BOOK V.] History of Nature. 59 



Names from the Borderers : and therefore they shall be 

 declared together. The next Country to Africa that is 

 inhabited is Egypt, receding withinward to the South, so 

 far as to the Ethiopians, who are stretched out on its Back. 

 The Nilus is on the lower part, and is divided on the Right 

 and Left ; by its encircling it boundeth it with the Mouth 

 of Canopus from Africa, and with the Pelusiac from Asia, 

 with an interval of 170 Miles. For which cause, some have 

 reckoned Egypt among the Islands, considering that Nilus 

 doth so divide itself as to make a triangular figure of the 

 Land. And so, many have called Egypt by the Name of the 

 Greek letter Delta (A). The Measure of it from the Channel 

 where it is single, from whence it first parteth into sides, to 

 the Mouth of Canopus, is 146 Miles ; and to the Pelusiac 256. 

 The upmost part bounding upon ./Ethiopia, is called Thebais. 

 It is divided into Townships, with separate Jurisdictions, 

 which they call Nomi : as Ombites, Phatunites, Apol- 

 lopolites, Herrnonthites, Thinites, Phanturites, Captites, 

 Tentyrites, Diospalites, Antaeopolites, Aphroditopolites, and 

 Lycopolites. The Country about Pelusium hath these Nomi : 

 Pharboetites, Bubastites, Sethroites, and Tanites. But the 

 remainder, the Arabic, the Hammoniac which extendeth to 

 the Oracle of Jupiter Hammon, Oxyrinchites, Leontopolites, 

 Atarrhabites, Cynopolites, Hermopolites, Xoites, Mendesius, 

 Sebennites, Capastites, Latopolites, Heliopolites, Prosopites, 

 Panopolites, [Thermopolites, Saithes?] Busirites, Onuphites, 

 Sorites, Ptenethu, Pthemphu, Naucratites, Nitrites, Gynse- 

 copolites, Menelaites, in the Country of Alexandria. In like 

 manner of Libya Mareotis. Heracleopolites is in an Island of 

 Nilus, 50 Miles long, wherein also is the place they call the 

 Town of Hercules. There are two Arsinoetes; they and 

 Memphites reach as far as to the Head of Delta. Upon it there 

 border, out of Africa, the two Ouasitae. There are Writers 

 that change some of these Names, and substitute other Nomi: 

 as Heroopolites, and Crocodilopolites. Between Arsinoetes 

 and Memphites there was a Lake 250 Miles in Circuit ; or, 

 as Mutianus saith, 450, and 50 Paces deep (i. e. 150 Feet), 

 made by Hand ; called the Lake Moeridis, from a King who 



