and reach, this time to India, in a journey of 2000 years ago.
The Periplus Maris erythraea - Part Two (From Egypt to India)
19. On the left bank than Berenice (Saudi Side), browsing for two or three days from Mussel Harbor (Myos Hormos) east across the adjacent gulf, there is an other fortified port, which is called "white village", from which part of the road to Petra, which is under the control of Malichas, King of the Nabataeans.
This port is a market town for small sailing ships arriving from Arabia, and a centurion (Roman officer) was stationed here to collect 25% of the imported merchandise, backed by armed force, and a strong .
20. Directly below this place is the adjoining country of Arabia, bordered with his hand sinistro una lunga parte del Mare Eritreo (lato destro del Mar Rosso). Nel paese vivono diverse tribù, che parlano lingue differenti, alcuni parzialmente, altri totalmente. La terra oltre il mare è punteggiata di caverne dove vivono i “mangiatori di pesce”, ma nell’entroterra si trovano comunità di briganti che parlano due lingue, vivono in villaggi ed in campi nomadi, dai quali fanno partire attacchi per depredare le navi che navigano in questi luoghi, e quelli che sopravvivono agli arrembaggi sono catturati come schiavi.
Ed anche loro (i predoni) sono continuamente presi prigionieri dai capi e dai re d’Arabia; e vengono chiamati Carnaites.
La navigazione è pericolosa lungo the entire stretch of the Arabian coast, because there are no ports, anchorages are difficult, dangerous, due to storms and rocks, and terrible anyway. So we keep the navigation in the middle of the bay (away from the coast) and pass through as quickly as possible the country of Arabia until they reach the Burnt Island, directly under which there are regions of peaceful people, nomadic cattle herders , sheep and camels.
21. In these places, in a bay at the foot of the left side of this gulf, there is a market town on the beach, called Muza, whether by legislation, far from Berenice for those sailing southward, a total of about 12,000 stages.
And the whole harbor is crowded with Arab ship captains and sailors, and is teeming with activities and business affairs, is maintained active trade between the "far shore" (the Somali coast to the Horn of Africa) and Barygaza, sending their vessels there.
22. A three days' journey inland, than Muza, there is a town called Saua in the middle of the region called Mapharitis, there is a chief vassal called Cholaebus living in this city.
23. And after another nine days (walk) meets Saphir, the metropolis, where he lives Charibael, king of two tribes, the Homerites and those who live after them, called Sabaites; through continual embassies and gifts, is a friend of the Emperors (Roman).
24. The market town of Muza has no port, but has a good roadstead and anchorage points, due to the sandy bottom, where the anchors are taken into safety. The imported merchandise consists of purple fabrics, fine workmanship that is of coarse, dressed in Arab style, with sleeves, plain, ordinary, ornamented, or interwoven with gold threads, saffron, sweet, muslins, cloaks, blankets, not many, some normal and others made fashionable local bands of different colors, fragrant ointments in moderate quantity, wine and wheat, not much. For the country producing cereals for a moderate amount, and a large quantity of wine. And the king, and heads are donated horses, pots of gold and fine silver, fine clothes and copper vessels. From this region are exported: myrrh selected, and myrrh "gebana-Minaean, alabaster and all goods already mentioned to Avalites and ports of the" far shore ". The trip to this port is best done in September, but nothing prevents you from before.
25. After sailing from this port for nearly 300 stadiums, the coast and the Arab countries of the Berbers, from the Gulf of Avalites starting to get closer, you find a channel, not long rebound, forcing the passage of the sea and closes in a narrow strip, divided the island for sixty stadia in width Diodorus.
So navigation is threatened by strong currents and strong winds from the crests of the mountains nearby. Directly in the Strait on the coast, there is a village of Arabs, subject to the same chief, called Ocelis, not so much a market town as an anchor and a place to stop for those sailing in the Gulf.
26. Ocelis addition, the sea expands eastward again, and soon you will see the open ocean, after about 1200 stadia is Eudaemon Arabia, a village on the coast, also in the realm of Charibael, and having good anchorages, harbors and good, better than those of Ocelis, the village located at the entrance of the bay, where the land begins to recede.
It 'called Eudaemon ("prosperous") because at the beginning of its foundation when the journey was not direct from India to Egypt, and when it still did not challenge the navigation to the ports of Egypt through this ocean, but all were in this place, receiving ships and goods in both countries, as well as hours Alexandria (Egypt) receives the merchandise either to or from Egypt. But not long before now Charibael has destroyed this place.
