Indian Iron; Indian Cottons; Coverlids, And
Sashes Made Of Cotton; Cotton Cloth, Dyed The Colour Of The Mallow-Flower,
And A Few Muslins.
The Periplus next passes without the Straits of Babelmandeb:
On the African
side, four principal marts are mentioned, to all of which the epithet of
Tapera, is applied, signifying their position beyond the straits. The first
of these marts is Abalitis: as this place had no port, goods were conveyed
to the ships in boats and rafts; they were also employed by the natives, in
carrying on a trade with the opposite ports of Arabia: what they imported
from Arabia, is not specified; but they exported thither gums, a small
quantity of ivory, tortoise-shell, and myrrh of the finest quality. This
last article being purchased by the Greek merchants, in Sabaea, was regarded
by them as a native production of that part of Arabia, when, in reality, as
we learn from the Periplus, it was the produce of Africa. There were
imported into Abalitis, from Egypt, flint glass, and glass vessels
unsorted; unripe grapes from Diospolis, which were used to make the rob of
grapes; unmilled cloths, for the Barbaric market; corn, wine, and tin; the
last article must have come from Britain.
The next mart is Malao, likewise a roadstead; the imports were the same as
those of Abalitis, with the addition of tunics; cloaks manufactured at
Arsinoe, milled and dyed; iron, and a small quantity of specie: the exports
were, myrrh, frankincense, cassia, inferior cinnamon, substituted for the
oriential; gum, and a few slaves. The only article of export peculiar to
the third mart, Mundus, was a fragrant gum, which seems to have grown only
in its vicinity.
The fourth and last mart mentioned as lying on the African side of the
channel, which opens from the Straits of Babelmandeb, is Mosullon; this was
the most important mart on the whole coast, and that which gave a specific
name to the trade of the ancients: the imports were numerous, comprising,
besides those already mentioned, some that were peculiar to this place,
such as vessels of silver, a small quantity of iron, and flint glass: the
exports were, cinnamon, of an inferior quality; the quantity of this
article is noticed as so great, that larger vessels were employed in the
trade of this port, expressly for conveying it, than were seen in the other
ports of Africa. We are informed by Pliny, that Mosullon was a great market
for cinnamon, - and it would seem, from its being conveyed in large vessels
by sea, that it came from Arabia. The cinnamon mentioned in the Periplus,
is, indeed, particularized as of an inferior quality, which is directly at
variance with the authority of Dioscorides, who expressly states that the
Mosulletic species is one of prime quality; if this were the case, it must
have been Indian. The other exports were gums, drugs, tortoise-shell,
incense, frankincense, brought from distant places; ivory, and a small
quantity of myrrh.
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