22 CURIOUS CREATURES. 



Red Sea called Topazos, at a distance of three hundred 

 stadia from the mainland ; that it is surrounded by fogs, 

 and is often sought by navigators in consequence ; and 

 that, to this, it received its present name, the word 

 Tofiazin l meaning ' to seek ' in the language of the 

 Troglodytae. ... At a later period a statue, four cubits 

 in height, was made of this stone. . . . Topazos is 

 the largest of all the precious stones." 



This shows that the Troglodytae of Ethiopia had 

 some commercial energy, and they did a good trade in 

 myrrh and other condiments. Pliny says that the 

 Troglodytae traded among other things in cinnamon. 

 They " after buying it of their neighbours, carry it over 

 vast tracts of sea, upon rafts, which are neither steered 

 by rudder nor drawn or impelled by oars or sails. Nor 

 yet are they aided by any of the resources of art, 

 man alone, and his daring boldness, standing in the 

 place of all these ; in addition to which, they choose 

 the winter season, about the time of the equinox, for 

 their voyage, for then a south-easterly wind is blowing ; 

 these winds guide them in a straight course from gulf 

 to gulf, and after they have doubled the promontory of 

 Arabia, the north-east wind carries them to a port of 

 the GebanitEe, known by the name of Ocilia. Hence 

 it is that they steer for this port in preference, and they 

 say that it is almost five years before the merchants are 

 able to effect their return, while many perish on the 

 voyage. In return for their wares, they bring back 

 articles of glass and copper, cloths, buckles, bracelets, 

 and necklaces ; hence it is that this traffic depends more 

 particularly upon the capricious tastes and inclinations 

 of the female sex." 



1 In Greek, TWdfw, means to guess, divine, or conjecture. 



