A, D. 14. 127 



beneath their dignity, and the aboriginal Egyptians, a poor deprefled 

 race, not being admitted to a participation of it, and, probably, ftill re- 

 ftrided by their fuperflitious prejudices from going upon fait water in 

 any capacity *. 



Africa proper, the antient territory of the Carthaginians, was a 

 country remarkably fertile. It furnifhed Rome with great quantities 

 of corn; honey; drugs of various forts; marble; the feathers and eggs of 

 the oflrich ; alfo living oflriches, elephants, and lions, for the fanguin- 

 ary fports of the Romans, whofe game laws did not permit the poor 

 African to kill a lion, even in his own defence. But fuch a prepofterpus 

 law may be prefumed to have have been enacted by one of the lefs 

 prudent tyrants, who came after Auguflus. 



Mauritania furnifhed fine, and very large, timber, called cedar, but, 

 by its charaderiftics, apparently mahogany, whereof very large tables 

 were made, which fold for fuch enormous prices, that the Roman ladies 

 thought their extravagance in pearls fully kept in countenance by the 

 rage of their hufbands for purchafing thofe tables. Some trading fettle- 

 ments, in the weft part of this country upon the Ocean, appear to have 

 been ftill inhabited by Phoenicians. 



The natural advantages of Spain were fo great and fo various, that 

 Pliny reckons it next to Italy ; which, from an Italian, may be confider- 

 cd as an acknowlegement, that it was efteemed for foil, climate, and pro- 

 dudions of every kind, the very firft country in Europe. The whole 

 country abounded with mines of lead, iron, copper, filver, and gold, 

 and alio with marble. But each province had peculiar advantages ; 

 and they muft, therefor, be confidered diftinctly. 



The fouth part of Spain, called Bsetica or Turdetania, had the appear- 

 ance of a vaft garden, interfered with many navigable rivers, the very 

 iflands of which were highly cultivated, and adorned with buildings. 

 This delightful region, apparently the Elyllan fields of antient fable, and 

 comprehending Andalufia and moft of Granada with part of Portugal in 

 modern geography, was occupied by the Turdetani, Turtutani, or Tur- 

 tuli, who were probably the defcendents, or mixed with the defcend- 

 ents, of fome very antient colonies of the Phoenicians. They v\'ere dif- 

 tinguifhed from the other nations of Spain by fuperior civihzation and 

 learning ; and they boafted of pofi^efling records and poems of prodigi- 

 ous antiquity. Their numerous population, befides fully cultivating 

 the rich fields, working the mines, and attending the fifheries, had filled 

 two hundred opulent trading towns fpread along the fea coaft and the 



* In the Pcriplus of the Erythraan fea, and fixth century from the work of Cofmas Indico- 



in the works of Ptolemy, efpecially in the later, pleulles. The only exception I liave found is 



the names of many merchants and navigators oc- Firmus, a merchant of Egypt, who kt up for an 



cur ; and they are all Greek— no Roman— no emperor in the third century. 

 Egyptian. The fame may be obferyed in the 



