Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Upon The Antiquity Of The Arabians, Their Language And Letters, And The Origin Of The Chinese And Their Empire.
deserts of sand , which assuredly , unless cultivated , must increase ; once the Roman granary , it has become much deteriorated from natural causes , which are easily explained . Mr . Thomas Keith has so admirably put forward , in his preface , the history of arithmetic , derived from Arabia , that it would prove a twicetold tale either to describe that branch of science , or rival him by so doing . I shall content myself with expressing an opinion that the
Chaldeans and Egyptians were the first astronomers in the world . They called the chief astronomer a priest of the sun , and there was one in the patriarch Joseph ' s time , for the nation ' s salvation depended not only in the periodical overflow of the river iEgyptus , now called Nile , but in a knowledge of astronomy . In travelling , although they know the use of the compass , yet experimental philosophy tells us that the needle is of little use in navigationwhen under the linebut lies fluctuating
, , , without turning to any point of itself ; because , as some suppose , the current of the magnetic effluvia , flying from pole to pole , has there its longest axis , as the diameter of the equator is longer than the axis of the world . But whether the same effect is produced on the needle by land , as is the case at sea , we must have more certain experiments to know , though it is probable it may . The ancients crossed the desert in certain latitudes with it , and could
count the variations , when it was not too much influenced b y heat , and thereby observe how far the dromedaries proceeded in an hour , or any other space of time . Their course was generally due west when they set off from Egypt , to journey towards the worst portion of the sands ; and if the travellers declined to the north , or the south , they knew how many miles they had advanced in so many hours , and could compute how much the declination took off from east to west . And though we cannot tell ( say the ancients ) to a demonstrative exactnesswe can
, answer pretty nearly ; for the elevation of the pole , or the height of the sun , shows us how far we decline to the north or south , but we have no certain rule for the east or west , when journeying on the sands . The celebrated Bochart proves that the Phoenicians , or Carthaginians , were Cannaneans , and St . Austin ( in his city of God ) says that the ancient country people about Hippo , in Africa , who are the ancient Carthaginians , if asked who they were , would answer , we are originally
Canaani , or Canaaneans . Joshua dispersed them out of Canaan , and invaded the greatest part of the countries round about them . Bochart in Canaan proves almost demonstrably that they dispersed themselves over all the islands and seaports of Europe , Asia , and Africa , and in his preface he quotes a most curious passage out of Procopious de bello Vandelico of a pillar that was found in Africa , with a Phoenician or Canaanean inscription , which signifies in Greek
HMEI 2 EMEN OI * EYrONTE 2 AIIO nPJ 220 LTOY IH 20 Y TOY AHSTOY YIOY NAYH . " We are those who fled from the face of Jesus , or Joshua , the robber , the son of Nava . " Eusehius in Chronico has much the same . END OP PART II . VOL . v . 3 K
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Upon The Antiquity Of The Arabians, Their Language And Letters, And The Origin Of The Chinese And Their Empire.
deserts of sand , which assuredly , unless cultivated , must increase ; once the Roman granary , it has become much deteriorated from natural causes , which are easily explained . Mr . Thomas Keith has so admirably put forward , in his preface , the history of arithmetic , derived from Arabia , that it would prove a twicetold tale either to describe that branch of science , or rival him by so doing . I shall content myself with expressing an opinion that the
Chaldeans and Egyptians were the first astronomers in the world . They called the chief astronomer a priest of the sun , and there was one in the patriarch Joseph ' s time , for the nation ' s salvation depended not only in the periodical overflow of the river iEgyptus , now called Nile , but in a knowledge of astronomy . In travelling , although they know the use of the compass , yet experimental philosophy tells us that the needle is of little use in navigationwhen under the linebut lies fluctuating
, , , without turning to any point of itself ; because , as some suppose , the current of the magnetic effluvia , flying from pole to pole , has there its longest axis , as the diameter of the equator is longer than the axis of the world . But whether the same effect is produced on the needle by land , as is the case at sea , we must have more certain experiments to know , though it is probable it may . The ancients crossed the desert in certain latitudes with it , and could
count the variations , when it was not too much influenced b y heat , and thereby observe how far the dromedaries proceeded in an hour , or any other space of time . Their course was generally due west when they set off from Egypt , to journey towards the worst portion of the sands ; and if the travellers declined to the north , or the south , they knew how many miles they had advanced in so many hours , and could compute how much the declination took off from east to west . And though we cannot tell ( say the ancients ) to a demonstrative exactnesswe can
, answer pretty nearly ; for the elevation of the pole , or the height of the sun , shows us how far we decline to the north or south , but we have no certain rule for the east or west , when journeying on the sands . The celebrated Bochart proves that the Phoenicians , or Carthaginians , were Cannaneans , and St . Austin ( in his city of God ) says that the ancient country people about Hippo , in Africa , who are the ancient Carthaginians , if asked who they were , would answer , we are originally
Canaani , or Canaaneans . Joshua dispersed them out of Canaan , and invaded the greatest part of the countries round about them . Bochart in Canaan proves almost demonstrably that they dispersed themselves over all the islands and seaports of Europe , Asia , and Africa , and in his preface he quotes a most curious passage out of Procopious de bello Vandelico of a pillar that was found in Africa , with a Phoenician or Canaanean inscription , which signifies in Greek
HMEI 2 EMEN OI * EYrONTE 2 AIIO nPJ 220 LTOY IH 20 Y TOY AHSTOY YIOY NAYH . " We are those who fled from the face of Jesus , or Joshua , the robber , the son of Nava . " Eusehius in Chronico has much the same . END OP PART II . VOL . v . 3 K