BOOK V.] History of Nature. 65 



Miles over. Others say, that it lieth in Length 40 Schceni ; 

 and as every Schoenus is 30 Stadia, it cometh to be 150 

 Miles long, and as many broad. There are many Towns of 

 importance standing upon the Course of the River Nilus, 

 and those especially which have given Names to the Mouths, 

 not to all those (for there are 11 of them, besides 4 more, 

 which they themselves call false Mouths), but to the most 

 celebrated 7 : as, to that of Canopus, next to Alexandria ; 

 then Bolbitinum, Sebenniticum, Phatniticum, Mendesicum, 

 Taniticum, and last, Pelusiacum ; besides, Euros, Pharbcetos, 

 Leontopolis, Athribis, the Town of Isis, Busiris, Cynopolis, 

 Aphrodites, Sa'is, Naucratis, whence some name the Mouth 

 Naucraticum, which others call Heracleoticum, preferring it 

 before Canopicum, next to which it standeth. 



CHAPTER XI. 

 Arabia. 



BEYOND the Pelusiac Mouth is Arabia, bordering on the 

 Red Sea : and that Arabia, so rich and odoriferous, and re- 

 nowned with the Surname of Happy. This Desert Arabia is 

 possessed by the Catabanes, Esbonitae, and Scenite Arabians : 

 barren, except where it toucheth the Confines of Syria, and, 

 setting aside the Mountain Casius, nothing memorable. This 

 Region is joined to the Arabians, Canchlei on the East Side, 

 and to the Cedraei Southward ; and they both are joined 

 afterwards with the Nabathaei. Moreover, two Bays there 

 be, one Bay is called that of Heroopoliticus, and the other, 

 Elaniticus : in the Red Sea, bordering on Egypt, 150 Miles 

 distant, between two Towns, Elana and Gaza, which is in our 

 [Mediterranean] Sea. Agrippa counteth from Pelusium to 

 Arsinoe, a Town upon the Red Sea, through the Deserts, an 

 hundred and five-and-twenty Miles. So small a Way lieth 

 between things of such Difference in Nature. 



CHAPTER XII. 

 Syria, Palcestina, Pkcenicfi. 



NEAR the Coast is Syria, a Region which in Times past 

 was the chiefest of Lands, and distinguished by many Names. 



