Sailing Around Erythraean Sea: Fifty Seven

In the previous Section the writer of the travel manual was in Purakkad (Bacare), and we had his observations about the import and export activities around ports of Damarica. According to him the land of Damar starts from Nora (modern day Thikkodi). Let us look at Section fifty seven:

This whole voyage as above described, from Cana and Eudaemon Arabia, they used to make in small vessels, sailing close around the shores and of the gulfs; and Hippalus was the pilot who by observing the location of the ports and the conditions of the sea, first discovered how to lay his course straight accross the ocean. For at the same time when with us the Etesian winds are blowing, on the shores of India the wind sets in from the ocean, and this southwest wind is called Hippalus, from the name of him who first discovered the passage across. From that time to the present day ships start, some direct from Cana, and some from the Cape of Spices; and those bound for Damarica throw the ship's head considerably off the wind; while those bound for Barygaza and Scythia keep along shore not more than three days and for the rest of the time hold the same course straight out to sea from that region, with a favourable wind, quite away from the land, and so sail outside past the afore said Gulf.

My Search:- 

1. Etesian winds: Annual winds blowing from the northwest from June to September. It originates in the Mediterranean region, specifically the sea surrounding the Mediterranean region. They are formed due to the temperature difference between the sea and the land surrounding it. During summer months of June to September land heats up faster than sea creating a pressure gradient, or increase or decrease of temperature between two points.


1. Eudaemon Arabia: Modern day Yemen. A strategic location on the Red Sea.

2. Hippalus was the Greek navigator and merchant, who is seemed to have first utilised the way to the Indian subcontinent directly from Red Sea area. Hippalus was the first to recognise the north south  direction of Indian coast. Before him the Greek Geographers thought that the Indian coast stretched from West to east. Previous to this discovery the navigators used to sail close around the shores of Gulf and Makran coasts. But there is an alternate opinion that Arabs and Indians knew about South-West monsoon winds and made use of it in their voyage.

3. The anonymous author qualifies the land from Nora (Thikkodi) to Varkala( Paralia) by the name Damarica, meaning the land of Damar trees, the resin of which was used in incense and as disinfectant.

End of the Section.





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