27. After Eudaemon the Saudi coast without interruption, and meets a gande bay that extends for 2000 or more stages, along which the Nomads and "fish eaters" live in villages. Immediately after the head projecting from this bay, there is another market town on the coast, in the reign of Eleazus Cana, the village Frankincense, And in front of the city there are two deserted islands, one called Bird Island, the 'other Dome Island, 120 stadia from Cana.
hinterland of the port city stands the Sabbath, where he lives the King All the frankincense produced in the country is transported by camel caravans in this place to be stored, and also to Cana on rafts supported by inflated skins, as used in this place, and on boats.
Cana also trades with the ports of the "far shore" with Barygaza and Scythia and Omman and the neighboring coast of Persia.
28. Some are imported from Egypt 'wheat and wine, as Muza, dressed in Arab style, with no garnish and municipalities, and many false (it was already in use plenty of the fake goods on the import-export company that was punished with sentences rather severe), and copper and tin and coral storax (resin exudation of liquidambar, similar to maple) and other goods similar to those of Muza, and for the King, usually, worked gold and dishes silver, also horses, pictures (male statues), and clothes made of thin cloth, good quality goods for export, produced by the natives, are frankincense and aloes, and all other goods are also traded by other ports. The journey to Cana should be initiated in the same month of that for Muza, or even better than before.
29. After Cana, the land receding greatly, according to a very deep bay where there is a great point of exchange, called Sachalites, Frankincense, and the country, mountainous and prohibited, wrapped in thick clouds and fog, has large forests of frankincense; the trees are not of great height or thickness; collect the drops from the incense in the cortex, as well as our trees exude gum in Egypt. The frankincense is gathered by the slaves of the king and those who are sent to this work as punishment. These places are very unhealthy and pestilential, even for those who sail along the coast, but nearly fatal for those who work there who are dying often the demand for food.
30. In this bay there is a huge cliff overlooking the east, called Syagrus; where there is a strong, for the defense of this country, and a port and a storehouse for the frankincense that is collected, in the face of this Chapter, far out at sea, there is an island, between it and Cape of Spices, but closer to Syagrus: it is called Dioscorides, and is very large but desert and marshy, where there are streams and large crocodiles and many snakes and lizards, which eat the meat and the fat melts use it instead of olive oil. On the island there are fruit trees, or wine or grain. The inhabitants are few and they live on the coast looking north towards the mainland. Are foreigners, a mix of Arabs and Indians and Greeks, who emigrated to trade there.
The island produces the true sea turtles, and tortoises, turtles and white which are very numerous and preferred for their large shells, and turtle mountain che sono le più grandi di tutte e con il guscio spesso; queste non possono essere tagliate a pezzi perché sono troppo dure; ma quelle di valore sono tagliate e dai loro gusci si ricavano cofanetti, e piccoli piatti e piatti per dolci e questo tipo di articoli. Viene anche prodotto, nell’isola, il cinnabar (resina aromatica), quello che viene chiamato indiano, e che è raccolto in gocce dagli alberi.
31. Così come Azania è sottomessa a Charibael ed ai capi di Mapharitis, questa isola è sotto al dominio del Re del Paese Frankincense. Le mercanzie vengono portate lì da Muza e da quelli che vogliono provare a scommettere un viaggio da Damirica (costa del Malabar nel sud dell’India) e da Barygaza; portano rice and wheat and Indian clothes, and a bit 'of slave women, and in return get a great quantity of tortoise shells. Now the island is cultivated in the name of the King and there is a garrison.
32. Immediately after Syagrus the bay of Omana cuts deep the coastline, for six hundred furlongs, and after Omana meet the mountains, high, rocky and steep, where people live in caves for more than 500 stages, and after this there is a port, established to receive the incense "frankicense" by Sachalitic and the port is called Moscow, and ships coming there regularly from Cana, and other ships return from Damirica Barygaza and if the season is late, winter there, and trading with real officers, exchanging their cloth and wheat and sesame oil for frankincense, which lies in heaps all over the region Sachalitic, unattended, as if the place was under the protection of the gods. The incense can not be loaded on ships by anyone, neither openly nor contraband, without lpermesso of the King, if a single grain were loaded without permission, the ship could not leave the port.
33. After the port of Moscow for 1500 stadiums, to a distance of ASIC, a mountain runs along the coast to the end of which, in a line, there are seven islands called Zenobian. After of these began a barbarous region which no longer belongs to the same King, but that now belongs to Persia.
