mHABITIMI THE MALAYAN PENINSULA. U 



lago were very weil known to that lilslo- 

 rian, whilst he on the contrary speaks oi 

 the (rihes lie describes, oniy in rather an 

 obscure style, and as (r having received an 

 account of them from some adventurous 

 traders who having sailed from the shores 

 of the Red sea or the banks of the Euphra- 

 tes, coasting the shore of India to the Ar- 

 chipelago ; and who returned to their na^ 

 tive iarids laden with the gold dust, ivory 

 and spices of the east. The Malayan Penin- 

 sula, the Golden Chersonese of Ptolemy, 

 and Sumatra so rich in gold, camphor, 

 pepper and ivory, would be the first coun- 

 tries producing these tempting articles of 

 commerce that fell in their way, and the 

 existence of people in whose country they 

 were to be found, could not remain long 

 a secret to such inquisitive navigators. 



Besides, the account given by Herodotus 

 of the savages he describes, seems to agree 

 witli iIh' name and customs of some of the 



a. 



