14 
SOUTHERN AFRICA. 
Hence ignorance and fear soon peopled the 
Lybian wastes or deserts of Africa, with the 
Gorgons, and other like monstrous creations of 
fancy. Nor can we, when viewing now the 
habits of the African tribes, but corroborate 
the statements of Hanno's Punic Sailors : when 
we see the people lying in listless indolence 
by day, and dancing, singing, and rejoicing 
in the cool of night. Or, when setting fire to the 
dry and parched grass of summer, they thus 
clothe the hills in fire by night and day ; but 
which are soon again, after the falling of the 
tropical rains, covered with fresh and tender 
grass for their cattle to feed upon. 
Although no mention is, however, made of 
Southern Africa by these either, yet Pliny tells 
us that this voyage was effected round the 
whole extent of the African continent. 
We next read of Sataspes, a Persian noble- 
man, condemned to death by Xerxes, but whose 
sentence was commuted to the accomplishment 
of a voyage round Africa. He sailed from 
Egypt (b.c. 480) through the straits of Gib- 
raltar, and then Southwards, but frightened 
and terror-stricken by the mighty waves of the 
Atlantic, dashing against the shores of the great 
unknown desert ; he (after beating about for a 
few months) returned home, and suffered ac- 
cording to his original sentence. 