Sailing along the coast, well offshore, in stages from 2000 Zenobian Islands, an island called Sarapis meet, about 120 steps from the ground. It is about 200 large stadiums and 600 long, three villages inhabited by the "fish eaters" who speak Arabic and wore corsets made of palm leaves. The island produces considerable quantities of tortoise-shell of fine quality, and small boats and ships are sent here from Cana.
34. Sailing along the coast, head north through the entrance of the Persian Sea, meet many of the islands known as Calaei, after about 2000 stadia, extending along the coast. The people are very treacherous, very little civilized.
35. At the end of Calaei Islands, a group of mountains called Calon, and follows them, not very far, imboccatorua the Persian Gulf, where you make a lot of diving for pearl oysters. On the left side of the Strait there are great mountains called Asabon, and to the right, in full view, another round and high mountain called Semiramis; among them, the passage in the narrow, its width is about 600 stadia;
addition to which this large and continues along the great sea toward the inside. Alla estremità di questo Golfo si trova una città-mercato costituita per legge, chiamata Apologus, situata vicino a Charax Spasini sul Fiume Eufrate.
36. Navigando attraverso l’imboccatura del Golfo, dopo sei giorni si incontra un’altra città-mercato in Persia, chiamata Ommana. In entrambe queste città arrivano regolamente grandi vascelli da Barygaza, caricati con rame, legno di sandalo, tavole di tek, e tronchi di legno nero e di ebano. Anche l’incenso “frankincense” è regolarmente spedito ad Ommana da Cana, e da Ommana alle navi arabe, cucite insieme, come si usa nel posto; sono conosciute come madarata. Da ciascuna di queste città-mercato, vengono that is exported to Barygaza Arabia, many pearls, but inferior to those of India, purple, fashionable clothes in the place of wine, a large quantity of dates, gold and slaves.
37. After region meets another region Ommanitica Persian, another kingdom, and the Bay of Gedrosia from the middle of which sprouts a cape. Here is a river that allows the entry to vessels with a small market town at the mouth, call now and start, and inside a city, that is seven days' walk from the sea, which lies to the king;
is called ... (the city name does not appear in manoscritto ma probabilmente si riferiva a Rhambacia); Questa regione produce molto frumento, vino, riso e datteri; ma lungo la costa non si trova niente eccetto il bdellium (resina aromatica simile alla mirra).
38. Oltre a questa regione, il continente fa una vasta curva da est attraverso le profondità delle baie, che seguono lungo la costa della Scythia, che si trova a nord; è completamente paludosa; da questa costa sbocca il fiume Sinthus, il maggiore di tutti i fiumi che sgorgano nel Mare Eritreo, trasportando un enorme volume d’acqua; perciò per un lungo tratto in mare aperto, prima di raggiungere questa regione, l’acqua dell’oceano è più dolce;
Come sign approach to this region, for those who reach the sea, there are snakes that date back from the depths to meet, and a sign of the places just mentioned and in Persia, are those called harpies.
This river has seven mouths, shallow and marshy, so they are not navigable, except for one in the middle, in which, on the coast, you come to the market town of Barbaricum. Prior to this, there is a small island, and inland behind it, a metropolis Schito, Minnagara; Parties is subject to the principles that are constantly at war with each other.
39. Ships stationed at anchor in Barbaricum, but all their cargoes are brought to the metropolis through the river to the King You import a large amount of light clothing, and some false, embroidered linens, topaz, coral, storax, frankincense, glass vases, plates of silver and gold, and some 'wine. Conversely ginger is exported, bdellium, willow, nard, turquoise, lapis lazuli, silk fabrics, cotton fabrics, threads of silk, and indigo. And the sailors start with the winds Indians Etesian "in July. It 's more dangerous, but with these winds the voyage is more direct, and completed quickly.
40. Sinthus across the river there is another gulf, not navigable, running towards the north; Eirinon is called, its parts are called separately the small and the large gulf on either side the water is shallow, and mobile sand banks meet continuously, even at great distances from shore, so the coast is not very often is not in sight, the ships are likely to run aground, and if they try to stay the course (near the coast) may fail.
A promontory juts out from this gulf, by Eirinon a curve to the east, then south, then west, and ends by enclosing the gulf called Barac, which contains seven islands. Those who arrive at the entrance of this bay escape it stationed a little, and quickly headed towards the open sea, but those who head into the Gulf of Baraca are considered lost, because of high waves and violent and tumultuous sea and horrendous, with whirlpools and eddies. The fund sinks faster in some places and in others it is rocky and sharp, so that the tops of the anchors are cut, others ran aground on the bottom. As a sign of identification for those that approach these places, meet snakes, very long and blacks, and in other places on this coast and around Barygaza are smaller and bright green color that turns to gold.
