THE BAY OF BISCAY. 201 



superior. These illustrations will we think suffice to 

 refute the assertion that the Euskarian tongue could 

 ever very easily become a universal language. And 

 indeed it has hitherto been limited solely to the 

 Basques, who very easily learn both Spanish and 

 French, although their own language is never learned 

 by their neighbours of Spain or France. 



A history whose origin dates as far back as 535 

 years after the Deluge must necessarily present 

 several remarkable peculiarities. Thus, we find in 

 the annals of the Basques, side by side with the 

 patriarchs, persons of very different origin. After 

 the death of Tarsis, the Euskarians of Spain elected 

 Geryon as their king, who, to immortalise the re- 

 membrance of his reign, built two powerful cities, 

 namely, Girone to the north, and Cadiz to the south ; 

 but this sovereign, forgetting that a king should be 

 merely the father of his people, attempted to tyran- 

 nise over his subjects. They, however, revolted 

 against him, and Osiris king of Egypt, having 

 assisted them by force of arms, Gt *on was defeated 

 and killed on the plains of Tarifa, "not far from the 

 Straits of Gibraltar. His three sons succeeded him, 

 but being similar in character to their father, they 

 caused Osiris to be assassinated by Typhon. Orus, 

 the Libyan Hercules, now hastened from the depths 

 of Scythia, and having challenged them to single 

 combat, killed them and erected as monuments of his 

 victory the two celebrated pillars which bear his 

 name. Two companions at arms of Hercules, His- 

 palis and Atlantis, successively occupied the throne 

 of Spain. Siculus, the son of the latter, reigned 



