Note 65 — Chapter IV
Reading edition
There is a town named Taboo, a considerable way to the SW of Fezzan. D’Anville writes it Tibedou. It seems to be the Tabidium of Pliny, one of the towns conquered by the Romans, under Balbus. (Pliny, lib. v. c. 4 and 5.) Pliny says, c. 8. that “the Romans possessed the country, even to the river Niger, which separates Africa from Ethiopia;” and gives a long list of provinces and towns subject to them. It may be conceived, that besides Fezzan, Gadamis, Taboo, &c. they possessed the fertile tract, in the line from thence to the Niger; that is, Agadez, Kashna, and perhaps Gana.
It may be remarked that Pliny (c. 8) speaks of two Ethiopias; and quotes Homer, as having divided them into Eastern and Western. One may conceive that the division between them, was the fertile tract in question, extending from Fezzan, in the line towards the Niger.