Chap. II. of the East 
6 , 
Empire, collected into a Body by the Emperor Juftinian ; 
from whence it appears, that there were feveral Duties im- 
pofed upon a Multitude of Goods brought from the Indies , 
fuch as Spices of different hinds •, for inftance, Cinnamon, 
which came from the Ifland of Ceylon , but not in any great 
Quantity •, for it was always very dear, the Xilo Cinna- 
tnomum was no other than the Wood of the Cinnamon 
.Tree, on which there was alfo a Duty ; but it does not 
appear of what Ufe it was, or whence it grew into Efteem ; 
perhaps it was ufed in the fame manner that we do other 
Woods, in DecoCtions. Caftia, defcribed at large by 
feveral ancient Authors, from whom it appears to have 
been a fort of milder Cinnamon ; this likewife comes from 
.Malabar and Ceylon. We learn from fome very judicious 
Writers, and who are well acquainted with the Manner of 
Collecting Spices in the Indies , that the Caffia Lignea is, in 
truth, nothing more than the thick Bark of the true Cin- 
namon Tree, which has very little Flavour, by which they 
mean that this is the Spice known to the Ancients by that 
Name ; but the Modern Caffia is another thing, and fome- 
-what of a higher Flavour. 
Pepper of feveral kinds^ fuch as long Pepper, white 
Pepper, and black Pepper, all of them from the Indies „ 
Pliny is very angry that this Spice fhould be fo much ad- 
mired •, for, as he obferves, other things are either pleafant to 
the Sight, the Smell, or the Tafte, whereas there is nothing 
in Pepper agreeable to any of thefe Senfes ; and yet, fays 
he, what grows wild, and is of no Value in the Indies , is 
with us fold by Weight, like Gold or Silver, for no other 
Reafon, adds he, but becaufe it comes from India. In his 
Time the long Pepper was worth about nine or ten Shil- 
lings a Pound of our Money, white Pepper was of half that 
Value, and black about half a Crown a Pound and it 
feems to have been as dear at Conftantinople. Ginger, of 
which Pliny tells us, that many in his Time thought it the 
Root of the Pepper Tree ; but he affures us, that was a 
vulgar Miftake, for that in Reality, it was the Root of a 
little Herb, which grew commonly in the Meadows of 
Arabia , and in the Country of the Troglodites. This Spice 
is likewife defcribed by Diofcorides , who agrees very well 
with Pliny. But after all, Ginger does not grow, either in 
the Manner, or in the Countries they mention. It is, in- 
deed, a kind of Lilly, the Flower of which is red mixed 
with green. It grows in the raoft remote Parts of the 
Indies , and over a great Part of China ; but fince it has 
been tranfplanted into the Weft- Indies , we have the beft Part 
of our Ginger from thence. The, Chinefe efteem it very 
much, efpecially as a wet Sweet-meat, and tranfport a great 
deal of it to Batavia , where it is generally eat after Meals 
to affift Digeftion. It did not bear a very high Price 
among the Ancients ; for in the Time of Pliny it was not 
above three Shillings a Pound and at Conftantinople it was 
not worth fo much. It may not be amifs to obferve, that- 
in thole Days they adulterated their Spices very dexteroufly ; 
from whence it is evident, that they were much in ufe, and 
confequently they muft have been brought from the Indies 
in confiderable Quantities. 
Precious Stones of all Sorts, fuch. as Diamonds from 
different Parts of the Indies ; Pearls from the Coalt of 
P erfia and Ceylon •, Emeralds, which were always held by the 
' Ancients for Oriental Stones, though there is great Reafon 
to doubt the Truth of that Fad j but, however, they had 
good Caufe to believe it, becaufe they were brought to them 
from the Eaft, however they came thither. Another pre- 
cious Stone, called Cerauniuto, becaufe it was fuppofed to be 
found in Places where Thunder had fallen. Pliny men- 
tions it, and indeed gives us a long Account of it, but 
loch a one as does not help us at all in finding out what 
Stone he means. He fays, it is white, like Chryftal, that 
it derives Light from the Sun and Moon, and has a fort 
of Fire in it which feems to change its Place as the Stone 
is turned this Way or that, and that this Jewel comes 
irotn that Part of the Indies which borders upon Perfia. 
