212

NOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.

of Jenkinfon’s description was confirmed by an actual surveyof that sea made by order of Peter the Great, A. D. 1718,and it is now ascertained not only that the Caspian isunconnected with any other sea , but that its length fromNorth to South is considerably more than its greatest breadthfrom East to West. From this detail, however, welearn how the ill-founded ideas concerning it, whichwere generally adopted, gave rife to various wild schemesof conveying Indian commodities to Europe by means of itssupposed communication with the Euxine sea, or with theNorthern ocean. It is an additional proof of the attentionof Alexander the Great to every thing conducive to theimprovement of commerce, that a short time beforehis death he gave directions to fit out a squadron in theCaspian, in order to survey that sea, and to discoverwhether it was connected either with the Euxine or Indianocean; Arrian. lib. vii. c. 16,

NOTE XIX. Sect. I. p. ;i.

From this curious detail, we learn how imperfect ancientnavigation was, even in its most improved state. Thevoyage from Berenice to Ocelis, could not have takenthirty days, if any other course had been held than thatof servilely following the windings of the coast. The voyagefrom Ocelis to Musiris would be (according to MajorRennel) a fifteen days run for an European ship in themodern style of navigation , being about seventeen hundredand fifty marine miles, on a streight course; Introd. p. xxxvii.It is remarkable, that though the l’eriplus Maris Erythræiwas written after the voyage of Ilippalus, the chief objectof the author of it is to describe the ancient course alongthe coasts of Arabia and Persia, to the mouth of the Indus,and from thence down the western shore of the continent toMufiris. I can account for this, only by supposing, thatfrom the unwillingness of mankind to abandon old habits,the greater part of the traders from Berenice still continued