on

" of Pharaoh to float on the waves in fight of "their camp; which was immediately known, "by the Steel Cuirafs he wore; and this miracle, "of a body fo heavily loaded with Iron, floating the water, convinced them of the continuance of God's kindness and protection. On the "other hand, the Egyptians feeing their King ❝ did not return, fald, he was gone in a Ship to "fome Island, either to hunt or to fifh; but, "God here performed another miracle; for the " waves threw up Pharaoh's Corps on the Coaft of Ægypt, that all his fubjects might be Eye wit"neffes of his death."

66

CHAR

CHAP. VII. PART III,

WHE

HEN the Gadeli arrived in that part of Scythia, from whence they originally descended, viz. Armenia, they were harraffed with continual wars by their kindred, the pofterity of Nionnuall, the eldest Son of Phenius Pharfa, who were afraid they would put in fome claim to the Government of the Country: their diffentions continued feven years, in which time Refleoir the Grandfon of Nionnuall was flain. The Children of Niul then retired to Amafan, and after continuing there for fome time, they failed down the narrow Sea (the Hellefpont) that flows from the Northern Ocean (the Euxinus.) They had been driven upon an Island called Caronia in the Pontick, where they ftaid one year. They were there informed by a Caiker, or Prophet, whom they confulted, and who always attended the Gadeli, that it was ordained, they fhould have no refting place, till they arrived at a certain Weftern Ile. Overawed by this prediction of the Caiker, they proceeded on their Voyage, weftward, and landed at the Island of Guthia. Here fome fay they continued 150 years,and others fay 300 years, but certain it is, that fome of their posterity inhabit that Island at this day, from hence they moved to Spain. (0)

(0) Pharufii. quondam Perfæ, Comites fuiffe dicuntur Herculis ad Hefperides tendentis. (Pliny.)

Deinde Pharufii aliquando tendente ad Hefperides Hercule dites, nunc inculti, & nifi quod pecore aluntur admodum inopes. (Pompon. Mela.)

Here

Here it must be understood that Caiker fignifies a Draoi, or Fiofaiche, that is, a person of fingular learning and wifdom, a Prophet, that always attended the Gadeli in their military Expeditions.

REMARK.

There is nothing repugnant to common and approved Geography in this account, except, that Bithynia, Paphlagonia and Pontus, are named Scythia. They entered this Country by the Biortannis, the Porthenius of the ancients, which divided Bithynia from Paphlagonia and falls into the Euxine. Finding their Countrymen, did not relifh their return, they retired to Amafan a port on the Pontus Euxinus, that they might escape by Sea, if hard preffed. Amafan lies on the Coaft of the Euxine, between the Rivers Halys and Thermodon, called by the Latins Amafia; it was the native place of Strabo, and in this country it was, that the famous Amazons dwelt.

Having defcended the Hellefpont and cleared the Ægean Sea, they fteered westward in fearch of the Ifland predicted by the Caiker or Fiofaiche, and landed in Gothia or Guthia, that is, in Sicily: where Sir I. Newton affirms, Nilus fettled the Sicanian Colony, the firft inhabitrnts of Sicily: (p) Gaoth, Guith or Gutha in Irish fignify lands by the Sea Side covered at high water, and from which the tide retires, in English, Salt-marshes; rich fattening grounds. Sruach Srathach or Srahach fignifies low rich grounds by the River Side; Sruamac, abound

(p) Chronol. p. 181.

ing in low grounds; from whence Syracufe in Si, cily, και λιμνη ἥτις καλεῖται, Συρακὼ Palus etiam eft qua vocatur Syraco, fays Stephanus fpeaking of Syraeufe. And this Palus was known to the Greeks by the name of Guata. Cluverius ex Plutarchi Dione, Syracufani agri regionem amplam & ferti lem ára Guata, nomine a mari in mediterranea porrectum, Perfic Ghact, foft Ground refreshed by ftreams. This word enters in the Arabic compound Rud-ghut. Tur-ghut, i. e. ooze, flime, flab, uncovered at low water. Rud in Perfic and Tur in Arabic, is a River, ghut is fat muddy land. The English translator of Keating makes Guthia, Gothland, and in two words fends our Gadelian adventurers from the Egean Sea to Gothland; and the Western Island, he will have to be Ireland, a paffage that has given a modern Author great room for criticism.

The Hebrew word I think is 7 Gud. Chaldec NTU Guda the bank or border of a River, Jofe C. 3. V. 15. the River Jordan covered all the A gedothi, the low banks, the 7. D, and ♫ T, are commutable in all languages. Q. what were the fituations of the Cities of Gath, of the Scriptures? In Arabic and Perfic Gutab, unda aquæ, fluctus: ghact terra molior peculiariter aquis irrigua (Caftellus.) The Valley or plain of Sogde, in which is the City of Samarcande, Capital of Tranfoxania or Oriental Scythia) is called Gauthab, because it is well watered by Canals, from the great River Cai, which overflows and refreshes the ground. (See D'Herbelot at Sogde.) Hence the old name of Waterford Guata-fordia. Spellman derives Gothland, a vetere Cambrico Guit quod infulam notat, a very proper name for

an

an Ifland, which is commonly in part overflowed at high water, or where there is a furrounding Slab or Strand left at low water.

Gyttia, Cænum, proprie illud, quod poft aquarum inundationem remanet. Haud dubie enim affinitatem habet cum Ang. Sax. gyte inundatio. Alias gus. (Ihre Lex. Suio-Goth.) Gus has a very different origin, unknown to Ihre.

Goth-land maxima infula Maris Balthici-haud pauci a glebæ ubertate, ita appellatum fuiffe, credant hanc infulam, tanquam bonam terram. (Ihre.) Quam Britones infulam Guoid vel Guithe, quod Latine divortium dici poteft. (Unde Vecta) now Wight. (Lelandus, Ex Chronico incerti Auth.)

Frequent mention is made in Irish history of our Scuthæ, or Shipmen, being often in poffeffion of Guthia or Sicily:-they touched there in their way to Spain; afterwards in their emigration from Africa; again on their return from Ægypt. It will not here be improper to enquire, from ancient history, who were the firft inhabitants of this Ifland, and of the names of the people and places contained in it. The learned Bochart has attempted to prove all was Phænician; we fhall proceed on as good grounds in proving all was Iberno-Scythian.

First, of its ancient names, Sicania and Sicilia. Sicania, it is faid, took its name from the Sicani. Bochart derives this name from the Hebrew word w faken, a neighbour, and thinks they were fo called by the Phænicians, because they were adjoining them, when they fettled there. Proinde Sicanos à Siculis, ut quidem puto, neque gens neque fermo diftinxit, fed fitus & variæ ut evenit in eadem gente factiones. Et Punica voce

Sicanim