340 
plikt's kattjeal histoet. 
[Book IV; 
liave now to follow tlie shores of the JS'ortliern Ocean on the 
left, until we arrive at Glades. In this direction a great 
theories, but one with which practically they had never made themselves 
acquainted ? — The only geographers who here merit our notice are those 
who are of opinion that in some of the coasts or islands here mentioned 
Pliny describes the Scandinavian Peninsula, and in others the Coast of 
Pinland. The first question then is, to what point Phny first carries us ? 
It is evident that from the Black Sea he transports himself on a sud- 
den to the shores of the Baltic, thus passing over at a single leap a con- 
siderable space filled with nations and unknown deserts. The question 
then is, what line has he followed ? Supposing our author had had before 
his eyes a modern map, the imaginary line which he would have drawn 
in making this transition would have been from Odessa to the Kurisch- * 
Hafi*. In this direction the breadth across Europe is contracted to a 
space, between the two seas, not more than 268 leagues in length. A 
very simple mode of reasoning will conclusively prove that Phny has 
deviated httle if anything from this route. If he fails to state in precise 
terms upon what pomt of the shores of the Baltic he ahghts after leaving 
the Riphsean mountains, his enumeration of the rivers which dischargo 
themselves into that sea, and with which he concludes his account of 
Germany, will supply us with the requisite information, at all events in 
great part. In following his description of the coast, we find mention 
made of the following rivers, theGuttalus, the Vistula, theElbe, theWeser, 
the Ems, the Bhine, and the Meuse. The five last mentioned follow in 
their natm^al order, from east to west, as was to be expected in a descrip- 
tion starting from the east of Europe for its western extremity and the 
shores of Cadiz. We have a right to conclude then that the Guttalus 
was to the east of the Yistula. As we shall now endeavour to show, 
this river was no other than the Alle, a tributary of the Pregel, which 
the Bomans probably, in advancing from west to east, considered as the 
principal stream, from the circumstance that they met with it, before 
coming to the larger river. The Pregel after being increased by the waters 
of the Alle or Gruttalus faUs into the Erisch-Hafi*, about one degree 
further west than the Kurisch-Haff. It may however be here remarked, 
"Why not find a river more to the east, the Niemen, for instance, or the 
D ima, to be represented by the Gruttalus ? The Niemen in especial would 
suit in every respect equally well, because it discharges itself into the 
Kurisch-Half. This conjecture however is incapable of support, when 
we reflect that the ancients were undoubtedly acquainted with some 
points of the coast to the east of the mouth of the Guttalus, but which, 
according to the system followed by our author, would form part of the 
Continent of Asia. These points are, 1st. The Cape Lytaiinis (men- 
tioned by Phny, B. vi. c. 4). 2ndly. The mouth of the river Carambucis 
(similarly mentioned by him), and 3rdly, a little to the east of Cape Ly- 
tarmis, the mouth of the Tanais. The name of Cape Lytarmis suggests 
to us Lithuania, and probably represents Domess-Ness in Courland ; the 
Carambucis can be no other than the Niemen ; while the Tanais, upon 
which so many authors, ancient and modern, have exhausted their con- 
II 
