Cornelius Nepos Says,
That, In The Time When Metellus, The Colleague Of Afranius, Was Proconsul
Of Gaul, The King Of The Suevi Sent To Him Certain Indians, Who Came To
His Country In A Ship By The North And The Flats Of Germany[5].
These
people probably came from China; as in that country, in the latitudes of
20, 30, and 40 degrees, they
Have strong and well-fastened ships, which
can bear the seas and encounter the severity of the northern climate.
Cambaia also has ships, and its inhabitants are said to have long used
the seas; but it is not likely they should have gone to Gaul; for they
only trade to Cairo, and are indeed a people of little trade and less
clothing.
Those who escaped from the flood kept the hills, not daring for a long
time to descend into the plains and low countries; and Nimrod, an hundred
and thirty years afterwards, built the tower of Babel, intending it as a
refuge in case of any future deluge[6]. Upon the whole, it seems probable
that the inhabitants of China and the east were the first sailors; though
others think the inhabitants of the west, particularly of Syria, were the
first to use the sea[7]. This contest about the antiquity of navigation,
I leave to the Scythians and Egyptians, who each challenge the honour to
themselves. But leaving all contested points in this matter, I now apply
to my proposed deduction, resting only upon what has been recorded in
authentic histories.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 36 of 812
Words from 9886 to 10142
of 224388
