:

(and Bochart after him,) attributes this difcovery to the Phænician Hercules, and we find the firft of that name in Eufebius, placed in the 73d year of Mofes there were many of that name, Varro counts no less than 40: Hercules was an honourable title, given particularly to Commanders of Sea Expeditions, the name Aireac-iul in Irish, is fynoinmous to Mill-efs, or the Commander of a Ship. (a) However, Strabo affures us, that the Phænicians traded to the Britannic Islands by the route of Cadiz, in the time of Joshua, and we can prove that City was built to facilitate the Commerce of the Western Ocean: hence I conceive its name, viz. Cades, which in Irish fignifies a Ship; fometimes written Cares: in Arabic Kades, a Ship.Eathar-aoi in Irish is the Ship Island, whence the Greek name of it, Ethyrea.

All mythologists agree that Cadiz was founded by Archilaus, Son of Phænix, and according to Eufebius, Phænix and Joshua were cotemporaries. Now according to Irish Hiftory, Niul or Cadmus was the Son of Phenius, (b) but Sir I. Newton thinks the Phænicians did not reach the Britannic Ifles till the reign of Jehoram: and although Eufebius places the foundation of Cadiz in the time of Joshua; Strabo, on the contrary, tells us, that Cadiz on the Spanish Coast, and all the Phænician Colonies on the African Coaft, were fubfequent to the Siege of Troy, and Velleius fupporting this argument, places the founding of Cadiz in the reign of Codrus; in fhort all Authors disagree on this Subject.

(a) The Amathufians called him Malic, which is plainly the Hebrew nbn Malach, Nauta, navigator.

(b) See Chapter 7.

The

The Carthaginians, though a Colony of the Phanicians, knew these islands very late, and were themselves the difcoverers, for Strabo affures us that the old Phænicians were fo jealous of this commerce, that they kept it a profound fecret from Strangers. Can we then flatter ourselves to find the exact time of fuch an establishment in any Greek or Latin Author.

If Himilco the Carthaginian was the first that discovered the Britannic Ifles for his Countrymen, it must have been subsequent to the Siege of Tyre, and the Expedition of Alexander, that is, about 300 Years before Christ, and about that time Pytheus the Aftronomer of Marseilles is faid to have vifited them yet we find no traces in Antiquity of a direct trade by Sea, between the Greeks and the Britons. The Tin trade between Marseilles and Britain mentioned by Diodorus, must have been carried on by Land from the Coaft of Gaul, imported there from Britain, and fo in 30 days to Marseilles, as Strabo explains it, yet Diodorus, in another place, fays, that the Merchants transported from Britain to Narbonne when that City was built by the Romans.

In fine, about Eight Centuries before Christ, seems to be the period when both the Bolga or Belga, quitted Afia in their different Routs, the Gomerians by land to Germany, Gaul, &c. and the Magogians to Perfia. Nam tametfi hi populi (Bulgarii, Armeniacæ linguæ pronunciatione Bullarii) non ante feptimum à Chrifto feculum in Europam commigrabant, quin tamen fedes antiquitùs in Sarmatia circa Volgam flumen habuerint, nulla nobis in præfentia fubeft dubitandi caufa. (c)

(c) Mofes Chorenenfis p. 90. We have fhewn from this Author that the Southern Bolge took the naine of Akrad.

