DISCOVERIES OF THE ANCIENTS. 
voyage round Africa, which was represented as a 
still severer punishment. Sataspes, accordingly, 
having procured a vessel and mariners in the ports 
of Egypt, set out on this formidable expedition. 
He passed the Straits, and sailed along the 
western coast for several months, which would 
probably bring him as far as the desert. The 
view of those frightful and desolate shores, and of 
the immense ocean which dashed against them, 
might well intimidate a navigator, bred in the 
luxurious indolence of the Persian court. Satas- 
pes was struck with panic, and turning the vessel, 
measured back his way to the Straits. He did 
not even hesitate to present himself before Xerxes, 
conceiving, probably, that the series of adventures 
and sufferings through which he had passed, 
might obliterate the recollection, both of the 
crime he had committed, and of the part of his 
task which he had left unperformed. He stated, 
that, after having, in defiance of every difficulty, 
navigated an immense extent of coast, he had ar- 
rived at an obstacle (of what nature is not speci- 
fied) which rendered his further progress al- 
together impossible. To a monarch like Xerxes, 
who expected that all nature would obey his Jiat, 
such an excuse was not likely to appear very satis- 
factory. He considered only that his mandate 
had been unfulfilled, and ordered the original 
sentence to be immediately executed. Sataspes 
