these people fo famous in antiquity fhould be referred. Their history furnishes a very convincing proof what industry can do, and fhews very evidently to what pitch commerce is capable of raising a nation which applies to it with ardor.

When we speak of the Phoenicians, we must distinguish the times with accuracy. These people poffeffed originally a large extent of countries, comprised under the name of the land of Canaan. They loft the greatest part of it by the conquefts of the Ifraelites under Joshua. The lands which fell in the divifion to the tribe of Asher, extended to Sidon. That city notwithstanding was not fubdued. The inhabitants preserved their lives and liberty. It even appears, that they were not disturbed, but were permitted to enjoy great tranquillity. The Sidonians made ufe of this to continue their commerce, and laboured to extend it more and more. They even found themselves foon able enough to opprefs the Ifraelites in their turn. This event happened in the times of the judges. We are ignorant of the circumstances, which befides are foreign to our object. Let us return to the commerce of the Sidonians.

If the conquefts of Joshua took from the Phoenicians a great part of their dominion, they were well paid by the confequences of that event. To fupport and maintain their commerce with advantage, these people had occafion to eftablish warehoufes in the different countries where bufiness might draw them. They were not able to form lasting fettlements, but by the aid of a certain number of colonies. The revolution occafioned in the countries of Canaan by the irruption of the Hebrew people, enabled the Sidonians to fend colonies where ever they thought proper. In effect, the greatest part of the ancient inhabitants of Palestine feeing themselves threatened with entire deftruction, had recourfe to flight to fave themfelves. Sidon offered them an afylum: they caft themselves upon them; but the territory of that city was not fufficient to fupport this multitude

Josh. c. 1o. v. 28. a ibid.c. 18. v. 7.

z Judges c. 3. v. 3.

b lbid. c. 13. V. 12.

of

of refugees; it happened that they were still under a neceffity of finding new fettlements. Sidon lent them fhips, and made good ufe of thefe new inhabitants to extend their trade and form fettlements. From hence, that great number of colonies which went then from Phoenicia, to spread themselves in all the countries of Africa and of Europe.

I shall not undertake to particularife exactly all the places where the Phoenicians came to introduce themselves. The reader may confult the authors who have difcufled this matter with the extent it requires, and the exactness it merits *. I fhall confine myself to general facts, which may enable the reader to judge of the nature and of the extent of the commerce which that nation carried on in the ages we are speaking of at prefent. I fhall alfo obferve, that then there was no mention made of Tyre, not even of the ancient Tyre which was taken by Nabuchodonofor. That city was not built till about 40 years after the taking of Troy. It owed its origin to a colony of Sidonians «. Their beginnings, like all thofe new fettlements, were very weak. Homer, who speaks fo often of Sidon, does not once name Tyre. That city was not diftinguished enough in his time, to deserve a place in history.

To return to our fubject, the first fettlements of the Phoenicians were in the ifles of Cyprus and Rhodes. They paffed fucceffively into Greece, into Sicily and Sardinia. Afterwards they tranfported themselves among the Gauls, and always advancing, they difcovered the fouthern part of Spain. These people were incontestably the first navigators who are faid to have penetrated into that extremity of Europe. It is even in the Phoenician language, that we must fearch for the etymology of the name which that kingdom ftill bears at this day f.

Till

See Procop. de bello Vandal. 1. 2. c. 10. * Bochart, Huet, Newton, &c. d Marth. p. 295. See part 1. b. 4. c. 2. art. I.

They pretend that Spain was formerly filled with fo prodigious a quantity of rabbits, that these animals, by means of digging the earth, almost overturned the houses. Varro, de re ruftica, 1. 3. c. 13.; Strabo, 1. 3. p. 213. 214. & 256.; Plin. 1. 8. fect. 43. & 83.

1 Sathan, in Hebrew, little different from the Phoenician, fignifics a rabbit. SPANIJA

Till this time the Phoenicians, like all the people of antiquity, had not gone out of the Mediterranean: their maritime expeditions were confined to the compafs of that fea; and the fouth of Spain was the bounds of their voyages. But that restless nation, covetous of gain, foon undertook the greatest enterprises. By paffing the fouthern point of Spain, the Phoenician failors had perceived, that the Mediterranean communicated by a pretty narrow canal with another fea. The dangers which prefented themselves of going over this dangerous paffage, and to engage themfelves in unknown latitudes, had always frightened the Phoenician pilots. Yet encouraged by perpetual fucceffes, they durft at last venture themselves. Thus about 1250 years before Christ, the Phoenician fhips were feen coming out of the Mediterranean, and paffing the Straits, entered on the ocean f. Succefs crowned the boldness of this enterprife. They landed on the western coaft of Spain. This first voyage was followed by many others. The Phoenicians foon fent colonies into thefe countries, founded cities there, and formed lasting settlements.

