in the only art, in which these learned people were deficient.

Accordingly we find them feated at the Sea Port of Caper-Cheroth on the Red Sea, where he furnished them with Scuth, i. e. Ships, (Egyptiacè Skeita) and that appears to be the Allegory of marrying his daughter Scota to Niul, which was the name of the Egyptian Hercules, according to Ptolem. Hephæftion.

In like manner it is faid, that Hercules having · conquered and flain Antaeus King of Mauritania, married his Widow Tingi, from whom the City of Tiggir, or Tingi, now Tangier, had been fo called by Antaeus its founder: Pomp. Mela. L. 3. Plin. L. 5. C. 1.-Plutarch. in Sertorio-Jablonfki Panth. Egy. L. 2. C. 7.-whereas we have fhewn from good Authority, that Tiggir was fo named from the Syriac, Phænician and Irish words,, implying Merchants.-Tangier was the Emporium of Africa.

The Ægyptians, on a religious account, bore a great averfion to the Sea, which they called Typhon, because it swallows up their Nile, and hated Sailors fo much, that they would not speak to them: and though they were not fond of going out of their own country, for fear of introducing foreign cuftoms, yet they were not ignorant of Sea affairs. Sefoftris built a formidable navy of 400 Ships of war, for his expedition to the Southern Seas; and alfo a very large Veffel of Cedar 280 Cubits long, gilt without, and beautified within, which he dedicated to Ofiris. (c) But Sefoftris according to Sir I. Newton was Niul or Nilus i. e. Hercules.

(c) Diod. Sicul. Eupolemus. Un. Hist.

The

The Egyptians therefore only wanted Sailors, and fuch too, as had navigated to the East, from whence they had, in very early times, brought the commodities on Camels by the Ifthmus of Sues : the establishment of a port at Caper-Cheroth, a little below Sues, was moft convenient for this trade in all refpects. (d)

Philoftratus relates that a certain Prince named Erythras was mafter of the Red Sea, and made á bye-law or regulation that the Ægyptians fhould not enter that Sea with any Ships of war, nor with more than one merchant Ship at a time. To evade which, the Egyptians built a large veffel, to fupply the place of many. (e)

Some take Erythras to be the fame with Efau or Edom; we claim him as a Scythian of Oman. Aorthaire in Irish fignifies a Shipman, the word is

(d) The effects of Pharaoh's overthrow were felt in Egypt for many ages, (fays Dr. Playfair.) In procefs of time it united under one head, and acquired new vigour,-the Egyptian name again became famous. The Arts and Sciences were cultivated, but never brought to maturity-feveral circumftances contributed to retard the literary progrefs of the Egyptians. In thofe early ages they had no way of communicating their ideas but by hieroglyphics, which, at best was a very imperfect and doubtful me→ thod. Commerce was unknown to them, and ftrangers who went thither on business were punished with death or flavery speciinens of their skill in architecture, sculpture, and Geometry remain, but thefe difplay their induftry more than their tafte. (Playfair's Chronology, p. 65.) The Egyptians fay the Art of ufing the wind by means of Sails was exceeding ancient: they give the honour of this discovery to Mis-but, over and above the little credit which is due to the greater part of the hiftory of this Prin cefs, we shall prove, fays Gouget, that this difcovery cannot be afcribed to the Egyptians. They certainly borrowed the Scythian word Efs or Is a Ship, and dedicated this machine and its difcovery to that Goddefs, from the affinity of name.

(e) De Vita Apollonii, L. 3. c. 35.

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alfo

alfo Armenian; the mountain on which the Ark refted, is called by them Aorth to this day.

Erythia was the ancient name of Cadas, now Gadiz, both words imply a Ship in the ancient Irish; and the Rabbins derive the name Spania or Spain from ND Spina, Navis, 150 Span, Nauta. (f)

'The learned Niebuhr gives a pleasing account of King Erythras; "he reigned, fays he, in one of "the Ifles of the Perfian Gulph, and is there bu "ried but the learned do not agree in which of "the Ifles. Pliny calls it Ogyris, by which he "feems to mean Socreta. M D'Anville thinks it was Ormus; but it appears to have been Oarac"ta where Nearchus faw his tomb, and I think it "is now called Kifhme by the Europeans." (g)

But Pliny attributes the invention of Ships to K. Erythras, which feems to indicate that he was fo named from Aorth a Ship. "Nave primus in "Græciam ex Ægypto Danaus advenit; ante ra"tibus navigabatur, inventis in mari Rubro inter "infulas à Rege Erythra. (h) This alludes to a "paffage in Agartachides, who fays, Erythras liv"ed in an ifland, and paffed to the Continent on "Rafts of beams, fuch as the fishermen now use "there, fays M. Niebuhr."

