'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎652] (751/905)

652
ANCIENT TRADE.
[CHAP. XXIV.
proceeded towards Aden, Hadramaut, Oman, &c. To these
Route from must be added the route from the coast of Phoenicia, through
ScaspLn Baalbec and Palmyra, into Assyria; and one which, diverging
Sea. from this at a point beyond the Tigris, proceeded to the Cas
pian Sea. Some inferior routes also crossed the peninsula
between the Persian and Arabian Gulfs.
Tyre not only created, but long maintained, a mercantile
activity on the seas and in the harbours of Arabia. 1 This
activity existed in the time of Arrian, who observes, 2 that the
whole of Arabia abounds with mariners, pilots and merchants:
the latter are said to have exported native commodities to all
the ports beyond the Straits quite to Baryganza (Beroche).
At a later period a vessel of Seraf is stated (by Abu Sai'd) to
have been found on the coast of Syria ; and, if the statement
could be relied on, this would prove that the Arabians had
then circumnavigated Africa.
In the time of Solomon commerce was in full activity by
the route of Tadmor; and there is little doubt that trading
voyages down the Arabian Gulf were made before the time
that the Jewish monarch sent ships to Ophir.
Subsequently Beroea supplanted Tadmor in the wilderness
as an emporium ; and the camels of the Arabs and Turkomans
transported goods from different parts of the coast to Aleppo
in the space of from 20 to 50 hours, according to the route
chosen. European goods were either carried from that city to
the eastward on other animals, or transported by water. In
the sixteenth century England largely shared in this com
merce, when a fleet of boats was kept at Bir, and the nature
and objects of the trade to Babylon were clearly defined. A
e ^ I ' V l the t com P an y' cons isting of Sir Edward Osborne the Lord Mayor
trade. v of London, and eleven other merchants, was formed to trade
to Babylon, Constantinople, Angora, and other parts of the
Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. , with a capital of45,000 lbs. of silver, or about 187,250/.
sterling; of this the queen (Elizabeth) contributed 10,000 lbs.
weight of silver, or 30,410/., with the understanding that it
was to be returned in the course of six years, either in cash or
1 Ezekiel, chap. XXVII.
8 Peri plus maris Erythroei.