ON THE ICTIS OF DIODORUS sIcULUS. 291 
this simple reason, if there were no other, we 
should be justified in concluding, that the Jctzs 
of Diodorus is not the Vectis of Cesar, Pliny, 
and Suetonius. 
But the orthographical difficulty is not the only 
one, which lies in the way of the supposition, that 
the Ictis of Diodorus is the Isle of Wight. ‘There 
are geographical difficulties, which render this 
supposition altogether improbable; and incon- 
testably prove, either that Diodorus was grossly 
ignorant of the locality of the Isle of Wight, or 
that his commentators have been mistaken in sup- 
posing, that it was his intention to describe that 
island, under the name Jctzs. But as the descrip- 
tion is remarkably circumstantial, and as this 
ancient writer could scarcely have erred in so 
plain a matter, the probability is, that the error 
rests with his commentators; and when the nature 
and extent of that error are considered, it is 
strange that it should ever have been committed 
by persons, possessing the slightest knowledge of 
the Isle of Wight, and its position relatively to 
the tin mines of Cornwall. 
Ictis is described as “ a certain island opposite 
to Britain.” But Diodorus speaks also of ‘ the 
