Having Thus Brought The History Of This Most Valuable Import Into Rome,
Down To The Period, When, In Consequence Of
The Romans having acquired the
silk-worm, there existed no longer any necessity to import the raw
materials; we shall
Next proceed to investigate the routes by which it was
brought from the Seres to the western parts of Asia, and thence to Rome. It
is well ascertained, that the silk manufacture was established at Tyre and
Berytus, from a very early period; and these places seem to have supplied
Rome with silk stuffs. But, by what route did silk arrive thither, and to
the other countries, so as to be within the immediate reach of the
Romans? - There were two routes, by which it was introduced to Europe, and
the contiguous parts of Asia: by land and sea.
The route by sea is pointed out in a clear and satisfactory manner, by some
of the ancient authors, particularly the author of the Periplus of the
Erythrean Sea. In enumerating the exports from Nelkundah, he particularly
mentions silk stuffs, and adds, that they were brought to this place from
countries further to the east. Nelkundah was a town in Malabar, about
twelve miles up a small river, at the mouth of which was the port of
Barake; at this port, the vessels of the ancients rode till their lading
was brought down from Nelkundah. This place seems to have been the
centrical mart between the countries that lie to the east and west of Cape
Comorin, or the hither and further peninsula of India; fleets sailed from
it to Khruse, which there is every reason to believe was part of the
peninsula of Malacca; and we have the authority of Ptolemy, that there was
a commercial communication between it and the northern provinces of China.
But at a later period than the age of the Periplus, silk was brought by sea
from China to Ceylon, and thence conveyed to Africa and Europe. Cosmos, who
lived in the sixth century, informs us, that the Tzenistae or Chinese,
brought to Ceylon, silks, aloes, cloves, and sandal wood. That his
Tzenistsae, are the Chinese, there can be no doubt; for he mentions them as
inhabiting a country producing silk, beyond which there is no country, for
the ocean encircles it oh the east. From this it is evident that the
Tzenistae of this author, and the Seres of the ancients, are the same; and
in specifying the imports into Ceylon, he mentions silk thread, as coming
from countries farther to the east, particularly from the Chinese. We thus
see by what sea route silk was brought from China to those places with
which the western nations had a communication; it was imported either into
the peninsula of Malacca by sea, and thence by sea to Nelkundah, whence it
was brought by a third voyage to the Red Sea; or it was brought directly
from China to Ceylon, from which place there was a regular sea
communication also with the Red Sea.
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