38 Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academij. 



Speaking of the wanderings of the descendants of Fenias Farsa, King 

 of Scythia, "from whom the Gadelians and Milesians derived their 

 origin," they are described as reaching Egypt under Mai, and in the 

 third generation as being obliged to leave the country under the 

 conduct of Sur, " and after a few days sailing" to have landed on the 

 Island of Crete ("the cradle of the civilisation brought to Europe by 

 the Phoenicians and Egyptians," the point of departure of the Tyrian 

 Hercules for his expedition into Lybia and Iberia). Heber Scot, 

 succeeding Sui' in command, conducts the Gadelians fi'om Crete to 

 the river Tanais in Scythia, "the country of their ancestors," "where 

 his colony settled for some time " (the town of Tanais was a flourish- 

 ing colony of the Milesians). A persecution, however, was raised 

 through jealousy of the Scythians against them, and they were 

 compelled to take refuge among the Amazons, having Adnoin for 

 their chief. After sojoui'ning there for some time, they departed 

 under the conduct of Lamphion, son of Adnoin, for the country called 

 in their language, " Goethluigne," supposed by O'Flaherty to be 

 Goetulia in Africa. They remained in that country during eight genera- 

 tions under the command of eight chiefs, of whom the last was Bratha. 

 " By Bratha they were led into Spain, inhabited at that time by the 

 descendants of Tubal, son of Japhet (that is by a people skilled in 

 metallurgy). These new comers under the command of Breogan, son 

 of Bratha, made war with success against the old inhabitants, and 

 became masters of the northern provinces, where Breogan built a city 

 which he called Brigantia or Braganza, after his own name." 



The narrative gives then the descent from Breogan, of Gallamb, 

 otherwise Mileag Espain, in Latin Milesius, "the ancestor of the 

 Milesians or ancient Irish," and after him they were called Clanna 

 Mileag or Milesians. He became in his turn chief of the colony of the 

 Gadelians. His return to Scythia and adventures there are recounted, 

 as also his subsequent departure therefrom. He embarked with his 

 two children and little troop of faithful Gadelians for Egypt. He 

 there served Pharaoh as general, and married his daughter Scota, by 

 whom he had two sons. "During his residence in that country he 

 caused twelve young men of his suite to be instructed in the different 

 arts and sciences then in use, in order that they might, on their return 

 to Spain, instruct their countrymen in the same." Milesius, thinking 

 it time to put an end to his labours and join once more his relatives 

 and friends in Spain, after a residence of seven years in Egypt, took 

 leave of the king and all his court to return with the princess, his 

 wife, his children and attendants. The voyage to Spain and attendant 



