by an Indian Chief. 209 
ihgs proper for the place, they built a temple to Hercules, 
to whom thoy instituted splendid sacrifices after the manner 
of their country. This temple is in great veneration at this 
day and several Romans who have rendered themselves illus- 
trious by their exploits, have performed their vows to Hercules 
for the success of their enterprizes. 
«« The Phenicians acgordingly having passed the straits of 
Spain, sailed along Africa, when by the violence of the winds 
they were driven far out at sea, and the storm continuing 
several days, they were at length thrown upon this island. 
Being the first who were acquainted with its beauty and fer- 
tility, they published them to other nations. The Tuscans, 
when they were masters at sea, designed to send a colony 
thither, but the Carthaginians found means to prevent them 
on the two following accounts ; first they were afraid lest 
their citizens, tempted by the charms of that island, should 
pass over thither in too great numbers, and desert their own 
country ; next they looked upon it asa secure asylum for 
themselves, if ever any terrible disaster should befal their 
republic,” 
This description of Diodorus is very applicable in many 
circumstances to America, particularly in the agreeable tem- 
perature of the climate to Africans, the prodigious fertility of 
the earth, the vast forests, the large rivers, and the multi- 
tude of rivulets and springs... ‘The Natches may then justly 
be supposed to be descended from some Phenicians or Cartha- 
givians who had been wrecked on the shores of South Ame- 
rica in which case they might well be imagined to have but 
little acquaintance with the arts, as those who first landed 
would be obliged to apply all their thoughts to their imme- 
diate subsistence, and consequently would soon become rude 
and barbarous, Their worship of the eternal fire likewise 
implied their descent from the Phenicians ; for every body 
knows that this superstition, which first took its rise in Egypt, 
was introduced by the Phenicians into all the countries that 
Aa? they 
