by the quantity of gold and filver the Ifraelites found in Palestine, and by the luxury and magnificence which then reigned in these countries. The fovereigns were there clothed in purple, the people wore gold ear-rings and fine necklaces. Even their camels were adorned with studs, chains, and plates of gold . Those facts are very fufficient proofs of the riches the Phoenicians had been used to in Palestine. Their commerce was fo much the more advantageous, as in these ancient times the different countries of our world had scarce any relation with each other. By this means, the Phoenicians became commiffioners and factors to all the known world. We fee, that, at the time of the war of Troy, the Sidonians were able to furnish other nations with every thing that could contribute to luxury and magnificence. Such was the fource of the immenfe riches that the Phoenicians had amaffed. All trade being in their hands, these intelligent people only let people have a glimpse of what they thought proper. They concealed with care the places to which they failed, and tried by all forts of means to take the knowledge of it from other nations". The obfcurity which they affected to throw over their trade, made them be taxed with cunning and fraud . Let us at prefent enter into fome examination of the manner in which the Phoenician fhips were conftructed. We will also say a word or two of their progress in the art of navigation.

Originally they had only rafts, pirogues or fimple boats. They used oars to conduct these weak and light veffels. As navigation extended itself and became more frequent, they perfected the construction of fhips, they made them of a much larger capacity. There muft then have been more hands and more art to work them. The industry of man commonly increases in proportion to his wants. They were not long of discovering the ufe they might draw from the wind to haften and facilitate the courfe of a fhip; and they

114.

Judg. c. 8. v. 21. c.

Hom. Iliad. 1. 6. v. 289. 293. 1. 23. v. 743.; Odyff, 1. 4. v. 154. 1. 15. V.

*Strabo, 1. 3. p. 265.

Odyff. 1. 14. v. 288. &c. 1. 15. v. 414. &c.

Pp 2

found

found out the art of aiding it by means of masts and fails. There reigns a very great obfcurity about the time when thefe acceffory parts of a fhip were invented. I think the Phoenicians were the first who made ufe of the wind. I even think this manner of failing pretty ancient among these people. For how could they have undertaken such long and difficult navigations as I have just mentioned with ships without fails? Like our galleys, these veffels went also with oars. They used fails when the weather was favourable, and had recourfe to oars during calms, or when the wind was contrary.

I faid in the first part of this work, that many people were given to navigation very anciently. They could not long traverse the feas, without having difputes and contefts rife up among them. Covetoufnels, the pride of being at the head, and jealousy, must make them then think of the means of attacking and defending themselves with fuccefs on the feas. From thence they invented a fort of fhips proper for that use. We have seen before, that Sefoftris paffed in antiquity for the first who had fhewn ships of war y. But I think we should rather give that honour to the Phoenicians . Be that as it will, we know, that, in the ages of which we now fpeak, they diftinguished two forts of veffels, one deftined for commerce, and the other for naval expeditions. The fabric of these two forts of thips was different. The Phoenician fhips of war, which I prefume ferved as a model to other nations, were long and pointed. They called them Arco; this is all that can be faid. Their merchant-fhips were called Gaulus and Gau loi; they were on the contrary of a round form, or, to speak more properly, almost round *. For I cannot believe, that, by the expreffion round veffels, the ancients meant a perfect roundness. How could fuch fhips keep

y Supra, chap. 1. p. 291.

z See ibid. Bochart, Canaan, 1. 2. c. 11. p. 819. & 825. b Bochart, ib.

This is the idea Feftus gives when speaking of the ships called Gaulus; he defines them, Gaulus, genus navigii pene rotundum, voce Gaulus, p. 162.

their way? They would at most be only capable of failing on rivers. I think then the Gaulus had their holds very large to be able to carry more goods. They called them round in oppofition to fhips of war which were extremely pointed.

1

These forts of veffels which had their hulk large and the keel flat, were fubject to great inconveniencies, and must have caufed great obftacles in failing. A fhip in effect of a round built and a large and flat bottom, would only draw very little water *. From hence it would yield to all winds, because it would want a point of fupport. Having a few feet in the water, fhe would fide over the furface of the waves, without being able to defend herself or refift them. She could not then hold her courfe without having the wind in the poop; and would not be able to carry much fail . The run of the Phoenician merchant-ships must have been, in confequence of thefe principles, very flow and very uncertain. Such fort of veffels muft neceffarily take up a great deal of time in the least voyages. It is not difficult to fhew why the firft navigators had ftudied to give a round form to their merchant-fhips. That fort of conftruction agreed perfectly with the ftate of navigation in these remote times. At that time they never quitted the coafts but from neceffity. The ancients, of confequence,

Tacit. annal. 1. 2, c. 6.