The facred Scripturcs prove that neither this Erythras, or any other, was an Edomite or Idumæan, that had poffeffion of the Red Sea, when Mofes paffed it, becaufe Edom did not then extend to the Red Sea.

(f) Arabice Cadas, a large Ship, Ch. Kid. The modern Irish write the word Caras.

(g) Niebuhri Arabia. p. 267.

(h) Lib. 7. Ch. 56.

In Numbers C. 20. V. 14. we are told, that Mofes fent meffengers from Kadesh, unto the K. of Edom.-V. 20. and the K. faid, thou shalt not go through. And Edom came out with much people and with a strong hand. Thus Edom refused to give Ifrael paffage through his borders, wherefore Ifrael turned away from him. Numbers 13. V. 4. And they journeyed from Mount Hor, by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the Land of Edom.

And it appears that the Canaanites did not at that time dwell on the borders of the Red Sea, for the Ifraelites were then on their journey to poffefs themselves of their country. It appears alfo that Edom did extend to the Red Sea in Solomon's time, unless there is an interpolation, by way of Explanation. (i)

Niul and his Colony were fettled at Caper-Cheroth. Caper in Chaldee is a town, village, or fettlements (pagus) and the name of the place where Mofes paffed the Red Sea, was Cheroth. Exod. C. 14. V. 2. Turn and encamp before Piha-Chiroth, between Migdol and the Sea; Numb. 33. V. 8. And they departed from before Pihachiroth, and paffed through the midft of the Sea. This place was on the borders of Egypt, and in the Scripture is always written - PihaChiroth, i. e. the oftium of Chiroth. Hhiroth, Iroth vel Chiroth, Locus deferti ad quem venerunt filii Ifrael mare transfretentes.-(k) Piha-Chiroth. soμa Eipal, Os Iroth. (1)

(i) 1 Kings, C. 9. V. 26. And K. Solomon made a Navy of Ships in Ezion-geber, which is beside Eloth, on the Shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.-This was a general expressi

on.

(k) Hieronym. Eufeb.
(1) Bonfrerius Oromon.

S 2

Niul

Niul fupplied the Ifraelites with provifions, (m) and moved lower down with his Shipping, left Pharaoh should crofs upon them in their march round the borders of Oman on the opposite Coast -for they were obliged to go round the borders of Edom as before related. And in four years after this event, fays the Book of Leacan, (an Irish MSS.) the Scythians fled with great part of Pharaoh's fleet. Nilus, fays Sir I. Newton, was the Egyptian Hercules, and in the days of Solomon failed to the straights, he was the Ógmius of the Gauls. (Chronol. p. 181.)

This is an Eastern Story handed down to us in Hebrew and in Arabic, by the Rabbins and Muffulmans. Rabbi Simon, who lived 200 years before Chrift, relates it in this manner. "She was

66 as Merchants Ships, that bring their food from afar: these are the words of Solomon, Prov. “ C. 31. V. 14.—Merchants Ships, the

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"anioth Canaan, which were on the Red Sea, "when Ifrael paffed it from afar they brought "them food; this alludes to the provifions thefe "Merchants gave to the Sons of Ifrael, who came "from Egypt without Store of provifions. Da "vid mentions thefe Ships in Pfalm 104. V. 27. "There went the Ships, (that is, on the Red

Sea,) when God fcorned at the Leviathan, that is, Pharaoh.-And because these Canaan Ships SC gave Ifrael of their provifions, God would not deftroy their Ships, but with an Eaft wind car

(m) We learn from Ptolomæus Hephæftion, that Nilus was the name of the Egyptian voyaging Hercules. Sir I. Newton takes him to be Sefac or Sefoftris, and that he was called Nilus, from the great improvement he made to the Nile: and this Nilus he says was the Ogmius of the Gauls. (Chronology p. 181.)