452 
The Cradle of Civilisation . 
[October, 
the Frisian colony. The establishment of the colonists in 
the Punjab in 1551 before Christ, and their journey thither, 
we find fully described in Adela’s book, and with the men- 
tion of one most remarkable circumstance, namely, that the 
Frisian mariners sailed through the Strait which in those 
times still ran into the Red Sea.” 
“ In Strabo (Book I., pp. 38 and 50) it appears that 
Eratosthenes was acquainted with the existence of the 
Strait, of which the later geographers make no mention. 
It existed still in the time of Moses (Exodus xiv., 2), for he 
encamped at Pi-ha-chiroht, the ‘ Mouth of the Strait.’ 
Moreover, Strabo mentions that Sesostris made an attempt 
to cut through the isthmus, but that he was not able to ac- 
complish it. That in very remote times the sea really did 
flow through it is proved by the result of the geological in- 
vestigations on the isthmus made by the Suez Canal Com- 
mission, of which M. Renaud presented a Report to the 
Academy of Sciences, on the 19th June, 1856. In that 
Report, among other things, appears the following : — 
‘ Une question fort controversee est celle de savoir si a 
1’epoque ou les Hebreux fugaient del ’Egypte sous la conduite 
de Moise les lacs amers faisaient encore partie de la Mer 
Rouge. Cette derniere hypothese s’accorderait mieux que 
l’hypothese contraire avec le texte des livres sacres, mais 
alors il faudrait admettre que depuis l’epoque de Moise le 
seuil de Suez serait sorti des eaux.’ ” 
This entire passage is remarkable for its loose method of 
reasoning. That at some remote period there may have 
been a connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterra- 
nean is perfectly possible ; but the question here at issue is, 
did such Strait exist down to the time of Moses, and disap- 
pear thirteen years after ? The expression “ Mouth of the 
Strait ” proves nothing, since it may signify a narrow sea 
closed at one end, like either of the two northern forks of 
the Red Sea. We think that everyone who reads the Book 
of Genesis without prepossession must conclude that in the 
time of the early Hebrew patriarchs the road from Palestine 
to Egypt did not involve the passage of an arm of the sea. 
The attempt of Sesostris, as mentioned by Strabo, proves 
nothing, since such a canal would be equally useful whether 
the isthmus had existed from time immemorial or was a 
mere recent upheaval. Nor can much weight be laid on the 
name of Minnagara. That such a name, as given through 
the medium of a Greek author, and probably modified, may 
be found capable of a Frisian etymology — involving, too, a 
proper name — is a coincidence too trifling to be of any 
