contrary, brought to the Tyrians in Phoenician ships, or by the
nomad tribes, who served as carriers.
Trade of Arabia Felix, as the centre of trade, had several lines of
wUhPhSida. communication with the southern coast. One of these extended
from Mareb to Sana and the port of ’Aden. A second struck
eastward, nearly parallel to the southern coast to Maskat, but
sending’ a branch previously to the port of Dhafar. A third
route struck northward into the interior from Mareb, passing
o th e r caravan Wadi Dowaser and El Yemameb, to Gerrha (El Katif) on the
«^through Persian Gulf. From this port again there was a line to Abadan
and Babylon; also two caravan routes to the southern coast
of the peninsula, one to the eastern and the other to the central
part of Hadramaut, both apparently conducted by the Minseans.
Route of the From the brief notice of Strabo,1 it would appear that the
Mirebtofr°m merchandise collected in Yemen from the southern part of
Petra. Arabia, was carried from thence to Petra. This route, which
was probably nearly that of the pilgrims of the present day,
seems to have proceeded from Mareb and San a, in a line almost
parallel to the shores of the Arabian Gulf, passing by Mekkah
and El Haura,2 and from thence by Tebuk and Teima to
Petra and Gaza. The Tyrians also, who had colonies on the
Persian Gulf, communicated with these; and particularly with
Gerrha,3 which they reached through the desert by Jebel
Shammar.
Commercial Another and still more important route passed from Tyre to
Tv retoZ d eb i Ba’albek, Damascus, Palmyra, and the Euphrates at Zelebi,
veto wpere ^ divided; one branch striking through Mesopotamia to
Babylon and Susa, whilst the other passed by Nineveh, Mosul,
and Hamadan to Rai, and from thence by Damaghan to
Nishapur (or Nisabur), Merv, and Bactra (Balkh), in order
to communicate with the distant parts of the east.
Early trade of The Hindus were always a trading people, having been
the Hindus. am0I1gSt the first of the Asiatics who fostered commerce. At
the earliest period of which there is any record, their merchants
appear to have moved with perfect security from place to
1 Lib. X V I I ., pp. U2 7 , 1128.
* Albus Pagus of Strabo, ibid.
3 Supposed to be Tyrus and Aradus, vol. I ., p. 647.
place1 with valuable goods, chiefly consisting of precious stones,
jewels, and various beautiful manufactures in ivory, muslin,
cotton, and other cloths,2 which had been prepared with much
taste and skill, by the people of the country, for home and
foreign consumption.
The spread of mankind through India into the more eastern suLfe, &c.,
countries had prepared the way for such commerce, which was through Asia,
carried in different directions through the steppes of Asia.
Raw silk from China was carried by the route of Persia to the
more western countries, together with woven silk; furs of the
most costly description from the Bulghars and Khazars,3 with
the best kind of iron; all of which were brought from Seres.4
Long before the time of Mas'udi, there were carried by the Goods im-
same route many of the perfumes of Tibet and China, as well x ite t, China,
as the numerous productions of India; or, at least, those which and India'
were in demand in the countries to the westward, such as silks,
cottons, spices, &c. This commerce was well defined in the
time of Pliny, and it may, therefore, be inferred that it existed
long before his day. The chief articles exported from India
were ivory, crystal, amethysts, diamonds, gold, onyx, sardonyx,
cinnabar, myrrh, nardus, pepper, with other spices, and a particular
kind of linen.6 These were carried into Persia, and Nature of the
, , 11 v merchandise the countries lying to the westward; and we know that a poll- imported,
tical as well as a commercial connexion, had existed between
the Persians and the Indians, since the time of the conquest of
the northern part of India by the elder Cyrus.6
Bactra (Balkh), and the surrounding territory, were the
principal seats of the ancient trade, from whence, as has been
mentioned in a previous part of this work,7 there were two
1 The Ramayana of Valmecki, translated from the original Sanscrit by
William Carey and Joshua Marshman, vol. I I I ., p. 97.
2 Arrian, Hist. Indica, cap. xvi.
e Die Handelszeuge der Araber unter den Abbassiden, durch Africa,
Asien und Ost Europa; Von F r. Stuewe. Berlin, 1836, p. 54.
4 Pliny, lib. X X X IV ., cap, xiv.
5 Pliny, lib. V I., cap. x x iii.; lib. X I I ., cap. x v i.; lib. X X IX ., cap. i . ;
lib. X X X V I., cap. i i . ; lib. X X X V I I ., cap. v. vii.
8 Xen. Cyropeed., Hutchinson, 1812, p. 349. ? See above, p. 309.