PYTHEAS. 67 



totle; but not one of these writers alludes to "seaweed" as 

 an impediment to navigation, and it can hardly be accidental 

 that the only voyager by whom this is referred to was one 

 who sailed on a course which, if persevered in for a few days, 

 would have brought him to that which is even now known as 

 the Sea of Seaweed.* 



Pytheas is another ancient writer whose character has 

 suffered very much in the hands of Sir C. Lewis, who, rely- 

 ing on the authority of Polybius and Strabo, does not hesi- 

 tate to stigmatize him as a mendacious impostor. Polybius 

 doubts the journeys of Pytheas, because Pytheas was a 

 poor man; but the great travellers and explorers of the 

 present day do not generally belong to our wealthy fami- 

 lies. Strabo seems to have been prejudiced against Pytheas, 

 because he professed to have visited countries which ought, 

 according to Strabo's theories, to have been uninhabitable. 

 Moreover, we should remember that the first travellers in the 

 North must have seen, and on their return would describe, 

 many things which would appear impossible or incomprehen- 

 sible to dwellers on the sunny shores of the Mediterranean. 

 Sir C. Lewis refers specially to four incredible assertions 

 made by Pytheas. First, he is said to have related that 

 " if any person placed iron in a rude state at the mouth of 

 the volcano in the island of Lipari, together with some 

 money, he found on the morrow a sword or any other article 

 which he wanted, in its place." This, however, merely 

 shows that the myth of Valand, Wieland, Weland, or in 

 our popular dialect, Wayland Smith, was current in the 

 Lipari islands at the time of Pytheas.f This myth, more- 

 over, is but a very slightly modified account of what actually 



* May not the belief in the causes which are usually assigned 

 " Atlantis" be as probably owing for it ? 



to the " gulf- weed," which would t On this interesting subject, see 

 so naturally suggest the idea of Wright. Archseol. vol. xxxii.p.315. 

 sunken land, as to any of the other 



F2 



