OF CENTRAL ANU EASTERN ASIA. 187 



in general, all writers not of this school, who treat of Serica, 

 attest the general belief of antiquity, that it was bounded by 

 an ocean on the east. Pliny even calls it the Seric Ocean. 



The extent of Serica, estimated according to the graduation 

 of Ptolemy, will be found to be about fourteen hundred miles 

 from north to south, and eleven hundred from east to west ; 

 which comes wonderfully near to the actual dimensions of mo- 

 dern China. 



Ptolemy represents Serica as traversed by two great rivers. 

 It is impossible, with our slender information, to bring home 

 the details of these rivers. But the fact is, that there are just 

 two great rivers in China. These, too, for a considerable time 

 after entering the empire, flow north-west, like the rivers of 

 Serica ; and it deserves notice, that there are no great rivers in 

 this part of Asia, except these two, which flow in such a direc- 

 tion. 



Let us now examine the geographical relations of Serica to 

 the neighbouring countries. This is of course to be done on 

 the principle which seems fully established by M. Gosselin, 

 that the country of the Sinae is Siam ; in consequence of which, 

 India beyond the Ganges is limited chiefly to the Birman em- 

 pire. Ptolemy states, that all the natives of India whom he 

 met with in the ports of Egypt, assured him that the Seres 

 were beyond the Sinae. This description will apply to no 

 country of Asia except China. He states, that India beyond 

 the Ganges is bounded on the north, partly by Scythia, and 

 partly by Serica. Ava, accordingly, is bounded, on that side, 

 partly by Thibet, and partly by the Chinese province of Yu- 

 nan. Again, the Sinae are bounded on the north by Serica 

 alone. Siam, accordingly, is so bounded by China j for the 

 small intervening kingdom of Laos would of course be included 

 •in one or the other. Again, Scythia extra Imaum, is bounded 



A a 2 on 



