Page:The Tamils Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.djvu/54

Rh “Proceeding from Argalus the most conspicuous of all the marts and anchorages on the coast are Kamara, Padooka and Sopatma. To these the traders from Limurike and the other provinces north of Limurike resort; and in the marts are found the native vessels which make coasting voyages to Limurike, the Monoxala of the largest sort called Sangara, and others styled Colandiophonta, which are vessels of great bulk adapted to the voyages made to the Ganges and the Golden Chersonese.

“To these marts are brought all the articles prepared (in Egypt) for the market of Limurike: and almost all the species of which Egypt is continually drained by its trade with Limurike finally centres on this coast, as well as all the produce of Limurike itself.

“But after passing Limurike and the provinces next in succession the coast winds round to the east; and as the vessel takes this direction in her course, the island now called Palaisimoondus, but formerly Taprobane, lies out in the open sea to the west. The northern part of the island is civilized, but the passage to it from the Continent is seldom performed in less than twenty days. The whole extent is so large that it reaches almost to the opposite coast of Azainia (in Africa); and here pearls, precious stones, fine muslins and tortoise shells are to be obtained.

“But (returning now to the coast above Kamara, Padooka and Sopatma) lies Masalia, a district which extends far inland. In this country a great quantity of the finest muslins are manufactured; and from Masalia the coast lies eastward across a bay to Desarene, where the ivory is procured of that species called Bosarc.”

The western merchants who visited the Tamil land, were known as Yavanas. The word Yavana is derived from the Greek Iaones, which is the name of the Greek nation in their own language. In the old Sanscrit epic poetry, the word Yavana is invariably used to denote the Greeks. Similarly in ancient Tamil poems also the name Yavana appears to have been applied exclusively to the Greeks and Romans. The Poet Nakkirar