Remarks on the Sequel to the Periplus of the Erythra an Sea. By James Notes on an Image of Budha found at Sherghatti. By Capt. Kittoe,. Notices of various new or little known Species of Birds. By E. Blyth, Esq., 117 Bhasha Paricheda, or Division of Language. By Dr. Roer, · On the Ruins of Anuradhapura. By William Knighton, Esq.,. . . . . . Notes on the Visharas and Chaityas of Behar. By Capt. M. Kittoe, Geological Notes on Zillah Shahabad. By Lieut. W. S. Sherwill,. Queries on the Archaology of India. By the Rev. James Long, Specimens of the Language of the Goonds. By O. Manger, Esq., Journal of a Steam Trip to the North of Baghdad. By Lieut. Jones,. Note on the Sculptures of Bodh Gyah. By Capt. M. Kittoe,.... The Rock Temples of Dambool, Ceylon. By William Knighton, Esq.,- Notes on the Caves of Burabur. By Capt. Kittoe, Process of working the Damascus Blade of Goojrat. By Capt James Abbott, 417 Oz a new form of the Hog kind. By B. H. Hodgson. Esq.,.... Notes of various new or little known Species of Birds. By E. Blyth, Nores, chiefly Geological, from Gooty to Hydrabad. By Capt. Newbold,... Predings of the Asiatic Society for April, 1847,.. On the local and relative Geology of Singapore. By J. R. Logan, Esq.,... account of the Kalan Musjeed. By Lieut. F. Lewis, and H. Cope, Esq., 577 Predings of the Asiatic Society for May, 1847, ... Catalogue of Reptiles inhabiting the Malayan Peninsula and Islands. By thelox and relative Geology of Singapore. By J. R. Logan, Esq.,-** On varistas Genera of the Ruminants. By B. H. Hodgson, Esq., 576184 597 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society for June, 1817,... Notes on the Antiquities of Bhopal. By Capt. J. D. Cunningham, On the Tibetan Badger. By B. H. Hodgson, Esq., 716 775 Rough Notes on the Ornithology of Candahar. By Capt. Thos. Hutton,. . . . Description of the Glaciers of the Pindur and Kuphinee Rivers. By Lieut. On the History and Literature of the Veda. By Rudolph Roth,. 851 On the Charj or Otis Bengalensis. By B. H. Hodgson, Esq., The Slaty blue Magaderme. By B. H. Hodgson, Esq., 883 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society for August, 1847, 987 ...... Proceedings of the Asiatic Society for September, 1847, 1089 Notes on the Botany of Sinde. By Capt. N. Vicary, Reply to the Minute by Capt. Munro, regarding the Burnes Drawings. By Report of Curator, Zoological Department, for September, 1847,................ Attempt to identify places mentioned in the Itinerary of Hinan Thsang. By 1247 JOURNAL OF THE ASIATIC SOCIETY. JANUARY, 1847. Remarks on the Sequel to the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea, and on the country of the Seres, as described by Ammianus Marcellinus : By JAMES TAYLOR, Esq., Civil Surgeon, Dacca. At a period long anterior to the navigation of the Erythrean Sea by the Egyptian Greeks, the Arabians carried on a trade with India, and were the means, either directly, or through the Phoenicians, of supplying the Western world with the valuable productions of the East. It is generally supposed that they availed themselves of their knowledge of the monsoons to make periodical voyages to this country across the open sea, and that they had settlements along its western coast, and even as far south as Ceylon. On these points, however, nothing certain 29 knwn; and with the exception of the fact of there being enumerated in the Sacred Writings particular spices and perfumes which are the indigenous productions of India, there remains little or no evidence of the trade that existed between Arabia and the farther East at the remote period here referred to. Of the extent to which Indian commerce was carried on by the Sabeans, and Phoenicians; of the commodities they gave in exchange for the merchandize they imported; or of the emporia on the Indian coast, whither they repaired for the purpose of traffic, we are entirely ignorant: and indeed, of the ancient trade of India generally, it may be said, that we have no authentic information prior to the Christian era.* The earliest work extant, in which a detailed account Appendix, No. 1. No. I. NEW SERIES. B is given of the navigation and commerce along the coasts of India, is * carried on in the coasting vessels of the country: but that voyages from the latter coast to the Ganges were made in ships, that sailed across the Bay of Bengal. These were native or country-built vessels, and ake the ships described by Fa Hian about the end of the 4th century, as sailing from the Ganges to Ceylon and thence to China, they appear to have been manned by Hindoos.* That the Hindoos were a maritime people in ancient times, is now generally admitted. In evidence of this fart, may be mentioned the allusion to marine insurance in the Institutes of Menu, the circumstance of Hindoos having formerly resided in Java, . and the notice "in poems, tales, and plays dating from the 1st century before to the 12th century after our era, of adventures at sea in which Ladian sailors and ships alone are concerned."+ Mention is made in the Brihatkatha of a "king of Bengal who proceeded on an expedition to the coast, and of Srimanta, Chand, and Dhanapati, celebrated native Lerchants, who made periodical voyages in a fleet to Ceylon." The historians of Ceylon relate that a king named Wijeya, who held the sovereignty of their island for a period of thirty-eight years commencing B. C. 543, was a native of Bengal, and that he had been exiled by his father Singababu, king of the latter country, who, it is said, sent him away with seven hundred followers to seek his fortune on the sea.§ It may be inferred from these circumstances, which so directly prove the early maritime communication between Bengal and Ceylon, that the transportation of merchandize from the Ganges to the marts of Southern India was effected by the natives of the country, that the Egyptian traders seldom extended their navigation beyond Cape Comorin, and that the commercial intercourse that existed between them and the natives of Bengal centred in the ports of Southern India. Arrian appears to have derived his information regarding the navigation of the Bay of Bengal from native traders whom he met in some of these ports, and to their accuracy in geographical details, and love of the marvellous, may be ascribed the errors and fabulous statements which occur in his description of the countries, and tribes of Eastern India. The concluding part of Arrian's journal, which relates to countries • Professor Wilson's Account of the Foe Kue Ki, in Jour. Royal As. Soc. Vol. 5, + Ibid. P. 10 : Preface to Bengálí Dictionary by Babu Ram Comul Sen. Knighton's History of Ceylon, p. 11, 51. |