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Tables of Ancient Coins ,

trade to Syria and Mesopotamia, and to the Frontiers of the Indiesby Sea, who according to the Prophet Ezekiel r cap. xxvii. i 5.had established Colonies in the Persian Gulf, call’d by their ownnames, Tyrus and Aradus, stopt short, without pushing their Trade-to the Indies. Taprobana, which was always acknowledged to bein the Indies, worshipped Hercules the God of the Phœnicians \ asign that the Phœnicians had been amongst: them. Mela, Plinyand Capella speak of the Seres, the same people with the Chinese,.as being very shy and diffident in their manner of dealing, so- as.neither to speak nor be seen by the strangers with whom they tra-ded, yet as being just and honest. Time humanized them a little;

One certain sign that Commerce had been well establilhed. be-tween the Indies and the Eastern Coast of Africk , is, that the Por-tuguese when they had doubled the Cape of Good Hope , found atMozambick and Melinda skilful Pilots using Astronomical Instru-ments, Geographical Charts, and Compasses. Arrian in his Peri-plus of the Erythraean or Red-Sea, tells us that before the Ægyptianshad penetrated into the Indies, or the Indians come into Ægypt, thePort called afterwards Arabia Fœlix was the Staple for the Merchandiseof both Countries. The same Author describing the Perfian Gulsinames two famous Ports, Apologus and Ommana, to which greatShips brought from the Indies Copper, Horns, precious Wood,,and from whence were exported Pearls, purple Stuffs, Robes,,Wine, Dates, Gold, and Slaves. The Indies were very little knownto the Greeks before the time of Alexander the Great. They treat-ed the voyage of Viambalus to the Indies,, related by { Diodorus, as aFable. Alexander himself, from a vain-glorious Spirit unworthyof him, exaggerated the strength and stature of the Indians , andendeavour’d to impose upon Posterity, by monuments of an enor-mous size, that he erected in several places. The Greeks who Pol-low’d his Army, in this matter follow’d likewise his example.Nearchus who commanded Alexander's Fleet, and Onejtcrates hisIntendant-general of Marine, have both left relations of the State of theIndies at that time, which 6 Strabo treats as fictions, mixt with seme

1 Diodorus lib. 2. 5 Strabo lib. i 7 . truffi.