Chap. 112.] 
DIMEISTSIONS OF THE EAETH. 
145 
coast of Spain, 331 miles; across tlie passage of Gades 7^ 
miles ; which distances, according to the estimate of Arte- 
midorus, make altogether 8945 miles. 
The breadth of the earth, from south to north, is commonly- 
supposed to be about one-half only of its length, viz. 4490 
miles ; hence it is evident how much the heat has stolen from 
it on one side and the cold on the other : for I do not sup- 
pose that the land is actually wanting, or that the earth has 
not the form of a globe ; but that, on each side, the unin- 
habitable parts have not been discovered. This measure 
then extends from the coast of the iEtliiopian ocean, the 
most distant part which is habitable, to Meroe, 1000 miles ^ ; 
thence to Alexandria 1250 ; to Rhodes 562 ; to Cnidos 87|- ; 
to Cos 25 ; to Samos 100 ; to Chios 94 ; to Mitylene 65 ; to 
Tenedos 44 ; to the promontory of Sigseum 12^ ; to the en- 
trance of the Euxine 312|- ; to the promontory of Carambis 
350 ; to the entrance of the Palus Mseotis 312|^ ; and to the 
mouth of the Tanais 275 miles, which distance, if we went 
by sea, might be shortened 89 miles. Beyond the Tanais 
the most diligent authors have not been able to obtain any 
accurate measurement. Artemidorus supposes that every- 
thing beyond is undiscovered, since he confesses that, about 
the Tanais, the tribes of the Sarmatse dwell, who extend 
towards the north, pole. Isidorus adds 1250 miles, as the 
distance to Thule^ ; but this is mere conjecture. Tor my 
part, I believe that the boundaries of Sarmatia really extend 
to as great a distance as that mentioned above : for if it 
were not very extensive, how could it contain the innume- 
rable tribes that are always changing their residence ? And 
indeed I consider the uninhabitable portion of the world to 
be still greater ; for it is well known that there are innu- 
^ The same remarks may be made upon this and the following num- 
bers as upon those in the former paragraph ; for farther information I 
shall refer my readers to the notes of Hardouin, Brotier, and Alexandre, 
in Lemaire, i. 465-468. 
2 There is great uncertainty respecting the locaHty of the Thule of 
the ancients ; there was, in fact, nothing known respecting the locality 
or identity of any of the places approaching to the Arctic circle; the 
name appears to have been vaguely apphed to some country lying to the 
north of the habitable parts of Europe. In note ^, p. 109, 1 have already 
had occasion to offer some remarks on the locaHty of Thule, Our author 
! speaks of Thule in two subsequent parts of his work, iv. 30 and vi. 39. 
TOL. I. L 
