Page:The Periplus of the Erythræan Sea.djvu/97

 13. Pano is probably Ras Binna, 11° 12′N., 51° 7′E. There is a modern village on the north side, a little west of the point, which affords shelter from the S. W. monsoon.

13. Opone is the remarkable headland now known as Ras Hafun, 10° 25′N., 51° 25′E., about 90 miles below Cape Guardafui.

Glaser finds a connection between these names, Pano and Opone, the Egyptian "Land of Punt" or Poen-at, the island Pa-anch of the Egyptians (Socotra), the incense-land Panchaia of Virgil (Georgics, II, 139; "Totaque turiferis Panchaia pinguis arenis,") and the Puni or Phoenicians; who, he thinks, divided as they left their home in the Persian Gulf (the islands of King Erythras in the story quoted by Agatharchides); one branch going to the coasts of Syria, the other to those of South Arabia and East Africa.

13. Cinnamon produced.—A letter from Mr. R.E. Drake-Brockman, F. Z. S., F. R. G. S., (author of The Mammals of Somaliland, and now at work on Somali Flora) dated Berbera, January 7, 1910, says:

"The 'Horn of Africa' was known to the Romans as the regio aromatifera on account of the large quantities of myrrh that were exported. The country abounds in the various species of the acacias, which produce gums of varying commercial value, also certain trees producing resins.

"I have so far not come across any trees from the cinnamon group, nor have I heard of their existence.

"The tree producing myrrh, or malmal as it is known to the Somalis, is called garron; but owing to the activities of the Mullah I have never been able to penetrate the southern Dholbanta and Mijertain countries where it grows."

And again, March 3: "I have never heard of the exportation of cinnamon from this part of Africa.... It is just possible that there might be some species of laurels in the Dholbanta country and south of it, but it is not possible to venture so far owing to the hostility of the Mullah."

If there was any aromatic bark produced near Cape Guardafui and not merely trans-shipped there, it seems almost certain that it was an adulterant added there to the true cinnamon, that came from India.

14. Ships from Ariaca.—The antiquity of the Hindu trade in East Africa is asserted by Speke (Discovery of the Source of the Nile, Chaps. I, V, X). The Puranas described the Mountains of the Moon and the Nyanza lakes, and mentioned as the source of the Nile the "country of Amara," which is the native name of the district north of Victoria Nyanza. A map based on this description,