The History of Bengal (Vol. I: Hindu Period; Vol. II: Muslim Period 1200–1757) v1.c19.s8.t2.11

v1.c19.s8.t2.11

A third line of trade led in a south-westerly direction past the coasts of Kalinga and Coromandel to South India and Ceylon. As already said, use of this route is mentioned in the Jātaka stories and the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea. Pliny also refers to it, adding that whereas in former days the island of Ceylon was thought to be twenty days' sail "from the country of the Prasioi," the distance "came afterwards to be reckoned at a seven days' sail, according to the rate of speed of our ships."² In the early years of the fifth century A.D., the Chinese pilgrim, Fa-hien, embarked at Tāmralipti on board a great merchant vessel and sailed to Ceylon en route to China, the voyage taking "fourteen days and nights." From the itinerary of I-tsing we learn that in the latter part of the seventh century numerous other Chinese pilgrims travelled along the same route in their voyages to and from India.