41. After the Gulf of Baraca Barygaza is that of the country and the coast of Ariaca, which is the beginning of the reign of Nambanus and throughout India. The part adjacent to and inland Scythia is called Abir, but the coasts are called Syrastrene. It 's a good land, with wheat and rice and sesame oil and ghee, which are woven cotton clothes Indians. Many cattle grazing, and men are of great stature and blacks of the skin. The metropolis of this country is Minnagara, from which many cotton fabrics are sent to Barygaza. In these places, to this day, are signs of Alexander's expedition (expedition of Alexander the Great in 330 BC), as ancient shrines, walls of forts and great wells. Navigation proceeds along this coast from the promontory called Barbaricum Papic, as opposed to Barygaza, and before Astacampra, per 3000 stadi.
42. Dopo questi luoghi si trova un altro golfo esposto alle onde del mare, che corre verso nord, alla bocca del quale c’è un’isola chiamata Bavones; nel punto più interno si trova un grande fiume chiamato Mais. Quelli che navigano verso Barygaza attraversano questo golfo, che è largo 300 stadi, lasciandosi a sinistra l’isola che si vede dalla cima degli alberi (della nave) in direzione est, facendo rotta alla foce del fiume di Barygaza; e questo fiume è chiamato Nammadus.
43. Questo golfo è molto vicino a Barygaza e molto difficile da navigare per quelli che arrivano dall’oceano; si può passare a dritta o a sinistra, ma il passaggio migliore is to the left. In the transition to starboard all'imbocatura the Gulf there is a bench, long and narrow and full of rocks, called the Heron, which looks towards the village of Cammoni, and in front, left, projects the promontory that lies before Astacampra of which is called Papic, with bad anchorages due to the strong current and because the anchors are cut off because the ground becomes rocky. And even though the entrance to the gulf is made safely (from right), the mouth of the river Barygaza is very difficult, because the bank is very low and can not be won until there we found practically over. And even when you have found, the transition is difficult because of the bank at the river mouth.
44. Because of this, native fishermen, for the King, stationed at the entrance (the Gulf) in large well-built, and calls trappaga cotymba, and for the entire coast to Syrastrene, where lead ships of up to Barygaza. And the drive through the entrance of the bay between the banks with their crews, and tow up to fixed locations (real closed anvali), which rise to the top of the flood and ebb during the ships to carry anchors and from docks. These basins are located deeper in the river and are up to Barygaza, which is situated on the river, about 300 stages More on embouchure.
45. The entire country of India has many rivers, has many ebbs and tides and tidal waves, which increase with the new moon and full moon for three days, and that decrease in the interim periods of the moon. Barygaza But the phenomenon is much larger, up to suddenly see the bottom of the river, and then, parts of land becomes sea, and then suddenly dry where ships were sailing a few times before, and the rivers during storm surges caused by tide, when the full force of the sea is directed against them, are pushed strongly against the current, for many stages.
46. To Therefore, the arrival and departure of ships is very dangerous for those who are inexperienced or who come to this market town for the first time. For the power of water at the beginning of the tide, the anchors can not hold back the ships, so that large ships are propelled by the force of the oil, rotate the hips to the strength of the current, and are pushed against the banks and destroyed , and smaller vessels are turned over, and those who were moved by the tide, remain stranded in the water recede, and if not well standing on the keel, the next tidal wave will overwhelm completely filled with water. The tidal force is so great with the moon new, especially at night, that if you begin to enter when the water is low, in an instant will grow at the mouth of the river, with a noise like an army of complaints heard from a distance, and very soon the sea itself comes with power over the banks with a hoarse roar.
47. The hinterland of Barygaza is inhabited by numerous tribes, such as Arati, the Arachosia, I Gandaraei Poclais and people, where is Bucephalus Alexandria. Above these there is the belligerent nation of Bactria, led by their king. And Alexander (the Great), accampatosi in these parts, penetrated to the Ganges, leaving behind Damirica and the southern part of India, and today the old drachma are legal tender in Barygaza, come from this region, and bear inscriptions in Greek letters, and signs of those who reigned after Alexander, Apollodotus and Menander.
