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OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE.
65
CHAP. II.
_____There was a considerable demand for Babylonian carpets, and other manufactures of the east ; but the most important and unpopular branch of foreign trade was carried on with Arabia and India. Every year, about the time of the summer solstice, a fleet of an hundred and twenty vessels sailed from Myos-hormos, a port of Egypt on the Red sea. By the periodical assistance of the monsoons, they traversed the ocean in about forty days. The coast of Malabar, or the island of Ceylon[1], was the usual term of their navigation ; and it was in those markets that the merchants from the more remote countries of Asia expected their arrival. The return of the fleet of Egypt was fixed to the months of December or January ; and as soon as their rich cargo had been transported on the backs of camels from the Red sea to the Nile, and had descended that river as far as Alexandria, it was poured without delay into the capital of the empire[2]. The objects of oriental traffic were splendid and trifling: silk, a pound of which was esteemed not inferior in value to a pound of gold[3]; precious stones, among which the pearl claimed the first rank after the diamond[4]; and a variety of aromatics, that were consumed in religious worship and the pomp of funerals. The labour and risk of the voyage was rewarded with almost incredible profit ; but the profit was made upon Roman subjects, and a few individuals were enriched at the expense of the public. As the natives of Arabia Gold and silver.and India were contented with the productions and manufactures of their own country, silver, on the side
_____There was a considerable demand for Babylonian carpets, and other manufactures of the east ; but the most important and unpopular branch of foreign trade was carried on with Arabia and India. Every year, about the time of the summer solstice, a fleet of an hundred and twenty vessels sailed from Myos-hormos, a port of Egypt on the Red sea. By the periodical assistance of the monsoons, they traversed the ocean in about forty days. The coast of Malabar, or the island of Ceylon[1], was the usual term of their navigation ; and it was in those markets that the merchants from the more remote countries of Asia expected their arrival. The return of the fleet of Egypt was fixed to the months of December or January ; and as soon as their rich cargo had been transported on the backs of camels from the Red sea to the Nile, and had descended that river as far as Alexandria, it was poured without delay into the capital of the empire[2]. The objects of oriental traffic were splendid and trifling: silk, a pound of which was esteemed not inferior in value to a pound of gold[3]; precious stones, among which the pearl claimed the first rank after the diamond[4]; and a variety of aromatics, that were consumed in religious worship and the pomp of funerals. The labour and risk of the voyage was rewarded with almost incredible profit ; but the profit was made upon Roman subjects, and a few individuals were enriched at the expense of the public. As the natives of Arabia Gold and silver.and India were contented with the productions and manufactures of their own country, silver, on the side
- ↑ Called Taprobana by the Romans, andScrendib by the Arabs. It was discovered under the reign of Claudius, and gradually became the principal mart of the east.
- ↑ Plin. Hist. Natur. 1. vi. ; Strabo, 1. xvii.
- ↑ Hist. August, p. 224. A silk garment was considered as an ornament to a woman, but as a disgrace to a man.
- ↑ The two great pearl fisheries were the same as at present, Ormuz and cape Comorin. As well as we can compare ancient with modern geography, Rome was supplied with diamonds from the mine of Jumelpur in Bengal, which is described in the Voyages de Tavernier, tom. ii. p. 281.
