Page:The Periplus of the Erythræan Sea.djvu/192

 42. The great river Mais is the modern Mahi, emptying into the head of the gulf, at the city of Cambay. (22° 18′N., 72° 40′E.)

42. The river Nammadus—Hindu, Narmada—is the modern Narbada or Nerbudda.

43. Hard to navigate.—The sketch-map on the preceding page, from Réclus, Asia, Vol.III, illustrates the difficulties.

Herone shoal is no doubt the long bar at the eastern side of the gulf, and Cammoni would be at the end of the promontory that lies to the N.W. of the mouth of the Tapti River, the entrance to the prosperous mediaeval port of Surat. This is, perhaps, the same as the Camanes of Ptolemy.

44. Trappaga and Cotymba.—The first word Lassen derives (II, 539) from trapâka, a type of fishing boat mentioned by other travellers to this region. The second suggests the modern kotia, a craft from these waters found by Burton in the Somaliland ports (First Footsteps, 408.

Periplus 182 Bombay Fishermen.png Fishing-boats entering Bombay Harbor

44. Anchorages and basins.—The maintenance of this regular service of pilotage, under which incoming vessels were met at least 100 miles from Barygaza, indicates an active and regular commerce, such as our author describes. The use of "stations" in the river is still necessary here, and in other rivers such as those of Burma, where modern sailing traffic is more active.