Tertullian mentions it among the Ornaments worn by 
-Women, and affures us, that it had a glittering Appear- 
ance as if there had been Fire in it. We may venture to 
affert, that either this Stone is not known to us, or is a 
kind of Opal ; for, except that, I know of no Stone that 
in any refped agrees with this Defcription. 
The Hyacinth or Jacinth, which was brought from 
Callicut, or Cambaye ; it received its Name from its Re» 
femblance to the Flower fo called, and muft therefore have 
been of a purple Colour, inclining to a blue. The 
Jacinth known to us, are of different Colours j but 
none of them referable the Stone known to the Ancients % 
for ours are either of a Flame-Colour, of an amber Caft* 
almoft white, or of a pale Red. It is therefore probable^ 
that the Jacinths of the Ancients were a kind of Saphire. 
They were very much valued for graving, and were held 
to have many Virtues, which in reality were never yet to 
be found in any Stone. 
Beryls, which Pliny fays approach nearly to the Colour 
of an Emerald, and which owe moft of their Beauty to 
their being cut hexangularly, and he diftinguilhes many 
kinds of them ; fome that had a yellow Caft, others of 
a blueifli Colour, and fome mixed with white. He af- 
fures us, that the Indians valued thefe more than any other 
Stones, efpecially when they were long, for then they 
bored and wore them without fetting ; and had alfo 
a Method of putting a gold "Wire through them, which 
made them appear extremely beautiful at a Diftance. One 
might write a large Differtation upon this fingjfe Stone, 
fince there are many very learned Naturalifts that believe 
what we call the Beryl was the Diamond of the Ancients. 
Certain it is, that the Beryls we have from the Indies, do 
not at all refemble the foregoing Defcription, except that 
they are fometimes found very long and large, but rather 
of a greenifh Colour than a blue. They are moftly to 
be met with in Cambaye , Malabar, or Pegu * but the 
fineft and largeft of which fometimes Cups and other 
fmall Veffels are made, come from the Bland of Ceylon. 
There is, indeed, a Stone which fome take to be a kind of 
Beryl, but which is better known by the Name of Aqua Ma- 
rina , or Aigue Marine, from its Refemblance in Colour to 
the Water of the Sea. Of thefe fome are very hard, 
and of fuch Beauty, that many Jewelers have been im- 
pofed upon by them, and have taken them for Dia- 
monds. 
Saphires, about which we are more at a Lofs than about 
any other Stone whatever ; but this feems to be certain, 
that whatever the Saphire of the Ancients was, it had no 
Sort of Refemblance to that Stone known to us by the 
fame Name ; for it appears that the Saphires of the Ancients 
were not tranfparent, fo that poffibly they might be a kind 
of Lapis Lazuli. It is not, however, impoffiibe that the 
Ancients might be acquainted with the true Saphire ; 
tho* , if they were, they mention it by fome other 
Name, and my Reafon for fuppofmg they might know 
it, is, that our Saphire comes from Calicut, Cananor , and 
the Ifland of Ceylon, from whence they had moft of their 
precious Stones, and efpecially fuch as were coloured. 
We might add to thefe, many other kinds of precious 
Stones, of which, at this Day, we know no more than 
the Names : But that we are afraid of fatiguing the 
Reader, and therefore we ffiall only mention one Remark 
on this Subject, and that is, with regard to the Doubts 
and Difficulties that attend it. It feems to be a very 
ftrange Thing, that we fhould be more at a Lofs about 
the Jewels mentioned in old Authors than almoft about 
any other Thing ; but when we confider what Pliny tells 
us, that the Indians were very dextrous in making falfe 
Jewels of all Colours *, and when we obferve that he men- 
tions fome true Stones, which, lofing their Luftre, reco- 
vered it again by being put into Vinegar, in which Salt 
of Nitre had been diffolved. I fay, when we confider, 
and lay thefe Circumftances together, with the Addition 
of their Defcriptions, it may very well beget a Doubt in 
us, whether many of the precious Stones mentioned by 
the Ancients, might not be Compofitions 5 but whatever 
they were, they came from the Indies , and this is another 
Proof, that even in the moft early Times, the Indians 
were much better (killed in thefe Matters than any other 
Nation. 
We likewife find amongft the reft of the Indian Com- 
modities charged with Duties, all Sorts of Silk and Cotton 
Manufactures, which they brought as we do from thofe 
Countries, and probably for the fame Reafon, becaufe they 
found that Method cheaper than bringing the Commo- 
