Page:Indian Shipping, a history of the sea-borne trade and maritime activity of the Indians from the earliest times.djvu/155

 ships built in the royal ship-yards were, however, as Strabo informs us, let out on hire both to those who undertook voyages and to professional merchants.

A few more interesting details regarding the shipping and navigation of the period are given by Pliny in his description of Taprobane (Ceylon): "The sea between the island of Ceylon and India is full of shallows not more than six paces in depth, but in some channels so deep that no anchors can find the bottom. For this reason ships are built with prows at each end, for turning about in channels of extreme narrowness. In making sea voyages the Taprobane mariners make no observations of the stars, and indeed the Greater Bear is not visible to them, but they take birds out to sea with them which they let loose from time to time and follow the direction of their flight as they make for land." Pliny also indicates the tonnage of these ancient Indian vessels, which is said to be 3,000 amphorae, the