340 PLDrr's NATUBAii histoet. [Book lY. 



have now to follow the shores of the Northern Ocean on the 

 left, until we arrive at Grades. In this direction a great 



theories, but one with which practically they had neyer made themselves 

 acquainted ? — The only geographers who here merit our notice are those 

 who are of opinion that in some of the coasts or islands here mentioned 

 Pliny describes the Scandinavian Peninsula, and in others the Coast of 

 Finland. The first question then is, to what point Pliny first carries us ? 

 It is evident that from the Black Sea he transports himself on a sud- 

 den to the shores of the Baltic, thus passing over at a single leap a con- 

 siderable space filled with nations and imknown deserts. The question 

 then is, what line has he followed ? Supposing our author had had before 

 his eyes a modem map, the imaginary line which he would have drawn 

 in making this transition wovdd have been from Odessa to the Kurisch- 

 Haff. In this direction the breadth across Europe is contracted to a 

 space, between the two seas, not more than 268 leagues in length. A 

 very simple mode of reasoning will conclusively prove that Pliny has 

 deviated Httle if anything from this route. If he fails to state in precise 

 terms upon what point of the shores of the Baltic he alights after leaving 

 the Eipha»n mountains, his enumeration of the rivers which discharge 

 themselves into that sea, and with which he concludes his account of 

 Germany, will supply us with the requisite information, at all events in 

 great part. In following his description of the coast, we find mention 

 madeof the following rivers, theGuttalus, the Vistula, theElbe, theWeser, 

 the Ems, the Khine, and the Meuse. The five last mentioned follow in 

 their natural order, from east to west, as was to be expected in a descrip- 

 tion starting fi^m the east of Europe for its western extremity and the 

 shores of Cadiz. We have a right to conclude then that the Guttalus 

 was to the east of the Vistida. As we shall now endeavour to show, 

 this river was no other than the Alle, a tributary of the Pregel, which 

 the Romans probably, in advancing from west to east, considered as the 

 principal stream, from the circumstance that they met with it, before 

 coming to the larger river. The Pregel after being increased by the waters 

 of the Alle or Guttalus falls into the rrisch-Hafi", about one degree 

 further west than the Kurisch-Haflf. It may however be here remarked, 

 Why not find a river more to the east, the Niemen, for instance, or the 

 Dima, to be represented by the Guttalus ? The Niemen in especial would 

 suit in every respect equally well, because it discharges itself into the 

 Kurisch-HafF. This conjecture however is incapable of support, when 

 we reflect that the ancients were undoubtedly acquainted with some 

 points of the coast to the east of the mouth of the Guttalus, but which, 

 according to the system followed by our author, would fonn part of the 

 Continent of Asia. These points are, 1st. The Cape Lytaimis (men- 

 tioned by Pliny, B. vi. c. 4). 2ndly. The mouth of the river Carambucis 

 (similarly mentioned by him), and 3rdly, a little to the east of Cape Ly 

 tarmis, the mouth of the Tanais. The name of Cape Lytarmis suggests 

 to us Lithuania, and probably represents Domess-Ness in Courland ; the 

 Carambucis can be no other than the Niemen ; while the Tanais, upon 

 ■which so many authors, ancient and modem, have exhausted their con- 



