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mon, is by certain large birds carried to their nefts constructed of clay, and placed in the cavities of inaceffible rocks. To procure it thence the Arabians have contrived this ftratagem:-they cut in very large pieces the dead bodies of oxen, affes, or other beasts of burden, and carry them near these nests: they then retire to fome diftance; the birds foon fly to the spot, and carry these pieces of flesh to their nefts, which not being able to fupport the weight. fall in picces to the ground. The Arabians take this opportunity of gathering the cinnamon, which they afterwards difpofe of to different countries.

CXII. The ledanum "35, or, as the natives term it,

fays no fuch thing. But the authority of Pliny has imposed not only on Statius,

Phariæque exempta volucri
Cinnama,

where Pharia volucris means the phoenix; and on Avienus,

Internis etiam procul undique ab oris

Ales amica deo largum congeffit amomum;

but alfo on Van Stapel, in his Commentaries on Theophraftus. - Pliny had, doubtless, read too hastily this paffage of Herodotus, which is fufficiently clear. Suidas and the Etymologicum Magnum, are right in the word nivawμov.”

136 Ledanum.]—The following further particulars concerning this aromatic are taken from Tournefort.

It is gathered by the means of whips, which have long handles, and two rows of ftraps; with these they brush the plants, and to these will stick the odoriferous glue which hangs on the leaves; when the whips are fufficiently laden with this glue, they take a knife and fcrape it clean off the straps.

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it, ladanum, is gathered in a more remarkable manner than even the cinnamon. In itself it is particularly fragant, though gathered from a place as much the contrary. It is found fticking to the beards of he-goats, like the mucus of trees. It is mixed by the Arabians in various aromatics, and indeed it is with this that they perfume themselves in common.

CXIII. I have thought it proper to be thus minute on the fubject of the Arabian perfumes; and we may add, that the whole of Arabia exhales a moft delicious fragrance. There are also in this country two fpecies of fheep, well deferving admiration, and to be found no where elfe. One of them is remarkable for an enormous length of tail 37, extending to three cubits, if not more.

In the time of Diofcorides, and before, they used to gather the ledanum not only with whips, but they also were careful in combing off fuch of it as was found sticking to the beards and thighs of the goats, which fed upon nothing but the leaves of the çiftus.

The ledum is a species of ciftus.

437 Enormous length of tail.]-The following description of the broad-tailed sheep, from Pennant, takes away from the feeming improbability of this account.

"This species," fays Mr. Pennant, "is common in Syria, Barbary, and Æthiopia, Some of their tails end in a point, but are oftener fquare or round. They are fo long as to trail on the ground, and the fhepherds are obliged to put boards with small wheels under the tails, to keep them from galling. These tails are esteemed a great delicacy, are of a fubftance between fat and marrow, and are eaten with the lean of the mutton. Some of these tails weigh 50 lb. each.”

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If they were permitted to trail them along the ground, they would certainly ulcerate from the friction. But the fhepherds of the country are skilful enough to make little carriages, upon which they fecure the tails of the fheep; the tails of the other fpecies are of the size of one cubit.

CXIV. Æthiopia, which is the extremity of the habitable world, is contiguous to this country on the fouth-west. This produces gold in great quantities, elephants with their prodigious teeth, trees and fhrubs of every kind, as well as ebony; its inhabitants are alfo remarkable for their fize, their beauty, and their length of life.

CXV. The above are the two extremes of Afia and Africa. Of that part of Europe nearest to the weft, I am not able to speak with decifion, I by no means believe that the Barbarians give the name of Eridanus 138 to a river which empties itfelf into the Northern Sea, whence, as it is faid, our amber comes, Neither am I better ac,

138 Eridanus.]-Bellanger was of opinion, that Herodotus intended here to speak of the Eridanus, a river in Italy; Pliny thought fo too, and expreffes his furprize that Herodotus fhould be unable to meet with a perfon who had fcen this river, although, part of his life was spent at Thuria, in Magna Græcia,

But this very reflection ought to have convinced both Pliny and Bellanger, that Herodotus had another Eridanus in view.

The Eridanus here alluded to, could not poffibly be any other than the Rho-daune, which empties itself into the Viftula, near Dantzic, and on the banks of which amber is now found in large quantities.Larcher,

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quainted with the islands called the Caffiterides "39, from which we are faid to have our tin. The name Eridanus is certainly not barbarous, it is of

139 Caffiterides.]-Pliny fays these islands were thus called from their yielding abundance of lead; Strabo fays, that they were known only to the Phoenicians; Larcher is of opinion that Great Britain was in the number of these.

The Phoenicians, who were exceedingly jealous of their commerce, ftudiously concealed the fituation of the Caffiterides, as long as they were able; which fully accounts for the ignorance fo honeftly avowed by Herodotus. Camden and d'Anville agree in confidering the Scilly Ifles as undoubtedly the Caffiterides of the ancients. Strabo makes them ten in number, lying to the north of Spain; and the principal of the Scilly ifles are ten, the rest being very inconfiderable. Dionyfius Periegetes expressly distinguishes them from the British isles;

Νεσις θ' Εσπερίδας τους κασσιτέροιο γενεθλητ

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Δίσσαι νησοι εασι Βρετανίδες. ν. 563.

Yet it is not an improbable conjecture of his commentator Hill, that the promontory of Cornwall might perhaps at first be confidered as another ifland. Diodorus Siculus describes the carrying of tin from the Caffiterides, and from Britain, to the northern coast of France, and thence on horfes to Marseilles, thirty days journey; this must be a new trade established by the Romans, who employed great perfeverance to learn the secret from the Phoenicians, Strabo tells us of one Phoenician captain, who finding himself followed by a Roman vessel, purposely fteered into the fhallows, and thus deftroyed both his own ship and the other; his life, however, was faved, and he was rewarded by his countrymen for his patriotic refolution.

Euftathius, in his comment on Dionyfius, reckons alfo ten Caffiterides; but his account affords no new proof, as it is manifestly copied from Strabo, to the text of which author it affords a remarkable correction,-T

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Greek derivation, and, as I fhould conceive, introduced by one of our poets. I have endeavoured, but without fuccefs, to meet with fome one who from ocular observation might describe to me the fea which lies in that part of Europe. It is nevertheless certain, that both our tin and our am, ber 140 are brought from thofe extreme regions.

CXVI. It is certain that in the north of Europe there is a prodigious quantity of gold; but how it is produced I am not able to tell with certainty, It is affirmed indeed, that the Arimafpi, a people who have but one eye, take this gold away violently from the griffins; but I can never perfuade myself that there are any men who, having but one eye, enjoy in all other refpects the nature and qualities of other human beings. Thus much feems unqueftionable, that these extreme parts of the world contain within themselves things the most beautiful as well as rare.

CXVII. There is in Afia a large plain, fur

14 Amber.]-Amber takes its name from ambra, the Arabian name for this fubftance; the fcience of electricity is fo called from electrum, the Greek word for amber. This term of electricity is now applied not only to the power of attracting lighter bodies, which amber poffeffes, but to many other powers of a fimilar nature. Amber is certainly not of the use, and confequently not of the value, which it has been, but it is still given in medicine, and is, as I am informed, the basis of all varnishes. It is found in various places, but Pruffia is faid to produce the moft and the best.-T.

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