151 



BOOK III. 



AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, 

 HAVENS MOUNTAINS, RIYERS, DISTANCES, AND PEO- 

 PLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED. 



IlfTKODTJCTIOK. 



Thus far have I treated of the position and the ^venders of 

 the earth, of the waters, the stars, and the proportion ot 

 the imiverse and its dimensions. I shaU now proceed to 

 describe its individual parts ; although indeed we may with 

 reason iook upon the task as of an infinite nature, and one 

 not to be rashly commenced upon without mcurrmg censure. 

 And yet on the other hand, there is nothing which ought less 

 to require an apology, if it is only considered how lar from 

 surprisinff it is that a mere mortal cannot be acquainted 

 with eve?}^hing. I shall therefore not follow any smgle 

 author, but shall employ, in relation to each suhject, such 

 writers as I shall look upon as most worthy of credit. ^ or 

 indeed it is the characteristic of nearly aU ot them, that 

 they display the greatest care and accuracy m the descrip- 

 tion of the countries in which they respectively floui'ished; 

 so that by doing this, I shall neither have to blame nor con- 

 tradict any one. -n i v -^ i^ 



The names of the different places wiU here be simply 

 given, and as briefly as possible; the account of their cele- 

 brity and the events which have given rise thereto, bemg 

 deferreu' ^o a more appropriate occasion ; for it must be 

 remembered that I am here speaking of the earth as a whole, 

 and I wish to be understood as using the names without any 

 reference whatever to their celebrity, and as though the 

 places themselves were in their infancy, and had not as yet 

 acquired any fame through great events. Ihe^name is men- 

 tioned, it is true, but only as iormmg a part ol the world 

 and the system of the universe. . 



The whole globe is divided into three parts, Europe, Asia, 

 ind Africa Our description commences where the sun sets 

 and at theStraits of Gades\where the Atlantic ocean,burstmg 

 1 Now the Straits of Gibraltar. 



