Of the whole of the west of Europe they were well informed, with the
exception of the general figure, and some part of the British isles.
With respect to Africa, the Romans seem to have been acquainted with
one-third of it. The promontory of Prasum was the limit of their knowledge
on the east coast: its limits on the western coast it is not so easy to
fix. The western horn was the limit of the voyage of Hanno, which,
according to some, is Cape Nun; and, according to others, Cape Three
Points, in Guinea; and we have observed already, that the Gulf of St.
Cyprian was probably the limit of Ptolemy's knowledge. The coasts of Africa
on the Mediterranean, and on the Red Sea, were of course well known to the
Romans; and some points of their information respecting the interior were
clear and accurate, but, as for these, they trusted almost entirely to the
reports of merchants, they were as frequently erroneous.
The northern, north-western, north-eastern, and east parts of Asia were
almost utterly unknown to the Romans; but they possessed tolerably accurate
information regarding the whole hither peninsula of India, from the Indus
to the Ganges, and some partial and unconnected notices of the farther
peninsula and of China.
[5] The most probable opinion is, that they were made of fluat of
lime, or Derbyshire spar.
CHAPTER IV.
Pages:
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459