41 



it in a naturnl and reasonable occurrence. In exhibiting three 

 principled of very general application, it will be sufficient to 

 examine the facts at two very remote periods of time. It will 

 also be unnecessary to multiply examples, as almost all the 

 statements are highly suggestive ; and in the whole of this 

 sketch, I venture to believe that I can secure a ready assent, 

 without departing from the brevity which is desirable. 



I. Personal Namks. — In the earliest ages of the world, 

 the names of places were identical, or nearly so, with the 

 names of persons. The patriarch or father gave his name to 

 the tribe or family ; and it was natural that their habitation 

 should be called by their name. Moses gives us the names of 

 Noah's sons and grandsons, and of some of his great grand- 

 sons; and though these are comparatively few in number, 

 they are sufficient to show us the principle of naming, at the 

 period of the dispersion of the nations. In the writings of 

 the ancients, we detect many geographical terms identical with 

 the names of these individuals, but several have beeu replaced 

 by modem ones. Yet even to the present hour, after a lapse 

 of nearly four thousand years, we recognise several such words, 

 which have undergone little or no modification. 



For example, among the descendants of Shem, we recognize 

 the name " Elam " in Elymais in Persia ; " Ashur " in 

 Asspiaj ''Lud" in L^dia; ''Hul" in lake Hulek ("Waters 

 of Merom"); and " Mash" in mount Masiiu (Tauris). — Among 

 the descendants of Ham, we have " Sabta " in Sabotak of 

 Arabia; "Raamah" m Rliegma on the Persian Gulf; "Dedan" 

 in Aden ; " Lehabim '' or " Lubim " in LyUa ; " Pathrusim'' 

 in Pathruses * in Egypt ; " Nimrod *' in ^u^-Nimrod (Babel), 

 and Djebel Nimrod; " Philistim" in Palestine ; and " Sidon " 

 in Saide. — Among the descendants of Japhet, we have 

 " Gomer'' in the Cimmerian Bosphorus, Crimea, Cambria 



* Ezekiel (xxix. 14.) calls Kgjpt Pathro$. 



V, 



