XXXIV 
APPENDIX. 
“ It appears from Procopius (Vandal, lib. i. c. 12), that the fleet 
of Belisarius was sixteen days on its passage from Zante to Cau- 
cana in Sicily. The distance being three hundred and twenty 
geographic miles, gives twenty such miles per day, or about two 
hundred and fifty stadia. This must be regarded as the ^ffect of 
oars generally ; there being very little wind, or almost a continued 
calm. 
“ Diodorus (lib. v. c. 2) says, that tin was carried across in four 
days from Britain to Gaul, where it was landed, and carried across 
the Rhone in thirty journies. From the descriptions and the circum- 
stances altogether, it appears to have been embarked at St. Michael’s 
Mount in Cornwall, and landed near the other mount of the same 
name in France ; perhaps at St. Maloes. 
“ This would give a rate of about forty miles per day : but he says 
(Diodorus) that the western promontory of Britain is four days’ sail 
from the opposite continent. 
“ It is conceived (Major Rennell continues) that the slow progress 
of the vessels of the ancients will be readily admitted ; since in 
addition to so many other examples, we have the reports of Hero- 
dotus and Nearchus, — of the latter respecting the length of a day’s 
sail ; of the former, as to the space actually sailed through in the 
course of a day, and remarked as an uncommon long run in those 
days ; as also the time required to navigate the Red Sea and the 
Euxine, the latter of which appears to be reported from Herodotus’s 
own experience. 
“ In effect none of these differ materially from the rest : — the mean 
rate of all, then, being so low as thirty-seven geographic miles, we 
are naturally led to inquire (continues the Major) why there should 
be so great a disproportion between the sailing of ancient and 
modern ships ; since a day’s sail (of four-and-twenty hours) of a 
modern ship cannot be reckoned at less than three times that of the 
ancient ones ? 
“ Even the worst description of modern vessels of which we have 
any knowledge seems to be superior to the antient ones in respect 
