Chap. 38.] ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, ETC. 109 



three thousand four hundred and thirty- seven miles and a half, 

 and that, starting from the same point, 75 the distance in a 

 straight line to Sicily is twelve hundred and fifty miles, from 

 thence to Crete three hundred and seventy-five, to Rhodes one 

 hundred and eighty-seven and a half, to the Chelidonian Islands 

 the same distance, to Cyprus two hundred and twenty-five, 

 and from thence to Seleucia Pieria, in Syria, one hundred and 

 fifteen miles : the sum of all which distances amounts to two 

 thousand three hundred and forty miles. Agrippa estimates 

 this same distance, in a straight line from the Straits of Gades 

 to the Gulf of Issus, at three thousand three hundred and forty 

 miles ; in which computation, however, I am not certain that 

 there is not some error in the figures, seeing that the same 

 author has stated that the distance from the Straits of Sicily to 

 Alexandria is thirteen hundred and fifty miles. Taking tho 

 whole length of the sea-line throughout the gulfs above-men- 

 tioned, and beginning at the same point, 76 he makes it ten 

 thousand and fifty-eight miles ; to which number Artemidorus 

 has added seven hundred and fifty-six : the same author, in- 

 cluding in his calculation the shores of the Mseotis, makes the 

 whole distance seventeen thousand three hundred and ninety 

 miles. Such is the measurement given by men who have 

 penetrated into distant countries, unaided by force of arms, 

 and have, with a boldness that exhibits itself in the times of 

 peace even, challenged, as it were, Fortune herself. 



I shall now proceed to compare the dimensions of the various 

 parts of the earth, however great the difficulties which may 

 arise from the discrepancy of the accounts given by various 

 authors : the most convenient method, however, will be that 

 of adding the breadth to the length. 77 Following this mode 

 of reckoning, the dimensions of Europe will be eight thou- 

 sand two hundred and ninety-four miles ; of Africa, to adopt 

 a mean between all the various accounts given by authors, the 

 length is three thousand seven hundred and ninety-four miles, 

 while the breadth, so far as it is inhabited, in no part exceeds 



75 The Straits of Gades or Cadiz. 



76 The Straits of Gades. 



77 Littre has the following remark : " Is it possible that Pliny can have 

 imagined that the extent of a surface could he ascertained by adding the 

 length to the breadth?" It is just possible that such may not have been 

 his meaning ; but it seems quite impossible to divine what it was. 



