Bruce says no
such shoals exist; but, as is justly observed by Dr. Vincent; the
correctness of the ancients respecting them, especially Eratosthenes,
Agatharcides and Artemidorus, is fully borne out by the danger and loss to
which many English ships have been exposed by reason of these very shoals.
The description of Agatharcides of this side of the coast of the Red Sea,
reaches no lower down than Ptolemais; this circumstance is remarkable,
since we have seen that, from the inscription found at Aduli there can be
no doubt that Ptolemy Euergetes had conquered Abyssinia, and established a
commerce considerably lower down than Ptolemais Theron. 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.
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