Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 2, 1851).djvu/209

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AND KINGDOMES LYING THAT WAY. 181

What Plinie wryteth of the nauigable trenche.

portes and habitations. Plinie likewise, speaking of this trenche, sayth: In the furthest parte of the gulfe of Arabie, is a porte called Danco, from whence they determined to bringe a nauigable trenche vnto the riuer of Nilus, whereas is the first Delta. Betweene the saide sea and Nilus, there is a streict of land of the length of .lxii. miles. The firste that attempted this thing, was Sesostre king of Egypt, & after him Darius king of the Persians, whom Ptolomeus folowed, who made a trenche a hundred foote large, and

The largenesse and length of the trenche.

thirtie foote deepe, being .ccc. miles in length, vnto the lakes named Amari, and durst proceede no further for feare of inundation, having knowledge that the red sea was higher by three cubites then all the countrey of Egypt. Other say that this was not the cause: but, that he doubted yf he shoulde haue let the sea come any further, all the water of Nilus shoulde have been thereby corrupted, whiche onely ministreth drynke to all Egypt.

The viage by land from Egypt to the red sea.

But notwithstanding all these thinges aforesayde, all this viage is frequented by lande from Egypt to the redde sea, in whiche passage are three Causeyes or hygh wayes. The fyrst begynneth at the mouth of Nilus, named Pelutio: All whiche way is by the sandes, insomuche that if there were not certayne hygh Beedes fixt in the earth, to shew the ryght way, the Causey could not be found, by reason the wynde euer couereth it with sand. The seconde Causey is two myles from the mountayne Cassius: And this also, in the ende of threescore myles, commeth vpon the way or Causey of Pelusius, inhabited with certayne Arabians, called Antei. The thyrde begynneth at Gerro, named Adipson: and passeth by the same Arabians, for the space of threescore myles, somewhat shorter, but full of rough mountaynes, and great scarcenesse of water. Al these Causeyes leade the way to the citie of Arsinoe, builded by Ptolomeus Philadelphus, in the gulfe

What king Ptolomeus discouered.

Carandra, by the redde sea. This Ptolomeus was the fyrst that searched all that part of the red sea, whiche is called

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