BOOK V.] History of Nature. 49 



Purpurse. Nevertheless the natural Inhabitants report, That 

 in the Sea-coast 150 Miles from Sala there is the River 

 Asana, that receiveth Salt Water into it, but with a goodly 

 Harbour : and not far from it a River, which they call Fut : 

 from which to Dyris (for that is the Name in their Language 

 of Atlas) are 200 Miles, with a River coming between, 

 named Vior. And there, by report, are to be seen the cer- 

 tain tokens of a Soil formerly inhabited ; the vestiges of 

 Vineyards and Date-tree Groves. Suetonius Paulinus (a 

 Consul in our time), who was the first Roman Leader that 

 passed over Atlas for the space of some Miles, also hath re- 

 ported regarding the height thereof: and moreover, that the 

 foot of it toward the bottom is full of thick and tall Woods, 

 with Trees of an unknown kind, but the height of them is 

 delightful to see, smooth and beautiful, the branches like 

 Cypress ; and, besides the strong smell, are covered over 

 with a thin Down, of which (with some help of Art) fine 

 Cloth may be made, such as the Silk-worm yieldeth : that 

 the top of it is covered with deep Snow, even in Summer, 

 and that he reached up to it on the tenth day, and beyond to 

 the River called Niger, through solitudes of black Dust, 

 with sometimes conspicuous ragged Rocks, appearing as if 

 burnt : places by reason of the Heat not habitable, although 

 tried in the Winter Season. Those who dwelt in the next 

 Forests were pestered with Elephants, wild Beasts, and 

 Serpents of all sorts ; and those People were called Canarii ; 

 because they and Animals feed together, and part among 

 them the Bowels of wild Beasts. For it is sufficiently 

 known that a Nation of ^Ethiopians, whom they call Peroresi, 

 joineth to them. Juba, the Father of Ptolemceus, who for- 

 merly ruled over both Mauritania, a Man more memorable 

 for his illustrious Studies than for his Kingdom, hath written 

 the like concerning Atlas ; and (he saith) moreover, that 

 there is an Herb growing there called Euphorbia, from his 

 Physician's name that first found it: the Milky Juice of 

 which he praiseth exceedingly much for clearing the Eyes 

 and against Serpents and all Poisons, in a dedicated Book by 

 itself. Thus much may suffice, if not too much, about Atlas. 



