t 



Before Chrift, about 1300. 15 



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This is the earliefl mention of geography, a foience which, as com- 

 prehending HYDROGRAi'HY, is of fuch prodigious importance to com- 

 merce, that without it voyages on the ocean are utterly impracticable. 

 And thus have the fciences, which enable the modern navigator to cir- 

 cumnavigate the globe, originally (hone out among a people who fcarce- 

 ly ever ufed the fea. 



After his return from his expedition, Sefoftris became fenfible of the 

 deceitful fplendour and vanity of conqueft, and appears to have devoted 

 the remainder of his life to the real duties of fovercignty in confultin 

 the happinefs of the people under his charge. He interfered the coun 

 try with canals, which divided it into fquare portions, and extended the 

 benefits of fifheries, inland navigation, and wholefome drink, through 

 the whole of it. With the earth dug out of thofe canals he raifed the 

 furface of the towns, which, when the country was overwhelmed 

 by the periodical inundation of the Nile, thereby became detached, 

 iflands, in w^hich the people lived dry and comfortably. His vigorous 

 mind, which had remarked the prodigious variety of produdions in the 

 n:iany countries he had overrun, fully comprehended the great advan- 

 tages which would arife from an aftive commerce, whereby the com- 

 modities of the moft diflant parts of the known world might be aflem- 

 bled in his own dominions, to employ the induflry, and add to the hap- 

 pinefs of his fubjeds. It was, perhaps, with this view that he eftablifli- 

 ed the diflant colony of Colchis ; it was certainly with this view that he 

 conceived the great defign of opening a navigable canal of communica- 

 tion from the Nile to the Red fea. The work was accordingly begun, 

 but afterw'ards given up, from an apprehenfion that the furface of the 

 fea was higher than the land, and the country would be drowned, if it 

 was let in upon it. Whether the canal was begun by his fon after his 

 death, or by himfelf, for authors differ in their accounts, [See Strabo, 



of Herodotus into Egypt. [£. ii, f. 13] Hero- But I do not know of any fatisfaftory proof of 

 dotus was born in 484, and in 446 he read his hif- the identity of Egyptus, the brother of Danaus, 

 tory to the Athenians. [Vojius ile Hiji. Gr£c. p. with Sefoftris, which feems to relt on no better 

 14.] Thus the death of Myris may be dated authority than that of the fabulous Manetho. He- 

 about 1,340, or 1,330. The expedition of Se- rodotus, vvho has occafion pretty often to mention 

 foftris, therefor, mull have taken place between Danaus, proves iiim indeed to be an Egyptian, of 

 1,340 and 1,226 years before Chrift, which is a the city of Chemmis ; but, though he mentions 

 proper aera for him to be contemporary with the the treachery of a namelefs brother of Sefoftris, he 

 grandfiuher of Proteus, who feems to have been pretty plainly proves, that the crime, imputed to 

 of a different race. It is to be obforved, however, Dannus, of violating th.e cliaftity of the queen, 

 that Herodotus marks a difference in the nuthen- while he was regent during the king's abfence, 

 ticity of the hiftory of Egypt, prior to the fettle- could not be committed by a brother of Sefoftris, 

 mentofthe Greeks at Naucratis in the reign of whofe wife appears to have accompanied him in 

 Amahs, (about 950 years before Chrift) and wiiat his expedition. [Z.. ii, cc. 91, 107.J The com- 

 is pofterlor to that event, the later period being, mon Grecian fable of the fifty fons-in-law of Da. 

 as he lays, much cleaver. naus being all, except Lynceu?, murdered by their 

 It is true, that the arrii-al of Danaus, who is wives, his fifty daughters, is alfo confuted by He- 

 called the brother of Sefoftris, in Greece is placed rodotus, [Z,. ii, c. 98] v,-ho mentions Archander, 

 much earlier that the time here ;ifiigncd to Sefoftris. a fon-iii-la'.r of Danaus. 4 



