the island and the mainland is shallow, not more 

 than 18 feet deep, but in certain channels so deep 

 that no anchors hold the bottom : for tliis reason 

 ships are used that have bows at each end, so as to 

 avoid the necessity of coming about while negotiating 

 the narrows of the channel ; the tonnage of these 

 vessels is as much as three thousand barrels." The 

 Cingalese take no observations of the stars in navi- 

 gation — indecd, the Great Bear is not visible ; but 

 they carry birds on board with them and at fairly 

 frequent intervals set them free, and foUow the 

 course they take as they make for the land. They 

 only use four months in thc year for voyages, and 

 they particularly avoid the hundred days foUowing 

 midsiunmer, when those seas are stormy. 



So far the facts stated have been recorded by Orographt, 

 the early vTiters. We however have obtained more "'(/f„giogy „, 

 accurate information during the principate of Ceyion. 

 Claudius, when an embassy actually came to Rome 

 from the island of Ceylon. The circumstances were 

 as follows ; Annius Plocamus had obtained a contract 

 from the Treasurj' to coUect the taxes from the Red 

 Sea; a freedman of his while saihng round Arabia 

 was carried by gales from the north beyond the 

 coast of Carmania, and after a fortnight made the 

 harbour of Hippuri in Ceylon, where he was enter- 

 tained with kindly hospitahty by the king, and 

 in a period of six months acquired a thorougli 

 knowledge of the language ; and afterwards in reply 

 to the king's enquiries he gave him an account of 

 tlie Romans and their emperor. The king among 



401 



