[ i6 9 ] 
“ * n Holland ; befides, the inhabitants are the moft 
fubtle merchants in the eaft, and the country itfelf 
“ is fuperiour in fertility to moft of thole which 
“ furround it « ” 
We are told “ that this city was difficult of accefs, 
“ and that but a few people were acquainted with 
“ the courfe in this vo yage, and that thefe fewfeldom 
** *~ aded f ar : & Tyv 3-ivct Tavfov ou k e<?iv evxegus U7r- 
“ o-noiviug y<t(> aar avjyg Tins ou tztoAAc* ewov- 
<C /u- y, ’- lt: may be j ma g ined tha t the great diftance 
of this city, and the irregularity of the winds in the 
bay of Siam, which happens in all bays, w^as the oc- 
cafion of fubffituting thefe caravans in preference to 
the. voyage j more especially as thele tw’o articles, 
which are mentioned to have been exported, were 
extremely light and portable, and could be eafily tranf- 
poited by land to thele countries already mentioned, 
where they would be bought up, and difperfed over 
Europe by the merchants of ^Egypt. 
But, not with Handing we are ignorant of the time 
when the route of thefe caravans was efiakliffied, yet 
we have no reafon to prefume, as an ingenious gen- 
tleman has 2 , that this had taken place in the time of 
any of the Ptolemies ; when no author, before the 
emperor Trajan, has io much as mentioned this na- 
tion. Indeed it is moil: probable this country was dif- 
covered by fuch lhips as that great prince lent to In- 
dia, with a defign of acquiring what information they 
could receive ; in order, by their intelligence, to be af- 
x Argenfol. 
y P. M. Eryth. 
2 Schmidt, Opufcul. p. 184. 
Vol. LVII. Z 
filled 
