Note 73 — Chapter IV · HISTORY OF THE SILK MANUFACTURE CONTINUED FROM THE INTRODUCTION OF SILK-WORMS INTO EUROPE, A.D. 530, TO THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.
Reading edition
De Guignes (Hist. Gen. des Huns, tome i. p. v.) expresses his opinion, that Serica, besides the North of China, included the countries towards the West, which were conquered by the Chinese, viz. Hami, Turfan, and other neighboring territories. Rennell (Mem. of a map of Hindostan) agrees with D’Anville, that Serica was at the Northwest angle of the present empire of China. Heeren decides in favor of the same opinion, supposing Serica to be identical with the modern Tongut. Comment. Soc. Reg. Scient. Gottingensis, vol. xi. p. 106. 111. Gottingæ, 1793.
Pausanias observes that the Seres, in order to breed the insects which produced silk, had houses adapted both for summer and winter, which implies that there was a vast difference between the summer and winter temperature of their country. A late oriental traveller says of the climate of Khotan, “In the summer, when melons ripen, it is very hot in these countries; but, during winter, extremely cold.”—Wathen’s Memoir on Chinese Tartary and Khotan, in Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, December 1835, p. 659.
On referring to the map, Plate VII., the reader will see the position of Serica indicated at its Eastern extremity. As that map is limited to the Orbis Veteribus Cognitus, only a small space on its border is marked as the country of silk indicated by the yellow color. It is, nevertheless, pretty certain that silk may be justly placed next in order to wool.