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from the accounts taken about the year 79 by order of Agri- 
cola, who was the firft that dire@ted a Roman fleet under 
the command of Demetrius to circumnavigate Great Britain and 
Ireland. (Eufeb. Prep. Ev. L v. c. 17.) From the difcoveries 
made by this fleet, and the information obtained from mer- 
chants trading to thefe iflands, the Romans obtained the firft 
circumftantial account of Ireland. But from thefe accounts there 
is reafon to imagine, that thefe merchants knew no more of its 
internal ftate, than thofe to whom Ceefar applied, did of that 
of Britain. (Comment. 24. 19.) They had indeed traded to the 
coafts, landed their wares, and perhaps enquired and obtained 
the name of the diftri@ or people with whom they traded; 
but they made no further difcoveries, the internal parts. of the 
country were in a manner unknown to them. 
Tus names therefore mentioned by Ptolemy, relate only to a 
few maritime diftri@s. But thefe diftri@s, both in refpe@t to their 
names and fituation, are far more accurately defcribed than is 
generally imagined. The latitudes and longitudes are indeed wrong, 
probably arifing from the inaccurate inftruments in thofe times 
ufed to take obfervations. The longitude is taken from Ferro, 
one of the Canary Iflands. But we will pafs by the geographical 
and aftronomical errors of our author and proceed to confider the 
topographical part of his work, which commences thus: 
IOYEPNIAE NHZOY BPETANNIKHE @EEIE. 
IRELAND thus denominated by Ptolemy Iovepue, and by Strabo 
Iepe, is perfe@ly agreeable to the indigenous name given to it 
by the natives from the remoteft periods, who always diftinguifhed 
their 
