The Accuracy Of Our Author, Even When He Is Opposed By
The Testimony Of Bruce, Is Fully Proved In What He Relates Of The Coast
Below Foul Bay:
After mentioning two mountains, which he calls the Bulls,
he particularly adverts to the dangerous shoals which often proved fatal to
the elephant ships on their passage to and from Ptolemais.
Bruce says no
such shoals exist; but, as is justly observed by Dr. Vincent; the
correctness of the ancients respecting them, especially Eratosthenes,
Agatharcides and Artemidorus, is fully borne out by the danger and loss to
which many English ships have been exposed by reason of these very shoals.
The description of Agatharcides of this side of the coast of the Red Sea,
reaches no lower down than Ptolemais; this circumstance is remarkable,
since we have seen that, from the inscription found at Aduli there can be
no doubt that Ptolemy Euergetes had conquered Abyssinia, and established a
commerce considerably lower down than Ptolemais Theron. As, however, we
have not the original, and perhaps not the entire work of Agatharcides, we
cannot infer any thing, either respecting his ignorance or inattention,
from this omission.
Agatharcides, having thus described this coast, returns from Ptolemais to
Myos Hormos, and passing the Bay of Arsinoe, crosses to Phoenicum, in the
Elanitic Gulf, and describes the coast of Arabia as far as Sabea. Almost
the very first particular noticed by him in this part of his work, bears
evidence to his accuracy as a geographer. He states that, at the entrance
of the Elanitic Gulph there are three islands, one of which is dedicated to
Isis: he describes them as, "covering several harbours on the Arabian
shore. To these islands succeeds the rocky coast of Thamudeni, where, for
more than 1000 stadia, there is no harbour, no roadsted in which a vessel
could anchor, no bay into which she could run for shelter, no point of land
which could protect her; so that those who sail alone this part of the
coast are exposed to certain destruction, if they should be overtaken by a
storm." Yet these islands lying in such a conspicuous situation, and of
such importance to the mariner, and this coast so dangerous to him, do not
appear to have been noticed in any European chart or description, till,
after the lapse of twenty centuries, they were restored to geography by Mr.
Irwin.
As one of our principal objects is to do justice to the accuracy of the
ancient geographers, by pointing out instances of the extreme care which
many of them took to obtain correct information we shall adduce one other
proof of this accuracy and care in Agatharcides. This author particularly
describes the sea as having a white appearance off the coast of Arabia; on
this point he was well informed though the circumstance is treated as
fabulous by the ancients, and even by some of the moderns; but more
observant modern travellers confirm this phenomenon. It is well observed by
Dr. Vincent, that we are every day lessening the bulk of the marvellous
imputed to the ancients; and as our knowledge of the east increases, it is
possible that the imputation will be altogether removed.
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