MELPOMENE. 97

voyage for several months, in which he passed over
an immense tract of sea, he saw no probable termina­
tion of his labours, and therefore sailed back to Egypt.
Returning to the court of Xerxes, he amongst other
things related, that in the most remote places he had
visited he had seen a people of diminutive appear­
ance, clothed in red garments, who on the approach
of his vessel to the shore, had deserted their habita­
tions, and fled to the mountains. But he affirmed,
that his people, satisfied with taking a supply of pro­
visions, offered them no violence. He denied the pos­
sibility of his making the circuit of Libya, as his
vessel was totally unable to proceed. Xerxes gave
no credit to his assertions; and, as he had not fulfilled
the terms imposed upon him, he was executed accord­
ing to his former sentence. An eunuch belonging to
this Sataspes, hearing of his master's death, fled with
a great sum of money to Samos, but he was there
robbed of his property by a native of the place, whose
name I know, but forbear to mention.

XLIV. A very considerable part of Asia was first
discovered by Darius. He was extremely desirous of
ascertaining where the Indus meets the ocean, the
only river but one in which crocodiles are found; to
effect this, he sent, among other men in whom he could
confide, Scylax of Caryandia. Departing from Cas-
patyrus in the Pactyian territories, they followed the
eastern course of the river, till they came to the sea;
then sailing westward, they arrived, after a voyage
of thirty months, at the very point from whence, as I
have before related, the Egyptian prince despatched
the Phoenicians to circumnavigate Libya. After this
voyage Darius subdued the Indians, and became mas­
ter of that ocean: whence it appears that Asia in all
its parts, except those more remotely to the east, en­
tirely resembles Libya.

XLV. It is certain that Europe has not hitherto
been carefully examined; it is by no means determin­
ed whether to the east and north it is limited by the
ocean. In length it unquestionably exceeds the two
other divisions of the earth; but I, am far from satis­
fied why to one continent three different names, taken
Vol. II. I