COMMERCE OF INDIA. 



227 



The old Hindus were very fond of corah, and attached to 

 them a similar value as foreigners to pearls ; in consequence 

 many corals were imported to India, as were also some 

 varieties of Sards and Sardonyxes. Glassware found a good 

 market in India. The Hindus have never up to this very day 

 made much progress in the manufacture of an article, whose 

 invention was known in the dawn of historical days to the 

 ancient Egyptians. 



Frankincense and meliloton, perhaps an Egyptian kind of 

 lotus, whose stalks have a sweet taste and were a favorite dish 

 in Egypt, were brought to India* From the frankincense a 

 valuable oil and salve were prepared. The importation of 

 wine mostly from Laodikea in Syria and from Italy is an 

 undoubted fact. The Alexandrian merchant mentions 

 specially the presents of wine, he made to an Indian prince. 

 As in those times comparatively few Europeans lived in 

 India, the wine must have been drunk nearly exclusively 

 by natives, and considering the variety of race, and of 

 caste, there is no reason to wonder. Even now-a-days more 

 wines and spirits than the combined thirst of the European 

 community can digest, land in India, and what is more, are 

 consumed in this country. On the other hand, the stories of 

 inebriety among Hindus which Greek writers, as Chares of 

 Mytilene, record, are to say the least exaggerated. 



If we add to this list of import articles linen cloth, we 

 have mentioned the most common and valuable ones. 



Comparing the two lists of import and export goods with 

 each other, we see that, while the latter is very considerable 

 in number and differing in variety, the former contains only 

 a few articles. The reason of ,this striking difference has been 

 already explained. The nature of the Indian trade is even 

 now not materially altered. We meet, with a few exceptions, 

 the same goods in ancient times as in our days. After all, 

 men and countries do not change much, and the nature of 



