As, However, We
Have Not The Original, And Perhaps Not The Entire Work Of Agatharcides, We
Cannot Infer Any Thing, Either Respecting His Ignorance Or Inattention,
From This Omission.
Agatharcides, having thus described this coast, returns from Ptolemais to
Myos Hormos, and passing the Bay of Arsinoe, crosses to Phoenicum, in the
Elanitic Gulf, and describes the coast of Arabia as far as Sabea.
Almost
the very first particular noticed by him in this part of his work, bears
evidence to his accuracy as a geographer. He states that, at the entrance
of the Elanitic Gulph there are three islands, one of which is dedicated to
Isis: he describes them as, "covering several harbours on the Arabian
shore. To these islands succeeds the rocky coast of Thamudeni, where, for
more than 1000 stadia, there is no harbour, no roadsted in which a vessel
could anchor, no bay into which she could run for shelter, no point of land
which could protect her; so that those who sail alone this part of the
coast are exposed to certain destruction, if they should be overtaken by a
storm." Yet these islands lying in such a conspicuous situation, and of
such importance to the mariner, and this coast so dangerous to him, do not
appear to have been noticed in any European chart or description, till,
after the lapse of twenty centuries, they were restored to geography by Mr.
Irwin.
As one of our principal objects is to do justice to the accuracy of the
ancient geographers, by pointing out instances of the extreme care which
many of them took to obtain correct information we shall adduce one other
proof of this accuracy and care in Agatharcides.
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