"honey from the cane called sugar," had, long before Arrian, been articles of commerce imported thence. "Many vessels," he says, "are employed in this commerce, expressly for the importation of these articles; and others, which have a further destination, dispose of part of their cargoes on this coast, and take in such commodities as they find here in return." The cargoes specified are just such as could be now imported from India.
Sofala.
Articles of commerce.
From Quiloa the Egyptian fleets appear to have
traded as far south as Sofala, obtaining thence the
produce of Æthiopia as well as of Abyssinia, and rhinoceros
horns, tortoise-shell, myrrh, and odoriferous
gums, frankincense, cinnamon of a common description,
and slaves of a superior order, principally for
the Egyptian market. In exchange, Alexandria sent
cloths of various kinds, and linen, glass, porcelain,
white copper for ornaments and for coin; brass for the
manufacture of culinary vessels, bracelets and ornaments
for the legs, such as are still worn in Abyssinia;
iron for weapons of all sorts, as well as hatchets,
adzes, knives, and daggers, manufactured and ready
for use. The invoices also mention drinking vessels
of brass, large and round; denarii or Roman specie,
for the use of the merchants resident on the coast;
Laodicean (or Syrian) and Italian wines; gold and
silver plate, according to the fashion of the country,
as presents for the native kings; jackets, watchcoats,
coverlids, Indian cotton, besides cotton in its
raw state; sashes of variegated colours, and cloths
with the nap on, of various sorts, suited for the barbarian
coasts. Tin, the produce of the British mines,
formed likewise an article of export from Berenice
