, ▁and ▁ad join ▁the ▁eastern ▁Terra ▁inc ogn ita ". ▁The ▁ 6 th ▁century ▁Cos mas ▁Ind ic ople ust es ▁refers ▁to ▁a ▁" country ▁of ▁sil k " ▁called ▁T zin ista , ▁which ▁is ▁understood ▁as ▁referring ▁to ▁China , ▁beyond ▁which ▁" there ▁is ▁neither ▁navigation ▁nor ▁any ▁land ▁to ▁inhab it ". ▁It ▁seems ▁probable ▁that ▁the ▁same ▁region ▁is ▁meant ▁by ▁both . ▁According ▁to ▁Henry ▁Y ule , ▁P to le my ' s ▁mis render ing ▁of ▁the ▁Indian ▁Sea ▁as ▁a ▁closed ▁bas in ▁meant ▁that ▁P to le my ▁must ▁also ▁have ▁mis pla ced ▁the ▁Chinese ▁coast , ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁mis con ception ▁of ▁Ser ica ▁and ▁S ina ▁as ▁separate ▁countries . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Heb rew ▁Bible , ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁mention ▁of ▁a ▁far away ▁country ▁Sin im ▁in ▁the ▁Book ▁of ▁Isa iah ▁▁ 4 9 : 1 2 ▁which ▁some ▁had ▁assumed ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁reference ▁to ▁China . ▁In ▁Gen esis ▁ 1 0 : 1 7 , ▁a ▁tribes ▁called ▁the ▁S init es ▁were ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁C ana an , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁Ham , ▁but ▁they ▁are ▁usually ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁different ▁people , ▁probably ▁from ▁the ▁northern ▁part ▁of ▁Leb anon . ▁▁ ▁Arab ic : ▁ Ṣ ī n ▁▁ ▁French / English ▁( prefix ▁of ▁ad ject ives ): ▁S ino - ▁( i . e . ▁S ino - American