*They fay of a ship, that she draws fo many feet of water, to exprefs how many feet fhe is funk in the fea.

A fhip of a long make, and that enters deeply into the water, keeps her courfe in almost all winds. By prefenting her fide, the makes from the large sheet of water against which the preffes, a fupport fufficient to refift the contrary motion which the wind may imprefs on her fails. A king's fhip, for example, of more than one hundred and fifty feet long, and that draws more than twenty feet of water. What a force muft it not be for fuch a fhip to be able to difplace fidewife the enormous mafs of water which reffts it in a direction perpendicular to its length? It follows then from the effort of the wind, combined with the refiftance of the water, that fuch a velle will escape by the diagonal. Thus the wind large, or on the quarter, is at this time reckoned the best wind to make a voyage. The wind in the poop is not fo favourable, because in that cafe there is only a part of the fails in the wind cannot act upon them all at one time.

use;

could

could not give much depth to their veffels ; they endeavoured then to gain in the breadth what they had loft in the depth.

f

I do not think that these fhips had a prow and a poop marked and diftin&t. The form of them might be the fame. They might, as appears to me, iteer them both ways. I judge thus from their fabric, which was very different from our veffels. We have only one rudder fixed to the poop, but the ancients had to three or four ; that is to fay, properly speaking, they had none; and what they used for it, was, as I prefume, 'a fort of very large and very long oar *. Thefe fhips might, by this means, be worked any way they pleafed. Some Indian nations ftill ufe at this time fhips which equally fail by the prow or by the poop. Perhaps alfo the rudders of the ancients, inftead of being fixed to the poop or the prow, were placed on the fides, as they are feen on the praos, or pirogues of Bantami.

The methods and practices the Phoenicians made ufe of to direct their navigations, are not known to us. History has transmitted nothing to us on a subject so curious and interesting. I fhall not therefore stop to make conjectures founded on no facts. I only think to be able to explain why these people had undertaken great enterprises before any other nation of antiquity.

In treating of the means used by the firft navigators to know their route, and to be certain after a storm how far they had been thrown out of their way, I said that Urfa Major had been probably the first guide they had fol

d See Tacit. annal 1. 2. c. 6.

• See Hygin. fab. 168. & 227.; Suid. in voce 'AμQıжgúμvais, t. I. p. 153. and voce Aixgora, P. 589.; Scheffer. de milit. nav. veter. 1. 2. c. 5. p. 147. f Athen. 1. 11. c. 12. p. 489.; Hygin. fab. 14. p. 50.; Scheffer loco cit. p. 146. * There are seen pretty large and strong boats on the Seine which have no other rudder.

8 Rec. des voyages qui ont fervi à l'établissement de la compagnie des Indes Holland. t. 4. p. 594.

h See Tacit. annal. 1. 2. c. 6.

Voyages de la campagnie des Indes Holland. t. 1. p. 367.

lowed.

lowed. I have fhewn at the fame time to what inconveniencies that choice exposed them. The Phoenicians were the first who perceived it. They must therefore have searched in the heavens fome point that would ferve to direct the course of a ship in a more precife and certain manner than Urfa Major. They must have perceived, that above that conftellation there was one much lefs, almost the fame figure, but in a contrary fituation, and being much nearer the pole, never fet for the feas they then frequented. They knew this conftellation by the name of Urfa Minor. The Phoenicians chose a star to be their guide and their point of knowledge 1. I fay a ftar in general; for in the times we are treating of, that is to say, about 1250 years before Christ, the ftar which is at the extremity of the tail of Urfa Minor, and by which we regulate at this time, could not fhew the pole with precifion. It was then too diftant m. I believe that the Phoenicians made use, in the ages I speak of, of the bright star placed in the fhoulder of Urfa Minor, which is of the fecond magnitude, and very remarkable. It was this difcovery which probably encouraged the Phoenicians early to undertake great voyages, and to expofe themselves on unknown feas. Their fkill in maritime affairs and in bufinefs was greatly celebrated in the times of the war of 'Troy ".

HI

CHA P. III.

Of the Phrygians, Lydians, Trojans, &c.

Iftory has not handed down to us the fame lights on the commerce of the other people of Afia, as on that of the Phoenicians. Yet it cannot be doubted, that trade was very flourishing, in many countries in that vast part

See part 1. book, 4. chap. 2.

1 See Bochart, Can. 1. 1. c. 8. p. 410.; Palmer.exercitat. p. 445. Acad. des fciences, année 1733, mémoires, p. 440.

* Odyff. I. 15. v. 414. & 415.

of