remote region of the earth. Under every difadvantage, however the active fpirit of commerce exerted itself. The Egyptians, foon after the establishment of their monarchy, are faid to have openeda trade between the Arabian Gulph or Red fea, and the western coaft of the great Indian continent. The commodities which they imported from the eaft, were carried by land from the Arabian Gulph to the banks of the Nile, and conveyed down that river to the Mediterranean. But if the Egyptians in early times applied themselves to commerce, their attention to it was of fhort duration. The fertile foil and mild climate of Egypt produced the neceffaries and comforts of live with fuch profufion, as rendered its inhabitants fo independent of other countries, that it became an establifhed maxim among that people, whofe ideas and inftitutions differed in almost every point from thofe of other nations, to renounce all intercourfe with foreigners. In confequence of this, they never went out of their own country; they held all fea-fearing perfons in detestation, as impious and profane; and fortifying their own harbours, they denied strangers admittance into them b); and it was in the decline of their power, that they again opened their ports, and refumed any communication with foreigners.

b) Diod. Sicul. lib. 1. p. 78. Ed. Weffelingi. Amft. 17 56. Strabo, lib. xvii, p. 1142. Ed. Amft. 1375.

Of the Phenicians.

The character and fituation of the Phenicians were as favourable to the fpirit of commerce and difcovery as thofe of the Egyptians were adverse to it. They had no distinguishing peculiarity in their manners and inftitutions; they were not addicted to any fingular and unfocial form of fuperftition; they could mingle with other nations without fcruple or reluctance. The territory which they poffeffed was neither large nor fertile. Commerce was the only fource from which they could derive opulence or power. Accordingly, the trade carried on by the Phenicians of Sidon and Tyre, was more extensive and enterprising than that of any ftate in the ancient world. The genius of the Phenicians, as well as the object of their policy and the spirit of their laws, were entirely commercial. They were a people of merchants who aimed at the empire of the fea, and actually poffeffed it. Their fhips not only frequented all the ports in the Mediranean, but they were the firft who ventured beyond the ancient boundaries of navigation, and paffing the Streights of Gades, vifited the western coafts of Spain and Africa. In many of the places to which they reforted, they planted colonies, and communicated to the rude inhabitants fome knowledge of their arts and improvements. While they extended their difcoveries towards the north and the weft, they did

not neglect to penetrate into the more opulent and fertile regions of the fouth and eaft. Having rendered themselves mafters of feveral commodious harbours towards the bottom of the Arabian Gulph, they, after the exemple of the Egyptians eftablished a regolar intercourfe with Arabia and the continent of India on the one hand, and with the eastern coaft of Africa on the other. From these countries they imported many valuable commodities, unknown to the rest of the world, and during a long period, engroffed that lucrative branch of commerce without a rival c).

Of the Jews.

The vaft wealth which the Phenicians acquired by monopolizing the trade carried on in the Red Sea; incited their neighbours the Jews, under the profperous reigns of David and Solomon to aim at being admitted to fome share of it. This they obtained, partly by their conqueft of Idumea, which ftretches along the Red Sea, and partly by their alliance with Hiram, king of Tyre. Solomon fitted out fleets, which, under the direction of Phenician pilots, failed from the Red Sea to Tarfhifh and Ophir. Thefe it is probable were ports in India and Africa which their conductors were accustomed

c) See NOTE I. at the End of the Volume.

to frequent, and from them the Jewifh fhips returned with fuch valuable cargoes as fuddenly diffused wealth and splendour through the kingdom of Ifrael d). But the fingular inftitutions of the Jews, the obfervance of which was enjoined by their divine legiflator, with an intention of preferving them a feparate people, uninfected by idolatry, formed a national chara&er incapable of that open and liberal intercourfe with ftrangers which commerce requires. Accordingly this unfocial genius of the people, together with the difafters which befeel the kingdom of Ifrael, prevented the commercial fpirit which their monarchs laboured to introduce, and to cherifh, from spreading among them. The Jews cannot be numbered among the nations which contributed to improve navigation, or to extend discovery.

Of the Carthaginians.

But though the inftructions and example of the Phenicians were unable to mould the manners and temper of the Jews, in oppofition to the tendency of their laws, they transmitted the commercial fpirit with facility, and in full vigour, to their own defcendants the Carthaginians. The commonwealth of Carthage applied to trade and to naval affairs, with no less ardour, ingenuity and fuccefs, than its parent state. Carthage early rivalled, and foon furpaffed Tyre, in opulence and power, but feems

d) Memoire fur le Pays d'Ophir par M. d'Anville. Mem. de 'Academ. des Infcript. &c. tom. xxx. p. 83.

the

Fol

not to have aimed at obtaining any fhare in commerce with India. The Phenicians had engroffed this, and had fuch a command of the Red Sea as fecured to them the exclufive poffeffion of that lucrative branch of trade, The commercial activity of the Carthaginians was exerted in another direction. Without contending for the trade of the eaft with their mother-country, they extended their navigation chiefly towards the weft and north. lowing the courfe which the Phenicians had opened, they paffed the ftreights of Gades, and pushing their discoveries far beyond those of the parent ftate, vifited not only all the coafts of Spain, but thofe of Gaul, and pene'trated at laft into Britain. At the fame time that they acquired knowledge of new countries in this part of the globe, they gradually carried their refearches towards the South. They made confiderable progrefs by land, into the interior provinces of Africa, traded with fome of them, and fubjected others to their empire. They failed along the weftern coaft of that great continent, almoft to the tropic of Cancer, and planted feveral colonies, in order to civilize the natives, and accuftom them to commerce. They discovered the Fortunate Iflands, now known by the name of the Canaries, the utmost boundary of ancient navigation in the western ocean e).

e) Plinii Nat, Hift. lib. vi. c. 37. edit. in ufum. Delph. 4to. 1685.