158 MELPOMENE.

itself to the myrtle, and is thus procured. It has»
bituminous smell, but is in other respects preferable to
that of Pieria. The pitch is then thrown into a trench
dug for the purpose by the side of the lake ; and when
a sufficient quantity has been obtained, they put it up
in casks. Whatever falls into the lake passes under
ground, .and is again seen in the sea, at the distance
of four stadia from the lake. Thus what is related
of this island contiguous to Libya, seems both con­
sistent and probable. ~

CXCVI. We have the same authority of the Cartha­
ginians to affirm, that beyond the Columns of Hercules
there is a country inhabited by a people with whom
they have had commercial intercourse. It is their
custom, on arriving among them, to unload their ves­
sels, and. dispose their goods along the shore. This
done, they again embark, and make a great smoke
from on board. The natives, seeing this, come down
immediately to the shore, and placing a quantity of
gold by way of exchange for the merchandise, retire.
The Carthaginians then land a second time, and if
they think the gold equivalent, they take it and de­
part; if not, they again go on board their vessels. The
inhabitants return and add more gold, till the crews
are satisfied. The whole is conducted with the strict­
est integrity, for neither will the one touch the gold
till they have left an adequate, value in merchandise,
nor will the other remove the goods till the Cartha­
ginians have taken away the gold.

CXCVII. Such are the people of Libya whose
names I am able to ascertain; of whom the greater
part cared but little for the king of the Medes, neither
do they now. Speaking with all the precision I am
able, the country I have been describing is inhabited
by four nations only: of these, two are natives and
two strangers. The natives are the Libyans and
Ethiopians; one of whom possess the northern, the
other the southern parts of Africa. The strangers
are the Phoenicians and the Greeks.

CXCVIII. If we except the district of Cinyps,
which bears the name of the river flowing through it,
Libya in goodness of soil cannot, I think, be compared