[at] Qusier al-Qadim, from the first and second centuries A.D... were inscribed with Tamil graffiti in the Brahmi script and likely came from Arikamedu in southern India (not far from the modern town of Pondicherry). These constitute the first Indian Tamil inscriptions ever found in Egypt, and their discovery, next to a small iron forge, raises the possibility that a small community of Indian merchants or metalworkers lived at Qusier al-Qadim... researchers found items typical of the east, for example, teak and cloth made from jute. [pp 82-83]Contemporary writing about the Roman ships arriving in India and leaving with goods is also discussed.
At Empire's Edge:
Exploring Rome's Egyptian Frontier
by Robert B. Jackson
I highly recommend this next one (same goes for other titles by Casson) which (among other things) discusses Roman-era trade between China and the west, including seagoing trade.
Travel in the Ancient World
by Lionel Casson