Their principal attention was to that ifle, known at prefent by the name of Cadiz . They were not long of dif covering the importance and advantage of that port. It was a convenient storehouse to lay up the rich effects which they brought from Afia and the neighbouring countries. They could likewife collect there those they received from Betique and other countries of Spain. To fecure the poffeffion of that ifle, the Phoenicians built a city there, to which they gave a name declarative of the utility it was to them, and the ufe they made of it. They named it Gadir, a word which means refuge, inclofue i.

The advantage which the Phoenicians had at firft by

SPANIJA in the same language, from whence the Romans have made Hifpania, and we Spain, as much as to fay full of rabbits. Bochart in Phaleg. 1. 3. c. 7. p. 195.

f See Diod. 1. 5. p. 345.; Bochart in Phaleg. 1. 3. c. 7. p. 189.; In Canaan, 1. 1. c. 34. p. 662.

It is fituated near the western coaft of Andalufia.

h Diod. 1. 5. P. 345. i Bochart in Canaan, 1. 1. c. 34. p. 673.

trading

trading with Spain, was very confiderable. The ancient inhabitants of that rich country were very deftitute of arts and fciences. They had gold and filver in abundance, but they did not know the ufe of them: ignorant of the value of those metals, they employed them for the most vile ufes . The Phoenicians knew very well how to avail themfelves of that ignorance. In exchange for oil and fome trifles which they gave to these people, they received of them fo prodigious a quantity of filver, that their fhips could not tranfport the treafure. They were obliged to take out all the lead with which their anchors were loaded, and to put there the fpare filver. The hiftory of the first voyages which the Europeans made to America, gives us an exact image of these ancient events.

The riches which the Phoenicians drew from Spain, were not confined to gold and filver; without fpeaking of wax, honey, pitch, vermilion, &c. iron, lead, copper, and above all tin, were the most lucrative objects . All that was formerly used of this last metal paffed through the hands of the Phoenicians. This fhort exposure fuffices to fhew the immenfe profits the return of fhips loaded with fuch cargoes would produce; for it is certain, that Phoenicia kept up a correfpondence with all its colonies except Egypt, which appears to have had entirely oppofite principles.

Spain was not the only country beyond the pillars of Hercules, where the Phoenicians had penetrated. Being familiarifed with the navigation of the ocean, they extended themselves to the left of the ftraits of Cadiz, as far as to the right. Strabo affures us, that thefe people had gone over a part of the western coaft of Africa a little time after the war of Troy. According to this author, they had there formed fome fettlements and built some cities ".

I dare not place in the fame ages, their paffage into Eng

k Strabo, 1. 3. p.224.

1 Arift. de mirab. aufcult. t. 1. p. 1165.; Diod. 1. 5. p. 358.

m Diod. 1. 5. p. 261.; P. Mela. 1. 2. c. 6.; Strabo, 1. 3. p. 212. 213. & 219.; Plin. 1. 3. fect. 4. p. 145. I. 4. fect. 34. p. 228. 1. 34. fect. 47.

n L. 1. p. 83. 1. 3. p. 224.

VOL. II.

Pp

land.

land. We might perhaps determine it by a reflection which the reading of the writers of antiquity furnishes us with. They were perfuaded, that all the tin that was confumed in the known world, came from the ifles of Caffiterides; and there is no doubt, that these ifles were the Sorlingues, and a part of Cornwall. We fee by the books of Mofes, that, in his time, tin was known in Palestine ». Homer teaches us alfo, that they made ufe of this metal in the heroic ages. This poet, we know, never gives to the ages he fpeaks of but only fuch knowledge as he knew belonged to them. It should follow then, that the Phoenicians had traded in England, in very remote antiquity. Yet that is not my fentiment.

In acknowledging that they used tin very anciently in many countries of Asia, yet I do not think, that they got it from England. There is too great a distance between that ifle and Spain, to prefume, that the Phoenicians had attempted that paffage in the ages we are at present speaking of. Such a paffage could not be made without quitting the coafts too much. They muft abandon themselves entirely to the open fea. It may be faid, that it was from the coast of Gaul oppofite to England, that the Phoenicians went into that country; but that opinion would suppose, that, in the most early times, these people had run over all the coafts of Spain, and almost all thofe of Gaul; a fentiment that appears to me improbable. I think then, that, in these ancient times, it was Spain and Portugal which furnished the Phoenicians with the tin with which these people traded fo advantageously with other nations. This metal was formerly very plentiful in these two countries.

From the enumeration I have just made of the countries the Phoenicians traded to in the ages we are at prefent fpeaking of, we may plainly fee, what then was the greatnefs and extent of their commerce.

• See Bochart, Can. 1. 1. c. 39. p. 722. & 724.

P Num.c. 31. V. 22.

We may judge of it

9 Iliad. 1. 11. v. 25. & 34. &c.

Diod. 1. 5. p. 361.; Strabo, 1. 3. p. 219.; Plin. 1. 4. fect. 34. p. 228. 1. 34. fect. 47; Stephan, de urbib. voce Tagrnocos, p. 639.

by