Sailing Around Erythraean Sea: Forty Nine

In the last Section, the unknown sailor had been at Bharuch, but giving an account of the inland area like Scythia, and also of Kashmir, Kabul, Jhelum and the inland town  Ozne (Ujjaini).

In this Section, he is giving an account of items imported into and exported out of Bharuch.

There are imported into this market-town, wine, Italian preferred, also Laodicean and Arabian; copper, tin, and lead, coral and topaz; thin clothing and inferior sorts of all kinds; bright coloured girdles  a cubit wide; storax, sweet clover, flint glass, realgar, antimony, gold and silver coins, on which there is a profit when exchanged for money of the country; and ointment, but not very costly and not much. And for the king there are brought into these places very costly vessels of silver, singing boys, beautiful maidens for the harem, fine wines, thin clothing of finest weaves, and the choicest ointment. There are exported from these places spikenard, costus, bdellium, ivory, agate, and carnelian, lycium, cotton cloth of all kinds, silk cloth, mallow cloth, yarn, long pepper and such other things as are brought here from the various market-towns. Those bound for these market-town from Egypt make the voyage favourably about the month of July, that is Epiphi.

My Search:

1. Cubit = Approximately equal to forearm's length. An ancient unit of measurement.

2. Laodicean: Wine from Laodicea, an ancient Greek city in Asia Minor, (modern day Turkey) on the River Lycus. Modern day Latakia. It is south of Istambul, southeast of , Syria, Lebanon, Isrel and Joardan. It was a Greek settlement in the First century. Laodicean Wine was exported throughout the world.


3. Storax = A rare fragrant gum resin obtained from an East Mediterranean tree, used in perfumes, medicines, and incense.

4. Sweet clover is a kind of legume used as food and fodder. Also used in medicines 

5. Singing boys were castrated boys; it was believed that they could maintain high pitched voice. They were assigned in royal courts and temples. A popular practice in ancient Rome. Also in Persia, China and Byzantium.

6. Beautiful maidens for harem: women either captured or purchased to perform different roles from concubines to wives.

7. Realgar: Orange-red crystalline mineral used in ancient medicines and pigments.

8. Spikenard: Nardostachys jatamansi commonly known as Indian spikenard. It was of medical value.
9. Costus: is a type of ginger called spiral ginger, is of medicinal value.

10. Bdellium: A semi transparent oleo gum resin extracted from Commiphora Wightii, and Commiphora Africana trees. It was used in perfumes, incense and traditional medicines.
11. Lycium: Commonly known as box-thorn, or desert thorns.

End of the Section 


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