NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

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derful, if we confider that even the celebrated Periplus ofllanno would not enable a geographer to lay down thecoaft of Africa with more precifion, than Ptolemy hasdelineated that of India .

NOTE XXXV. Sect. II. p. 9 6 .

The introduction of the filk-worm into Europe , and theeffects which this produced, came under the view of Mr.Gibbon, in writing the hiftory of the Emperor Juftinian ,and though it v.as an incident of fubordinate importanceonly, amidft the multiplicity of great tranfactions whichmiift have occupied his attention , he has examinedthis event with an accuracy , and related it with aprecifion, which would have done honor to an authorwho had no higher object of refearch. Vol. vii. p. 74., &c.Nor is it here only that I am called upon to afcribeto him this merit. The fubject of my inquiries has led mefeveral times upon ground w hich he had gone over, and Ihave uniformly received information from the induftry anddifcernment with which he has Purveyed it.

NOTE XXXVI. Sect. III. p. 100.

This voyage , together with the obfervations of AbuZeid al Hafan of Siraf, was publifhed by M. Renaudot,a. D. 17185 under the title of “ Anciennes Relations deS“ Indes, et de la Chine, de deux Voyageurs Mahometans,“ qui y allerent dans le Neuvieme Siecle, traduites de* c l’Arabe , avec des remarques fur les principaux endroiuK de ces Relations. ” As M. Renaudot, in his remarks,reprefents the literature and police of the Chinefe, in colorsvery different from thofe of the fplendid defcriptions whicha blind admiration had prompted the Jefuits to pubiilh,