long before the Persians had made themselves masters of 
Babylon, that is, B.C. 561 ; the Phoenicians had establish- 
ments for the pearl fishery and the Indian trade, on the isles 
of Tylos and Aradus, the modern Bahrein in the Persian 
gulf. The former existence of these is attested by the 
remains of their temples, and the prevalence of so many 
Phoenician names of places in the Persian gulf; as Aradus, 
Sidodona, and Szur or Tur near Cape Macate, mentioned 
by Nearchus as an entrepot for Indian produce. From 
these Phoenician colonies, the Gerrians, (whose city is 
described as rich and populous), probably obtained Indian 
produce to despatch by caravans across the desert to Petra, 
or by water to Babylon. The vessels of the Persian gulf 
are considered by Heeren to have proceeded to Crocala, 
now Curachee at the mouth of the Indus, and Barygaza, 
now Baroach in the gulf of Cambay, and from thence even 
to the coast of Malabar and the island of Ceylon. As the 
Bahrein islands are supposed to be the Dedan of Scripture, 
so the passages in Ezekiel, xxvii. 19, 24, and xxxviii. 13, 
and of Isaiah, xxi. 13, 15, must be considered as applying 
to these voyages, (v. Heeren, On the Commerce of the 
Phoenicians and Babylonians). 
But the Phoenicians did not enjoy the exclusive advan- 
tages of the maritime trade with India. For the Arabs also 
were great navigators; and always carried on an active com- 
merce with the opposite coast of the Red Sea. Mr. Wilkinson 
considers that Old Kosayar was built as early as B.C. 1686 
for the trade with Arabia ; the other Egyptian ports along 
the same coast, as the Old Berenice, Adule, and Saba, were 
also frequented by the Arabs. The commerce between Meroe 
in Ethiopia, and Hadramaut and Yemen, especially from 
Adule to Aden, was, even, seven and eight centuries before 
the Christian era, in the most flourishing state. The 
communication from these to India, was much easier than 
can be conceived by those, accustomed only to the storms 
