Before Chrifl 676. 33 



Clemens of Alexandria \ Stromal. L. i, e. 16] afcribes the invention of* 

 the triremes to the Siclonians. Indeed, it is not improbable, that an 

 imitation of the Sidonian vcffcls, introduced in Greece by the Corin- 

 thians, may have procured them the credit of the invention among the 

 Greeks, who were never very fcrupulous of flealing the honour of 

 fcience and invention from the barbarians *. Unfortunately no Sidonian 

 hiftorian has reached our times, to the very great lofs of hiftory in ge- 

 neral, and moft efpecially of commercial hiftory. 



676 — The Lefbians are faid to have obtained the command of the 

 fea, of which they kept pofleffion no lefs than fixty-nine years. 



670 — Piammitichus, whofe father was flain by Sabacus, an Ethio- 

 pian invader of Egypt, had pafled the early part of his life in Syria, 

 probably among the Phoenicians, who were as yet the only foreigners 

 permitted to land upon the Egyptian fhore. After his return to his na- 

 tive country he became one of twelve kings, who all reigned co-ordi- 

 nate at the fame time. Being expelled by his brother kings he agaiu 

 lived in exile among the marilies at the mouth of the river, where he 

 gave a kind reception to all traders, efpecially Greeks and Phoenicians, 

 and by exchanging the produce of his territory for the goods imported 

 by them, he acquired great riches. At length fome Ionian and Carian 

 pirates, accidentally landing on the coaft, together with fome forces le- 

 vied in Arabia, enabled him to revenge the atfront put upon him, and 

 even to make himfelf fole king of Egypt. From this time he (hewed 

 favour to the Greeks, and as, by living among ftrangers in a private 

 charader, he had acquired more liberal ideas, than were ufual among 

 the Egyptians, of the advantages arifing from a free intercourfe with 

 foreign nations, he encouraged them to trade, and even gave them fet- 

 tlements and a harbour f in his country. He alfo placed fome Egyp- 

 tian boys under their care to learn Greek, that they might aft as inter- 

 preters. [Herodot. L. ii, cc. 147-154 — Diod. 6ic?i/. L. i, § 66, 67] But 

 ■ftill the Egyptians perfifted in neglecting the advantage beftowed upon 

 them by Nature in giving them the command of two feas, and had no 

 (hips of their own, except the craft for navigating the river. 



* There is a kind of triremis (for 1 know of ftrufted their inremes, fome of which, going to 



no Greek or Latin word for paddies) iifed now, Greece, might turnifli a model to the Corinthians 



and prob.ibly many centuries ago in the iOands of for, what they called, tlieir invention. A defcrip- 



■the Eall Indies, which has a niiinber of piojefting tion and view of the Indian veflels may be feen in 



cruls bars or outriggers, fupporting at proper dlf- Stetl's LhmeiUs of '''g^mg and feamanjliip. See alfo 



tances two long feats on each fide parallel to the Purckas's Pil^rimes, Book ii, p. 55 ; and f^oyaget 



gunnels : and the vefTel is driven along with great to the Eaji-lnahs by S/aiioii.ius, K ii,//>. 306, 42 I, 



Velocity by fix rows of paddlcrs, two of which fit Note, in the EnglUh tratijlation, where the names 



withiii her fides, and four on the outfide feats over of quadr'iremes and triremes are adually applied to 



the water. They have fometimes three rows on the vefi'cls called corrocorros by the natives of the 



the ontfide of each gunnel ; and thefe may be call- Oriental iilsnds. 



td iju.idriremes.- — Quere, if the Phaniciaiis, when f When Herodotus was in Egypt the houfes of 



in tiie Indian ocean in company with Solomon's the Greeks, and their haibour, or dock, were ia 



fleet, may have feen thefe vcfl'els, and, improving ruins. [_fferodo!. L. ii, c. 134. J 

 upon the multiplied force of the paddles, have coa- 



Vol I. Z 