48. Inland from this place, and east is the city calls or Ozene, formerly a royal capital, are transported from this place tuttle things necessary for the welfare of the country Barygaza, and many things for our business: agate and carnelian, Indian muslins and warm fabrics, and many ordinary materials. Through this region and the upper area has brought the spikenard that comes through Poclais; comes the costus and bdellium.
49. Are imported wine, preferably Italian, ma anche laodicense ed arabo; rame, stagno e piombo; coralli e topazi; stoffe sottili e cose di tutti i tipi; cinture dai colori brillanti larghe un cubito; storax, dolce trifoglio, coppe di vetro, realgar, antimonio, monete d’oro e d’argento, sulle quali si crea profitto scambiandole con le monete correnti qui; olii ma non molto costosi e non molto. E per il Re vengono portati in questi posti vasi molto costosi d’argento, ragazzi che cantano, belle fanciulle per l’harem, vini di qualità, stoffe sottili della migliore tessitura, e balsami scelti.
Da qui vengono esportati nardo, costus, bdellium, avorio, agate, cornalina, lycium, stoffe di cotone di tutti i tipi, stoffe in seta, pepe lungo e all the other things that are brought here from various market-towns. The goods for this market-town coming from Egypt make the voyage preferably in the month of July.
50. After Barygaza adiacende the coast extends in a straight line from north to south, and this region is called Dachinabades because dachanos in the native language, means south. The inland from the coast to the east coast comprises many desert regions and great mountains, and all kinds of wild beasts, leopards, tigers, elephants, enormous serpents, hyenas, and baboons of all kinds, and many populous nations to reach the Ganges ;
51. Dachinabades before you get to meet two places of importance special; Pathan, about twenty days south of Barygaza, beyond which, about 10 days to the east, there is another large city, Tagara. A Barygaza goods are transported by wagons and through large tracts without roads, Pathan cornelia in large amounts, and Tagara many common materials, all kinds of muslin cloth and warm, and other goods are transported from the coastal regions to the cities. And the entire stretch until the end of Damirica is 7000 stadia, but the distance is greater for the coastal region.
52. The market towns of this region are in order: Suppara, and the city of Calliena, which at the time of the head Saraganus has become a friendly market town, but since has fallen into possession of Sandares the port is blocked, and the Greek ships arriving there can be made Barygaza under escort.
53. After Calliena there are other market-towns; Semylla, Mandagora, Palaepatmoe, Melizigara, Byzantium, and Togarum Aurannohoas. Then there are the islands called Sesecriena Aegidi and those calls, and Caenitae, in front of the place called Chersonesus, where there are pirates, and after these encounters is the White Island. Then come Naura and Tyndis, the first market Damir, and then Muziris and Nelcynda, who now have great commercial importance.
54. Tyndis è nel regno di Cerobothra; è un villaggio in pianura in vista del mare. Muziris, dello stesso regno, abbonda di navi spedite qui dall’Arabia, e dai Greci; è situata su di un fiume, distante da Tyndis in totale 500 stadi, e su per il fiume per circa 20 stadi. Nelycinda è distante da Muziris circa 500 stadi ed appartiene ad un altro regno, i Pandian. Anche questo posto è situato su di un fiume, circa 120 stadi dal mare.
55. Si trova un altro villaggio all’imboccatura di questo fiume, Bacare; nel quale le navi sostano nel lungo viaggio da Nelycinda, ed ancorano in rada per caricare le mercanzie; perché il fiume è pieno di banchi di sabbia, and the channels are not free. The king of both of these market-town living within. And a sign of approaching these places from the sea snakes that have come to meet you from the depths, the color black, but short, with red eyes and blood.
56. They send large ships to these market-towns, taking into account the large amount of pepper and malabathrum (which you can load). Here are imported, first, a large amount of money, topaz, fine fabrics, not many, embroidered linen, antimony, coral, crude glass, copper, tin, lead, wine, not much, but at least as of Barygaza; realgar and orpiment (a mineral that forms together the realgar), and wheat for the sailors, for those who do not have contracts with merchants.
is exported pepper, which is produced in quantity in only one region near these markets, a district called Cottonara. Beyond that are exported large quantities of pearls, ivory, silk fabrics, spikenard of the Ganges, malabathrum (leaves of cinnamon) from the regions of the interior, transparent stones of all kinds, diamonds and sapphires, and tortoise shells, both from 'Chryse Island to the other islands along the coast of Damir. They make the journey to this place in the season favor those who depart from Egypt in July.
