4 <>q TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



To facilitate the communication with Arabia, Ptolemy 

 built a town on the coaft of the Red Sea, in the country of 

 the Shepherds, and called it Berenice*, after his mother. This 

 was intended as a place of neceflary refrefhment for all the 

 traders up and down the Gulf, whether of India or Ethio- 

 pia ; hence the cargoes of merchants, who were afraid of 

 lofmg the monfoons, or had loft them, were carried by the 

 inhabitants of the country, in three days, to the Nile, and 

 there embarked for Alexandria. To make the communi- 

 cation between the Nile and the Red Sea ftill more commodi- 

 ous, this prince tried an attempt (which had twice before 

 mifcarried with very great lofs) to bring a canal -f from the 

 Red Sea to the Nile, which he actually accompliihed, join- 

 ing it to the Pelufiac, or Eaftern branch of the Nile. Locks 

 and fluices moreover are mentioned as having been em- 

 ployed even in thofe early days by Ptolemy, but very trifling 

 ones could be needed, for the difference of level is there 

 but very fmalL 



This noble canal, one hundred yards broad, was not of 

 that ufe to trade which was expected ; merchants Were weary 

 of the length of time confirmed in going to the very bot- 

 tom of the Gulf, and afterwards with this inland naviga?- 

 tion of the canal, and that of the Nile, to Alexandria. It was 

 therefore much more expeditious to unload at Berenice, 

 and, after three days journey, fend their merchandife direct- 

 ly down to Alexandria. Thus the canal was difufed, the 

 goods paffed from Berenice to the Nile by land, and that 

 road continues open for the fame purpofe to this day. 



* JMin. lib. 6. cap.. 23.. f Strabo,. lib, 17. p. 93/2- 



