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case in Egypt, where a clever race, availing themselves of the Nile 
inundation, with slight labour supplied themselves not only with — 
the necessaries, but with the superfluities of life. 
We may reasonably suppose then that the same was the case 
in the Bay of Triton. Its various races very early finding the 
mere requirements of existence easy of attainment, provided 
themselves with superfluities. These they exchanged for the 
productions of the islands and regions in connection with their — 
bay. As a consequence of this foreign intercourse, there arose a 
refinement and taste, regarded as wonderful in that age, and among 
their barbarous neighbours. This with some diffidence I venture 
to suggest, as a not altogether unreasonable explanation of the 
oldest epithet applied to Pallas Athene, the goddess of wisdom, of — 
Tritogeneia, or the goddess born on the Great Bay of Triton; 
and that in this one epithet lingers still the evidence of—the sole 
witness to—that prehistoric civilization. . 
Again, we may imagine that whilst the geographical conditions 
of this region were such as we have described, i.e. whilst the Great 
Bay of Triton penetrated behind the Auress Mountains, and 
perchance the Sahara was occupied in part by a great gulf from 
the Atlantic, that the Argonauts penetrated into that ocean. 
Thence entering the Sahara Sea they discovered a point where 
it was only separated from the Bay of Triton by a narrow isthmus. 
That across this isthmus they carried their ship. Such a proceeding 
was, in ancient times, quite as common as a fortage in Canada, when 
an expedition to avoid rapids, or pass from one river-basin to 
another, carries its canoe and stores often for very long distances. 
The Argonauts after crossing the isthmus, would then sail down 
the Bay of Triton into the open Mediterranean, and so finally 
regain their native land. 
Though this explanation will no doubt be regarded as fanciful, 
it is not altogether destitute of interest. There still stands forth 
the broad fact, that here is part of a tale—the oldest tale—of 
maritime adventure,—looked upon for twenty centuries as geo 
graphically absurd, now shewn by modern discoveries to be quite 
within the range of what is possible, 
