Plinies Naturall Hiftone. 



A ant! the diocefe Arfinoctis, in the Lybiancoaft, the towres called Pyramides, the Labyrinth 

 built up in the lake of Moeris without any jote of timber to it^and the towne Crialon. One more 

 befides, (landing within-forth and bounding upon Arabia, called The towne of the Sunne, of 

 great account andimportance. 



C h ap. x. 



BVt right worthy of praife is Alexandria, (landing upon the coafl: of the Egyptian (ea, buile 

 by -^tow^^rthe Great on Africke fide, 12 mylesfrom the mouth of Canopus^ neareto 

 : B the lake Mareotis: which was before-time called * Arapotcs. Dimchdres the Archite6\ (a * 

 man renowmed for his fingular wit many waies) laid the model! and platforms thereof by a fub- 

 till and wittie devife : for having taken up a circuit of 1 5 miles for the cittie, hee made it round 

 like to a Macedonian cloke, full in the skitts^bearing out into angles andcorncrSj as well on the 

 lef£4and as the right, fo as it feemed to lye in folds and plaits 5 and yet even then he fet out one 

 fift part of all this plot for the kings pallace.The lake Mareotis from the South (idejmeeteth with 

 an arme of the river Kilus, broughtfrom out of the mouth ofthc faid river called Canopicus ; 

 for the more commodious trafficke and commerce out of thefirme ground and inland Con- 

 tinent.This lake containeth within it fundry Hands j and (according to CUudtm C^far) it is thir- 

 tie miles over. Others fayjthat it lyeth in length fortie Schoenij and fo^ whereas every Schoene 

 Q is^oftadiajitcommeth by that account to be 150 mylcs long, and as many broad. Over and 

 belides, there be many goodly faire townes of great imporcance,ftanding upon the river Nikis 

 where he runneth, and thole efpecially which have given name to the mouthes of the river^anci 

 yetnoctoallthofe neither (for there be 11 of them in alljoverand befidesfoure more, which 

 they themfelves call baftard mouthes) but to 7 of theprincipall : to wit, upon that of Canopus^ 

 next to Alexandria 5 then Bolbitinum, and (b forth to Sebsnniticum, PhatuiticumjMcndefi- 

 cum,Taniticum^andlaftof allPelufiacum. Odier cities there bebefides, to wit,Buro5,Phar- 

 boetbsjLeontopolis, AchribiSj iris towne.BufirisjCynophis, Aphrodites, Sais,Naucratis,of 

 which fome thinke the mouth Naucraticum tooke the name, which they be that call Heracleo^ 

 ticum, preferring it before Canopicumj next unto which it f^andeth, 



Chap. xi. • 



^ Ardhii [the Vefertor Petraa!] 



BEirig once pad that arme of the river Nilus, which cntreth into the fea atPcIiiilum, you 

 come into Arabia,confining upon the red Sea : and that other Arabia, fo rich and odori- 

 ferous J and therefore renowmed with the furname of Happie . As for this Defert Arabia, 

 pofTefled it is by theCatabanes^EsboniteSjand Screnice Arabians ; all barren and fruitlelle^ 

 iave whereas it meeteth with the confines of Syria, and fetting afide the mountaine Cafius, no« 

 thing memorable. This region confronteth the Arabians Canchlei on the Eaftride,andthe 

 E Cedrasi Southward, and they both confine together afterwards upon the Nabathsees. Moreo- 

 ver, two Baies there be,the one called, The guSe of Heroopolisj and the other of Elani : both in 

 the red fea on the coail of ^gypt, 1 50 miles diftant, betweene two townes, Elana and Ga2a« 

 t^hichisinour [Mediteraneanjfea. ^^r^//'4countethfromPelu{ium to ArfinoCja towne fituntc 

 upon the red fea, an hundred and five and twentie miles. See how fmall a way lyeth between two? 

 Climates fo different in nature. 



. > Chap, xil, 



Sjm^Palefime^Phcenice^ 



p \ 1^^^ ^^^^ Arabia, confineth Syria ^ a Region in times pafi, the chiefe and 



y mofl; renowmed upon earth : and the fame diftinguifhed by fimdrie names . For where it 

 confineth upon the Arabians, called it Was Palaeftina, lurie. Gale- Syria, and aftetwatd^ 

 Phcenice:But goe farther within thefirme land, Damafcene.Turne more flill South wards,is is 

 named Babylonia, And the fame;, between the rivers Euphrates andTygrisjcanieththenaliie 



Kij " of 



