88 Scientific Proceedings^ Royal Duhliu Society. 



catalogue, the more particularly as it does not add much to 

 what is elsewhere given on previous pages. 



The Periplus of the Ervthr^ean Sea {Circa, a.d. 80-89?) — 

 The author of this work, a Greek merchant, resident in Egypt, is 

 not known to us by name. His statements of the Indian export 

 and import trade are given with a great deal of method and 

 obvious accuracy. The following extracts are from Mr. M'Crindle's 

 translation. The principal ports mentioned are Barugaza, the 

 modern Bharoch, on the Narbada ; Barbarikon, on the Indus ; 

 Mouziris (Mangalore), and Nilkunda (south of Mangalore), both 

 the last being on the coast of Malabar. First, as regards the 

 exports : Indian iron and sword blades were exported from Arabia 

 to Adouli in Africa. Indian iron is mentioned in the Pandects as 

 an article of commerce, and the Arabian poets celebrate swords of 

 Indian steel — as well they might, since the material of the famous 

 Damascus blades was " wootz," which was manufactured in an 

 obscure village in the Hyderabad territory.^ 



From the ports .of Mouziris and Nilkunda gems in great 

 variety were exported; but these, it is expressly stated, were not 

 produced in India, but were brought from Taprobane or Ceylon. 

 They probably consisted of the varieties of what we now call 

 corundum, viz., sapphire, ruby, &c. 



Separately, the ASa^ac is mentioned as being sent from these 

 ports, and it seems probajble that under this title we may under- 

 stand that diamonds, the production of Indian mines, are re- 

 ferred to. 



From Barbarikon, on the Indus, a stone called KaWmvog was 

 exported. It has been suggested that gold stone or chrysolite was 

 indicated by this name. I cannot think that this is likely to be 

 correct. Chrysolite of value is not, so far as we know, a product 

 of that region: more probably, as has been suggested by Dana, it 

 was turquoise, or an allied mineral now called callianite. If this 

 identification be correct, it probably came through Afghanistan 

 from Persia — the most famous known source of it being at Amsar, 

 near Nishapur in Khorassan. Its occurrence anywhere nearer is 

 extremely doubtful.^ 



From Barugaza to Egypt vast quantities of 'Owxt-vri were 



1 Vide Economic Geology, p. 340. - Economic Geology, j). 435. 



