[336.  In point of time, the notice of Ceylon given by the Armenian Archbishop Moses of Chorene in his Historia Armeniaca et Epitome Geographiae, is entitled to precede that of Cosmos Indico-pleustes, inasmuch as Moses has translated into Armenian the Greek text of Pappus of Alexandria, who wrote about the end of the fourth century.  Of Taprobane he says—­it is one of the largest islands in the world, being 1100 miles in length by 1500 broad, and reckons 1370 adjacent islands amongst its dependencies.  He alludes to its mountains and rivers, the variety of races which inhabit it, and its production of gold, silver, gems, spices, elephants, and tigers; and dwells on the fact, previously noticed by Agathemerus, that the men of this country dress their hair after the fashion of women, by braiding it in tresses on the top of their heads, “viri regionis istius capillis muliebribus sua capita redimiunt.”—­MOSES CHORENENSIS, &c., edit.  Whiston, 1736, p. 367.  The most remarkable circumstance is that he alludes thus early to the footprint on Adam’s Peak, which is probably the meaning of his expression, “ibidem Satanae lapsum narrant,” t. iv.]

In books vii. and viii, Sanchoniathon gives an account of an island in the Indian seas explored by Tyrian navigators, the description of which is evidently copied from the early Greek writers who had visited Taprobane, and the name which is assigned to it, “the Island of Rachius”, is borrowed from Pliny.  The period of their visit is fixed by Sanchoniathon shortly after the conquest of Cittium, in Cyprus, by the Phoenicians; an event which occurred when Hiram reigned at Tyre, and Solomon at Jerusalem.  The narrative is given as follows (book vii. ch. v. p. 150):  “So Bartophas died the next day, having exercised imperial authority for six years.” (Ch. v.) “And on his death they chose Joramus, the son of Bartophas, king, whom the Tyrians styled Hierbas, and who reigned fifty-seven years.  He having collected seventy-nine long ships, sent an expedition against Cittium.” ... (Ch. vi.) “At this time, Obdalius, king of the island of Mylite, sent all his forces to assist the Tyrians at Cittium; and when it came to the knowledge of the barbarians who inhabited Tenga, that the island was denuded of men and ships, they invaded it under the command of Plusiacon, the son-in-law of Obdalius, and having slain him and many of his people, they plundered the country, and gave the city to the flames.” (Ch. vii.) “And Joramus directed all the eparchs in the cities and islands to make out and send to Tyre descriptions of the inhabitants, their ships, their arms, their horses, their scythe-bearing chariots, and their property of all kinds; and he ordered them to send to distant countries persons competent to draw up narratives of the same kind, and to record them all in a book.  In this manner he obtained accurate geographical descriptions of all the regions to the east and the west, both islands and inland parts.