ANNOTATIONS AND ADDITIONS. 67 



rec. Bekkeri, p. 844, 136.) The pseudo Aristotle says, "Phoeni- 

 cian mariners, driven by the east wind, came in four days' sail from 

 Grades to a part where they found the sea covered with reeds and 

 sea-weed ($pvov xaifvxoi). The sea-seed is uncovered at ebb and 

 covered at flood tide." Is he not here speaking of a shallow place 

 between the 34 and 36 of latitude? Has a shoal disappeared in 

 consequence of volcanic eruption ? Vobonne speaks of rocks north 

 of Madeira. (Compare also Edrisi, Greog. Nub., 1619, p. 157.) In 

 Scylax ; it is said, " The sea beyond Cerne is unnavigable on account 

 of its great shallowness, its muddiness, and the great quantity of 

 sea grasses. The sea grass lies a span thick, and is full of points at 

 the top, so that it pricks." The sea- weed found between Cerne 

 (the Phoanician station for laden vessels, Graulea, or, according to 

 Grosselin, the small island of Fedallah, on the north-western coast of 

 Mauritania) and Cape de Verde, does not now by any means form 

 a great sea meadow, or connected tract of fucus, a " mare herbidum," 

 such as exists beyond the Azores. In the poetic description of the 

 coast by Festus Avienus, (Ora Maritima, v. 109, 122, 388, and 

 408,) in the composition of which, as Avienus himself says (v. 412), 

 he availed himself of the journals of Phrenician ships, the obstacle 

 presented by the sea-weed is referred to in a very circumstantial 

 manner; but its site is placed much farther north, towards lerne, 

 the Sacred. Island." 



Sic nulla late flabra propellunt ratem,' 

 Sic segnis humor sequoris pigri stupet. 

 1 Acljicit et iltud, plurimum inter gurgites 

 Exstare fucum, et saepe virgulti vice 

 Retinere puppim .... 

 Hsec inter undas multa caespitem jacet, 

 Eamque late gens Hibernorum colit. 



In remarking that the fucus and the mud or mire, (7(77716?,) the 

 shallowness of the sea, and the perpetual calms, are always spoken 

 of by the ancients as characteristics' of the western ocean beyond 

 the Pillars of Hercules, one is disposed, more particularly on account 

 of the mention of the co/ms, to ascribe something to Punic artifice 

 to the desire of a great trading people to deter others, by the appre- 

 hension of dangers and difficulties, from entering into competition 



