VII. MARCIAN OF HERACLEA
Sailing-course of the Left-hand side of the Arabian Gulf and Erythraean Sea and of the whole Indian Ocean.
On the left or Asiatic side the location of continent and seas is as follows. It is understood here again that it is best to state general names before local, and to give the relation of countries. So if you navigate the Arabian Gulf, and hold the continent on the left, you come first to Arabia Felix, which extends along the whole Arabian Gulf as far as the aforesaid Arabian Strait. Beyond the narrows of the Arabian Gulf follows the Erythraean Sea, and if you navigate along it and hold the continent on the left you come to the well-known people of the Arabs, who inhabit all this continent. In this part of the sea is also the people of the Homerites, settled on the land of the Arabs and holding as far as the beginning of the Indian Ocean. Then beyond the Erythraean Sea follows the Indian Ocean. Now if you navigate the left hand side of this sea, holding next to the land of the Arabs as far as the mouth of the Persian Gulf, you come to the mountain of Syagrus[^1] and the great bay of Sachalites[^2] which runs as far as the mouth of the Persian Gulf. If you enter the Persian Gulf and navigate it, holding the continent on the left as far as the mouths of the river Tigris (you come to the bay of the Fish-Eaters[^3] which extends a long way, and the Laeanite bay[^4] of Arabia Felix and after that, the bay of Mesanites[^5] then, beyond the river Tigris)[^6] along the same Persian Gulf you come to the province of Susiana, not to omit Persis which lies next to Susiana, and after that the greater part of Carmania as far as the narrows of the Persian Gulf. Furthermore the Persian Gulf is opposite to the Caspian Sea, which is also called Hyrcanian, and the two, narrowing the intervening land, make a great isthmus of Asia.
If you go forth from this gulf and navigate eastward, always holding the continent to the left, you come back to the Indian Ocean, where dwells the remainder of the people of Carmania. Beyond is the people of Gedrosia, and then India within the river Ganges; and opposite to the middle of this continent lies the great island which they call Taprobana. After this is the other India beyond the river Ganges; which is the boundary of either India. In India beyond the Ganges is the so-called Golden Chersonese; (Suvarna-bhumi); beyond which is the so-called Great Bay, in the midst of which are the borders between India beyond the Ganges and the Sinae. Then you come to the people of the Sinae, whose metropolis, which is called Thinae, is the boundary between the known and the unknown land.
This is the general statement of countries and the description of the left-hand parts of Asia and the Arabian Gulf and the Erythraean Sea, also of the Persian Gulf and the whole Indian Ocean. — (pp. 17-18).
Sailing-course of India within the river Ganges and of the Bays and islands thereof
India which is within the river Ganges is bounded on the north by the Imao mountains, along the Sogdiani and Sacae who dwell above them; on the west by the sea and by Gedrosia aforesaid, inland by Arachosia and the region of the Paropanisadae which lies above it, on the east by the river Ganges, on the South by the Indian Ocean. This is the general description; the local description is as follows:
(The local description is lacking).
The whole sailing-course of the aforesaid part of India within the Ganges from the port of Naustathmus[^7] to Cape Cory[^8] is 21,725 stadia.
Sailing-course of the island of Taprobana
Opposite to the cape of India which is called Cory, is the cape of the island of Taprobana called Boreum.[^9] The island of Taprobana was formerly called Palaesimundu, but now Salica. This cape of the island, which we said is called Boreum, opposite to Cape Cory, is distant from the eastern horizon 26,460 stadia, from the western 61,626 stadia, while on the south it is at a distance of 6,350 stadia north from the equator.
(The local description is lacking).
Beyond the promontory of Boreum the whole description and sailing-course of the island of Taprobana is as follows: the length through the diameter is 9,500 stadia, the width 7,500 stadia. It has 13 peoples or satrapies, 22 notable cities and market-towns, 2 notable mountains, 5 notable rivers, 8 notable capes, 4 notable ports, 2 great bays, 1 great coast-line. The whole sailing course of the island of Taprobana is 26,385 stadia. We have said enough about the island of Taprobana. Let us return to the sailing-course along India within the Ganges.
(The local description is lacking).
Sailing-course of the Gangetic Bay
From this Point of Departure[^10] (for those bound to Chryse) begins the very great bay called Gangetic into the head of which empties the river Ganges, discharging through five mouths; which, as we have said, is the boundary between India within the Ganges and India beyond the Ganges.
(The local description is lacking).
The length of India within the river Ganges, where it extends the greatest, from the fifth mouth of the river Ganges, which is called Antibole, to the port of Naustathmus situated on the gulf of Canthi, is 18,290 stadia; and the width from the cape of the Point of Departure, so-called, to the sources of the river Ganges is 13,000 stadia. It has 54 peoples or satrapies, 216 notable cities and towns and market-towns, 6 notable mountains, 23 notable rivers, 2 notable capes, 1 notable port, 5 notable bays, 12 notable mouths of rivers, 1 notable Point of Departure, 10 confluences of notable rivers, 8 notable islands.
The whole sailing course through that part of the Gangetic Bay which is between the Point of Departure and the fifth mouth of the Ganges, called Antibole, is 5,660 stadia. All the sailing courses of India within the river Ganges, from the port of Naustathmus to the fifth mouth of the river Ganges, which is called Antibole, total 35,695 stadia.[^11]
—Periplus of the Outer Sea by Marcian of Heraclea—W. H. Schoff pp. 17-18 and 24-25.