Arabians, as the natives of Arabia are known to have been from remote times settled on the western shores of India. Indeed, we learn the same fact from the historian of Vasco de Gama's celebrated voyage, who speaks of the vast number of Arabians whom the Portuguese found settled at Calicut, and engaged in commercial and maritime occupations.
The nature of of their cargoes.
Immense demand at Rome for the luxuries of the East, and the enormous prices paid for them.
The products of India were at no period sought
after with greater avidity than when Rome became
mistress of the world. Tyre, in the plenitude of her
power, or Babylon in her greatest magnificence,
were, compared with Rome, moderate in their expenditure
upon luxuries. It was this extravagance
which led Pliny to make the complaint to which we
have just referred, of the drain of precious metals
to the East; in itself just, because they were sent
to purchase articles of luxury as expensive as they
were superfluous, instead of necessaries and raw
materials capable of conversion for the wants of the
people, or of re-exportation to other countries.
Enriched by the spoil and tribute of nearly every
portion of the then known world, the inhabitants of
Rome had acquired a taste for every kind of luxury,
and had resolved to obtain it, regardless of the cost.
Whatever was rare commanded fabulous prices. To
supply their demands, new and extraordinary efforts
became necessary to obtain from the East the articles
they required. Silks, precious stones, and pearls,
were eagerly sought after, but spices and aromatics
were even greater objects of solicitude. Fortunes
expended upon frankincense had, they thought, the
combined effect of raising them in the estimation of
their neighbours, and of securing the favour and
