Note 193 — Chapter XII · THE STONE OF HERCULES.

“That Africa is clearly surrounded by the sea, except where it borders on Asia, Necho, King of the Egyptians, was the first, we know, to demonstrate. That prince, having finished his excavations for the canal leading out of the Nile into the Arabian gulf, despatched certain natives of Phœnicia on ship-board, with orders to sail back through the Pillars of Hercules into the north, (Mediterranean) Sea, and so to return into Egypt. The Phœnicians consequently, having departed out of the Erythræan sea, proceeded on their voyage in the Southern Sea: when it was autumn, they would push ashore, and, sowing the land, whatever might be the part of Lybia they had reached, await there till the harvest time: having reaped their corn they continued their voyage. Thus, after the lapse of two years, and passing through the Pillars of Hercules in the third, they came back into Egypt, and stated what is not credible to me, but may be so, perhaps, to others,—namely, that in their circumnavigation of Libya, they had the sun upon the right hand.”—Heeren, ii. c. 44.