the
habitable world to one temperate zone, and represented the earth as an
oblong surface, four hundred days' journey in length, two hundred in
breadth, encompassed by the ocean, and covered by the solid crystal of
the firmament. [77]

[Footnote 73: See Procopius, Persic. (l. ii. c. 20.) Cosmas affords some
interesting knowledge of the port and inscription of Adulis, (Topograph.
Christ. l. ii. p. 138, 140--143,) and of the trade of the Axumites along
the African coast of Barbaria or Zingi, (p. 138, 139,) and as far as
Taprobane, (l. xi. p. 339.)]

[Footnote 7311: Mr. Salt obtained information of considerable ruins of
an ancient town near Zulla, called Azoole, which answers to the position
of Adulis. Mr. Salt was prevented by illness, Mr. Stuart, whom he sent,
by the jealousy of the natives, from investigating these ruins: of their
existence there seems no doubt. Salt's 2d Journey, p. 452.--M.]

[Footnote 74: See the Christian missions in India, in Cosmas, (l. iii.
p. 178, 179, l. xi. p. 337,) and consult Asseman. Bibliot. Orient. (tom.
iv. p. 413--548.)]

[Footnote 75: The invention, manufacture, and general use of silk in
China, may be seen in Duhalde, (Description Generale de la Chine, tom.
ii. p. 165, 205--223.) The province of Chekian is the most renowned both
for quantity and quality.]

[Footnote 76: Procopius, (l. viii. Gothic. iv. c. 17. Theophanes Byzant.
apud Phot. Cod. lxxxiv. p. 38. Zonaras, tom. ii. l. xiv. p. 69. Pagi
tom. ii. p. 602) assigns to the year 552 this memorable importation.
Menander (in Excerpt. Legat. p. 107) mentions the admiration of the
Sogdoites; and Theophylact Simocatta (l. vii. c. 9) darkly represents
the two rival kingdoms in (China) the country of silk.]

[Footnote 77: Cosmas, surnamed Indicopleustes, or the Indian navigator,
performed his voyage about the year 522, and composed at Alexandria,
between 535, and 547, Christian Topography, (Montfaucon, Praefat. c.
i.,) in which he refutes the impious opinion, that the earth is a globe;
and Photius had read this work, (Cod. xxxvi. p. 9, 10,) which displays
the prejudices of a monk, with the knowledge of a merchant; the most
valuable part has been given in French and in Greek by Melchisedec
Thevenot, (Relations Curieuses, part i.,) and the whole is since
published in a splendid edition by Pere Montfaucon, (Nova Collectio
Patrum, Paris, 1707, 2 vols. in fol., tom. ii. p. 113--346.) But the
editor, a theologian, might blush at not disc