152 plint's natueal histoet. [^Book m. 



in, is poured forth into the inland seas. As it makes its 

 entrance from that side, Africa is on the right hand and 

 Europe on the left ; Asia lies between them^ ; the boundaries 

 being the rivers Tanais'^ and Nile. The Straits of the ocean, 

 of which I have just spoken, extend fifteen miles in length and 

 five^ in breadth, measured from the village of Mellaria^ in 

 Spain to the Album Promontorium* or White Promontory in 

 Africa, as we learn from Turranius Gracilis, who was born in 

 that vicinity. Titus Livius and Cornelius Nepos however 

 have stated the breadth, where it is least, to be seven miles, 

 and where greatest, ten ; from so small a mouth as this does 

 so immense an expanse of water open upon us ! Nor is our 

 astonishment diminished by the fact of its being of great 

 depth ; for, instead of that, there are numerous breakers and 

 shoals, white with foam, to strike tlie mariner with alarm. 

 From this circumstance it is, that many have called this spot 

 the threshold of The Inland Sea. 



At the narrowest part of the Straits, there are mountains 

 placed to form barriers to the entrance on either side, 

 Abyla^ in Africa, and Calpe^ in Europe, the boundaries 

 formerly of the labours of Hercules^. Hence it is that the 

 inhabitants have called them the Columns of that god ; they 



^ This is said more especially in reference to the western parts of Asia, 

 the only portion which was perfectly known to the ancients. His mean- 

 ing is, that Asia as a portion of the globe does not lie so far north aa 

 Europe, nor so far south as Africa. 



2 Now the Don. It was usually looked upon as the boundary between 

 Europe and Asia. Phny's meaning seems to be, that the Tanais divides 

 Asia from Europe, and the Nile, Asia from Africa, the more especially 

 as the part to the west of the Nile was sometimes considered as belonging 

 to Asia. It has been however suggested that he intends to assign these 

 rivers as the extreme eastern boxmdaries of the iatemal or Mediterranean 

 sea. 



3 At no spot are the Straits leas than ten miles in width ; although 

 D' AnvOle makes the width to be Httle less than five miles. This passage 

 of our author is probably in a corrupt state. 



^ This probably stood near the site of the town of Tarifa of the pre- 

 sent day. 



^ Probably the point called ' Puiita del Sainar ' at the present day. 



6 Now caUed Ximiera, Jebel-el-Mina, or Monte del Hacho. 



7 The Rock of Gibraltar. 



^ The fable was that they originally formed one moimtain, which was 

 torn asunder by Hercides, or as Pliny says, " dug through." 



