ANCIENT KNOWLEDGE OF AFRICA. 25 



African desert, which must be acknowledged to be at once 

 accurate and just. 



In the tract westward from Egypt, behind the great "Af- 

 rican forehead," the first object was the celebrated and 

 sacred shrine of Ammon, dedicated to the Theban Jove, 

 and to which the Greeks ascribed a higher prophetic power 

 than even to their own Delphic Oracle. This temple, situ- 

 ated in the midst of almost inaccessible deserts, was distin- 

 guished for a fountain, which, warm at midnight, became 

 always colder and colder till noon. Ten days' journey be- 

 yond Ammon lay ^gila, occupied by the Nasamones, a 

 numerous people, who in winter fed their flocks on the sea- 

 coast, and in summer repaired to collect and store up the 

 dates here growing on extensive forests of palm-trees. To 

 this people are ascribed various singular customs, among 

 which was their mode of foreseeing the future by laying 

 themselves to sleep on the tombs of their ancestors, watch- 

 ing the dreams which arose in this position, and treasuring 

 them up as oracles. Bordering upon them had formerly 

 been the Psylli, famous for the charming of serpents, an art 

 not yet wholly lost in this region ; but that tribe, suffering 

 once under a severe drought, had been so ill informed as to 

 proceed southward in hope of finding water, where, being 

 involved in those vast and burning deserts, they entirely 

 perished, and their place was taken by the Nasamones. 

 Beyond them, the Macae inhabited a beautiful region wa- 

 tered by the river Cinyps, on whose bank rose " the hill of 

 the Graces," covered with a profiision of the finest foliage. 

 Such is still the gay and brilliant aspect which the neigh- 

 bourhood of Bengazi presents. To the south of the Na- 

 samones, in a region almost resigned to wild beasts, the 

 Garamantea inhabited an extensive valley, now called Fez- 

 zan. They are represented under characters of which the 

 present natives retain no trace, — as a solitary and timid 

 people, shuiming the intercourse and society of men, desti- 

 tute of arms, and not even attempting to defend themselves 

 against foreign aggression. 



After the Gindanes and the Lotophagi, who ate the lotus 

 and made wine from its fruit, came the Machlyes and the 

 Auses, dwelling round the lake of Tritonis ; the scene of 

 the reported birth and oracle of Minerva, with which were 

 connected many cclebiated fables of ancient mythology. It 

 C 