57. The entire trip as described, from Cana and Eudaemon Arabia, is made in small sailboats, sailing inshore, and Hippalo was the pilot who observed the placement of ports and sea conditions, the first discoverer (compared to Westerners) of how This route crosses the ocean. Etesian When the winds blow, the wind blows from the ocean off the coast of India, and this southwest wind is called Hippalus, the name of the person who first discovered the passage. From then until the present day ships start, some aimed at Cana, and some from the Cape of Spices, and those intended for Damirica take the bow off the wind considerably, while those who go to Barygaza and Scythia take place along the coasts no more than three days and the rest of the time retain the same route in the open sea, with a favorable wind, quite distant from the shore, surfing, and so beyond the gulf.
58. After Bacare is the Dark Red Mountain, and another district stretching along the coast to the south, and is called Paralia. The first place you come to is called Balita, has a small port and village on the coast. After this there is another place called the Cape where there Godmothers Godmothers and a port, here are the men who want to dedicate themselves to the rest of their lives, and bathe and dwell in celibacy, and women do the same and for this we say that a goddess dwelt here and bathed.
59. Villagers from proceeding towards the south this region extends up to Colchis, where there are the pearl fishers who are self-convicted criminal, and belongs to the realm of Pandian. After Colchians follows another district called the Coast Region, in a bay, and inland a region called Argaru. In this place, and nowhere else, are transported to the pearls gathered on the nearby coast, and from there are exported muslins, those called Argaritic.
60. Among the market-towns of these countries, and the ports where ships come from Damir, the most important are, in order from south to north, first Camara, then Poduca, then Sopatma, in which ships are the regions of the coast to Damirica, and other large vessels made in individual sections linked together Sangari calls, but those who make the trip to and from the Chryse Ganges are called colandia, and are very large. In these places you import everything that is manufactured Damirica, and most of the merchandise coming from Egypt, along with many of the things that are transported by Damir and those carried by Paralia.
61. Speaking of these regions, the route heads east, and outside, on the high seas to the west, lies the island Palaesimundu, Taboprane called by the ancients. The northern part is a day away, and the southern part tends gradually to the west, and almost touches the opposite shore of Azania. It produces pearls, transparent stones, muslins, and tortoise shells.
62. Apart from these places is the region of masala, which stretches for a large portion along the coast, here is a large amount of muslin. In addition to this region, sailing toward the east, and crossing the adjacent bay, you come to the region Dosarene, where ivory is called Dosarenic. In addition to this region, the route tends to the north, where there are many barbarian tribes, including Cirrhadae, a race of men with flat noses, very savage, another tribe, the Bargysi, and the tribe "faces of horse" and "long faces," which is said to be cannibals.
63. After this, the route turns east again, and navigating the ocean to the right and the left coast, you begin to glimpse the Ganges, and near it the last region to the east, Chryse. There is a fioume next to it called the Ganges, and suffers like the Nile flood. On its banks there is a market town that has the same name as the river Ganges. This place is transported through the malabathrum and spikenard of the Ganges and pearls, and fine muslins of race, which are called Gangetic. They say that they are gold mines near these places, and is a gold coin called caltis. And just across the river there is an island in the ocean, the last inhabited area to the east, under the same sun rise, it is called Chryse; and tortoise shells of the best anywhere in the Eritrean Sea.
64. After this region located far to the north, the sea ends in a land called This, and inside there is a great city called Thinae (China), which comes from raw silk and silk threads and silk fabrics transported on foot through Bactria to Barygaza, and also exported to Damirica by the river Ganges. But the land of This is not easily accessible, a few men come from it, and rarely. The region is under the Little Dipper, and is said to border the most remote part of the Pontus and the Caspian Sea, near which is Lake Maeotis, and all these lakes and seas are discharged into the ocean.
65. Each year the ends of the earth This comes a tribe of men with small bodies and flat faces, and peaceful nature, are called Besata, and are fully civilized. They arrive with their wives and children, carrying cases and the large basket of what looks like leaves of green grapes. They stop in a zone between their land and This and do a big party, spilling the contents of the baskets below them as mats, and then return to their land in the interior. And then the natives watching them come and collect their mattresses, and pull away from the braids the fibers which they call Petri. Relax the leaves closely together in several layers and make it into balls, piercing with fiber mats, and derive three things, those made from larger leaves are called "big balls malabathrum" those small, "medium-sized balls" , and those from the smallest ever, "small balls". So there are three types of malabathrum, and are transported to India by those who prepare them.
66. The regions beyond these places are difficult to access because of their winters, and much too great for the cold, and can not be seen well because of some divine influence of dei.
- CONTINUA -