266 Nezv Puhlicaihns. 



Pcrfian empire as divided into twenty governments. Mf. 

 Rennell examines, in minute detail, his account of each of 

 thefe. The maritime flrength of the Phoenicians under thC' 

 Perfian power is well marked by the faft which Mr. Ren- 

 nell notices, that they furniflied to the fleet of Xerxes 450 

 triremes, of which 150 were derived from their eftablifli- 

 mcnt in the ifland of Cyprus. Of the Ganges it appear* 

 tha-t Herodotus had never even heard. The public revenue- 

 of the Perfian empire Was, according to his account, about 

 3' millions fterling. The fite of antient Babylon, as Mr. 

 Rennell informs us upon good authority, is ftill fufficiently 

 acceffible, and is covered with ruins which it might be 

 highly interefting to examine. 



Africa was beft known to Herodotus where it is adjacent 

 to the middle and the eafiera Imiits of the Mediterranean 

 fea. Of its great rivers, he knew only the Niger and the 

 Nile. He knew thofe oafcs, or infufaled fertile fpots in the 

 iandy defert, which have been lately re-difcovered by Brown. 

 He knew that Africa had been circumvsavigated. The voy- 

 age was performed art the rate of thirty-two geographiOai- 

 miles a day, and finiOted in- fhe fpace of two years. The 

 whole traft of the earth knouii to Plerodotus might be mca- 

 fured by a radius of 1000 Britifli miles,' moving from the' 

 centre of Halicarna'sTus. The Seev/a of Brown the traveller 

 is the Oafis of Ammon of Herodotus. Of the lotos there- 

 were two fpecies ; the one an aquatic plant, the other a dry 

 fhrub. The aquatic lotos was the fame as the colocojjia, ancf 

 is ttill abundant in Egypt. After finifliing his difcuffion of 

 Che geography of Hcr»dotus, Mr. Rennell enters into an in- 

 tereiting illoftration of the memoir of the voyage of Hanno. 

 His work is accompanied with excellent maps, conllruilcd' 

 upon- thofe principles and views which he explains in it.- 

 Under every leading head of his vv^orh, Mr. Rennell defcends' 

 i'nto much minlitenefs and accuracy of dctaih It is inter- 

 fperfed with various pleafing digrcflions ; and many curious 

 articles of collateral information are incidentally thrown out 

 in it. 



Such are in general the plan, the execution, and the lead- 



^3 fits of this work. It were cafy to difpute fome of its- 



8 pofilions; 



