1S47.] Periphis of the Erythrean Sea, fyc. 77 



inferred from the extensive commerce it enjoyed with countries of the west 

 from early times ; from the great value of its products, and above all, from 

 the distinct allusion made to it by the two Mahomedan travellers of the 9th 

 century. It is mentioned by them " as the country of a king named Rami, who 

 possessed a great number of elephants. Its exports consisted of fine cotton 

 garments,* lign aloes, f sable skins,!, and Rhinoceros horns, all of which were 

 to be purchased for shells, § which were the current money of the country." 



Note III. 

 The city of Bengala is mentioned in the works of geographers in the early 

 part of the 17th century. Cluverius describes it as situated on an island of the 

 river Cosmin, and as a mart from which there was exported valuable merchan- 

 dize, consisting of silk, cotton, civet, sugar, &c. " Urbs Bengala magna, 

 celeberrimo imperio insignis, in insula fluvii Cosmin sita est. [Urbs Ben- 

 gala una ex prcestantissimis Indies est, ubi omnes reperiuntur delicia quas 

 ceteris optima possident Europce civitates. Hinc export antur merces preiiosce, 

 Sericum, xylinum, zibettum, Saccharum, oriza, cannce de Bengala, vulgo 

 cannce Hispanicce dictte]." Vide Introduct. ad Univers. Geograph. Philip) 

 Cluverius. In the Lexicon Universale of Hoffman it is mentioned as a 

 city of Extra Gangetic India, and as a large and celebrated mart fre- 

 quented by Europeans : " Bengala urbs Asia cum regni cognomine in 

 India extra Gang em, sub imperio M. Mogolis a multis annis, ad oslia 

 Cosmini fluvii non longe ab ostiis Ganges. Ampla et percelebre ab Europceis 

 frequentata." That the Cosmin is the Brahmaputra is evident from the 

 situation assigned to the former in the maps of the older geographers. Clu- 

 verius delineates it as running from the north-east, and dividing into two 

 branches, on one of which he places the cities of Bengala, and Chatigan : the 

 other branch, he represents as falling into the sea at Pegu. In a map attach- 

 ed to Bender's Travels, Cosmin is laid down in a situation also corresponding 

 with that of the Brahmaputra. Dacca is placed at its mouth, where the Megna 

 joins the sea : and Chatigan at some distance from it towards the south. In 

 a map by Mandelso, who travelled in India in 1639, the city of Bengala is laid 

 down in the situation here assigned to Dacca ; viz. at the mouth of the river. 

 Bengala is described in the Dictionnaire Historique par M. L. Moray, as a city 

 lying " sur l'embouchure du flcuve Cosmin, grande, belle, richc, marchande, et 

 comme le centre du commerce des Indcs, extremement frequentec par Its Euro- 

 peans, Francais, Anglais, Portugais, Hollaudais, &c. qui y out tons le like 

 exercice de leur religion. Elle n'est pas eloigiiee de l'embouchure du Gauge." 

 The author, however, concludes by stating : " Quand j'ai parle de la ville de 

 Bengale, j'ai suivi le sentiment de presquc tous les auteurs qui ont ecrit avant 

 * Dacca muslins. f Aggur wood. % Otter skins ? § Cowrccs. 



