Researches on Ptolemy’s Geography of 
Eastern Asia, 
by Colonel G. E. Gerini, M.R.A.S. 
(Review) By W. Makepeace. 
This is Vol. I. of the Asiatic Society Monographs and is 
~ published in conjunction with the Geographical Society. 
Starting with Ptolemy’s Extra-Gangetic Geography, the 
writer has felt obliged, owing to the uncertainty of previous 
- identifications of place and race names to review all the ancient 
geography relating to the Seven Seas including that of the 
Arabs, the Hindoos, the Chinese and the early Huropean 
navigators. . 
The book will therefore become a handbook to the 
historical student. As the result of his researches the author 
believes that “Itis perhaps not too sanguine to anticipate 
that future historiographers of those lands may see their way 
to adopt the Ptolemaic data as the starting point for their 
enquiries and narratives to which, even for latter periods, 
when authentic records fail or are fragmentary, they should be 
at times of help in understanding the political condition of the 
country.”’ 
Not a few sidelights are supplied even in the present 
volume. One of the points incontrovertibly established, says 
the author, is that Western trade pushed along the China 
coast at least as far as the Hang Chou harbour since the 
beginning of the Christian era. 
A useful map is given in which the geographical know- 
ledge of travellers of various nationalities and periods is 
displayed by the various colours in which the names are printed. 
But the leading feature of the book is the map and series 
of tables, containing Ptolemy’s names, in both of which is 
shown the authors’ own method of rectifying Ptolemy’s records 
of longitude and latitude. This discovery establishes Ptolemy’s 
credit as an accurate geographer. 
Jour. S. B. R. A. Soc., No. 57, 1910, 
