340 plint's NATUEAii HTSTOET. [Book rv. 



have now to follow the shores of the Northern Ocean on the 

 left, until we arrive at Grades. In this direction a great 



theories, but one with wliich practically they had never made themselves 

 acquainted ? — The only geographers who here merit our notice are those 

 who are of opinion that in some of the coasts or islands here mentioned 

 Pliny describes the Scandinavian Peninsida, and in others the Coast of 

 Finland. The first question then is, to what pomt Pliny first carries us ? 

 It is evident that from the Black Sea he transports himself on a sud- 

 den to the shores of the Baltic, thus passing over at a single leap a con- 

 siderable space filled with nations and unknown deserts. The question 

 then is, what hne has he followed ? Supposing our author had had before 

 his eyes a modern map, the imaginary hne which he would have drawn 

 in making this transition would have been from Odessa to the Kurisch- 

 Haif. In this direction the breadth across Europe is contracted to a 

 space, between the two seas, not more than 268 leagues in length. A 

 very shnple mode of reasoning will conclusively prove that Pliny has 

 deviated httle if anytliing from this route. If he fails to state in precise 

 terms upon what point of the shores of the Baltic he ahghts after leaving 

 the Riphsean mountains, his enumeration of the rivers which discharge 

 themselves into that sea, and with which he concludes his account of 

 Germany, will supply us with the requisite information, at aU events in 

 great part. In following his description of the coast, we find mention 

 madeof the following rivers, theGuttalus, the Vistula, theElbe, theWeser, 

 the Ems, the Rhine, and the Meuse. The five last mentioned follow in 

 their natm^al order, from east to west, as was to be expected in a descrip- 

 tion starting from the east of Europe for its western extremity and the 

 shores of Cadiz. We have a right to conclude then that the Guttalus 

 was to the east of the Vistula. As we shall now endeavour to show, 

 this river was no other than the Alle, a tributary of the Pregel, wliich 

 the Romans probably, in advancing from west to east, considered as the 

 principal stream, from the circximstance that they met with it, before 

 coming to the larger river. The Pregel after being increased by the waters 

 of the Alle or Guttalus falls into the Frisch-Hafi", about one degree 

 fm-ther west than the Kurisch-Haff. It may however be here remarked, 

 Why not find a river more to the east, the Niemen, for instance, or the 

 Duna, to be represented by the Gruttalus ? The Niemen ha especial would 

 suit in every respect equally well, because it discharges itself into the 

 Kurisch-HalT. This conjecture however is incapable of support, when 

 we reflect that the ancients were undoubtedly acquainted with some 

 points of the coast to the east of the mouth of the Guttalus, but which, 

 according to the system followed by oux author, wovdd form part of the 

 Continent of Asia. These points are, 1st. The Cape Lytaiifiis (men- 

 tioned by Phny, B. vi. c. 4). 2ndly. The mouth of the river Carambucis 

 (similarly mentioned by him), and 3rdly, a little to the east of Cape Ly- 

 tarmis, the moutli of the Tanais. The name of Cape Lytarmis suggests 

 to us Lithuania, and probably represents Domess-Ness in Command ; the 

 Carambucis can be no other than the Niemen ; while the Tanais, xipon 

 which 80 many authors, ancient and modern, have exhausted their con- 



