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BIRMAH. 183
Ava, and by the Malays, but it is very disgusting to a
European palate. The chief trade of Martaban arises,
however, from its potteries. The port is about twenty
leagues E. of Rangoon river.*
We now resume our itinerary of the Irrawaddy,
Asiat. Journ., vol. xix. p. 760. It will hardly be expected that
we should undertake to expound the ancient geography of these
regions, respecting which, learned authorities are so much at variance.
Ptolemy is almost the only ancient writer who affords any
intelligible information on this point ; and all he knew of the
countries eastward of Ceylon, was from report. In the Periplus of
the Erythean Sea, immediately after leaving the Ganges, there is
said to be an island in the ocean, called Khruse, or the Golden Isle,
which lies directly under the rising sun, and at the extremity of
the world towards the east. Khruse is mentioned as an island by
as a Chersonese by Ptolemy. Acccording to
Mela, Dionysius, &c. ;
Mela, it was an island at the promontory Tamos, supposed to be
the Tamala of Ptolemy. But what point this name denoted, is
questionable. D'Anville supposes it to be Cape Negrais ; yet, if
so, how can the Golden Island be Malacca ? The learned Editor
of the Periplus, concluding Tamala to be either Cape Negrais (as
D'Anville supposes), or Botermango (according to the hypothesis
of M. Gosselin), is disposed to place Khruse at the mouth of the
Irrawaddy. Here Gosselin fixes his Golden Chersonese and the
"
river Chrysoana. But Ptolemy," remarks Dr. "
Vincent, has
two provinces, one of gold and one of iilver, before he arrives at
the Chersonese ;
and if his Kirrhadia be Arracan, these provinces
must be on the western coast of Ava, above the Golden Chersonese
of his arrangement." This would seem to prove that Gosselin's
theory is untenable, and that D'Anville is correct in making the
Aurea Chersonesus correspond to the Peninsula of Malacca, and
the Magnum Promontorium to Cape Romania. Tamala may then
be Malaya, and Khruse, Sumatra. The Zaba and Thagora of
Ptolemy, which he mentions as ports on either.side of the great
promontory, are supposed to be Saber (or Saban) and Tingoram.
By the river Daona, seems to be meant that from which the city
of Tana-serim takes its name. Here it may be supposed that the
Seres had a colony. If SerusFluvius be the Meinam, as D'Anville
concludes, we might expect to find traces of the same nation in
this part of the ancient dominions of Siam. See D'ANVILLE'S
Anc. Geoff.,
vol. ii, pp. 1215. VINCENT'S Periplus, vol. ii. p. 514.