"TAPROBANE was the ancient name of Ceylon among the Greeks and Romans. This has, indeed, been controverted; and the name of Taprobane has been assigned to Sumatra. Ancient coins, however, found in Ceylon, prove it to have been one of the Roman marts of commerce. It was doubted by the ancients whether Taprobane was not the beginning of another continent. It is not improbable, from the narrow and shallow strait which separates the northern extremity of Ceylon from the southern extremity of the continent of India, that Ceylon was once part of that continent. . . ."