The

The fettlement of the Firbolg in Oman, at a later period than the Irish hiftory pretends to, is mentioned by the Author of the Chronicon Pafchale, who fays, that there were Northern Scutha or Scythians in the vicinity of Elam, Chuz, and Shinaar, in his time. The Perfians acknowledge that in old times, their Empire was for fome years under the Scythian yoke. Bodies of thofe people, fays a learned author, might, in confequence, have naturally enough established themfelves in various parts of their new conquefts. And when the Perfian Kings recovered their independency, they might neither judge it neceffary nor political, to depopulate their provinces, by driving out colonies which, by their proper management, would foon become naturalized and valuable fubjects. (d) Arrian also mentions a region called Scuthia, near the Perfian Gulph. D' Herbelot at the words Agrireth and Kifhtafb, has given a detail of a conqueft of Perfia by the Scythians from the Oxus and Gihon. Kifhtab Ben Zou or Zab, was King of Perfia and of the Family of the Pifhdadiens, of whom we fhall speak in the next Chapter: the Perfians had another Kihta Son of Lohoraíb, in whose time, they fay, lived Zerdusht or Zoroaftre, Legislator of the Ghebres or Worshippers of fire: and that it was Zoroaftre that obliged them to build Mefhged or fire towers, and to bury in Urns; before his time the Kings of Perfia were either buried in Caves natural or artificial, or in the earth, and over their graves mounds of Stones were made, like little hills. (e)

Mr.

(d) Richardfon's Diff. on Eaftern Languages, p. 464. (e D'Herbelot, p. 517. The Pifdadien of the Perfians are

the Tuath Dadanu of the Irish, the tall towers of Ireland were

the

Mr. Bryant differs from thefe Authors, and does not allow the Scythians to have had any poffeffions in or about Oman. He obferves that Jofephus calls the Country Cutha. (f)

I have fhewn that the Irish record themselves by the name of NP Atica Cuthim, or Aiteach Cothi, corruptè Atacotti, by which they mean, ancient mariners, or Shipmen, from Nn me Cutha, navis. (g)

This was the reafon I fufpected, the inspired penman fignified the Cutha by the word Goim, in enumerating the Kings that made war on the Pentapolis, and that Tiddal was a Scythian, as Symmachus and Eupolemus affert, and was feated in Oman, where the Irish history place the Scythians at a very early period, as we fhall find in the Chapter of the Tuatha Dadann. And it is remarkable, that the words Goi and " Cuthi, are both used by the Hebrews to express a foreigner.

Goi, homo gentilis. Sic Judæi quemvis vocant qui non eft de populo Ifrael, maxime tamen Chriftianis hoc nomen dedere. Etiam unum hominem nominant Goi contra verum linguæ ufum & naturam vocabuli. Sic pro Goi in Deutronom. C. 7. V. 2. in aliquibus editionibus legitur

Cuthi. (h) Jofephus therefore being a Jew understood the name Goim in the literal fenfe that all Jews do, and called the Scythians Cuthi, as the fire towers of the difciples of Zerduft and the forms of burial here mentioned, were practised by the ancient Irish : multitudes of these Mounts ftill remain.

(f) Analyfis V. 3. p. 177.

(g) See Introduction p. 18. hence I think the Chaldee Cutha, a Swan, a bird remarkable for fwimming, and for failing by the erection of its wings.

(h) Buxtorf. Lex. Chald: ad verbum "12.

Gentiles,

Gentiles, and fo might determinate the Country they poffeffed Cutba. (i)

'The Cuthai were Perfians, i. e. Scythians, Antea enim Cuthæi fuerunt appellati Perfæ. Apertos veteres Chuthæos feu Perfas. (Hottinger Arch. Or. 687. Boch. Phal. p. 254-)

Before we quit this Chapter, we must remark, that the Irish records affert, there came over with the Firbolg, three families who were not of the Gadelian Race, viz. the families of Gabhrai who fettled in Succa in Conacht; of Tairfi who settled in Crioch o Failge, and of Gailan who settled in Leinster, to which we may add that Gailan or Gailiun was the ancient name of the Province of Leinster. (k)

It was not improbable, that fome Arab families fhould mix with our Fir bolg when feated in Oman and these three family names are of Arabian origin.

Gailan, it is the Arabic name of a Satyr. This Word is also become a proper name, particularly to fuch as appeared fierce and cruel : Om Gailan, literally the mother of Satyrs or Demons, is the name of a tree called in Latin Spina Egyptia, or Acacia. The Tairfi were the Celtes of Spain. See Introduction.

es.

(i) Some authors believe, that by Cush upon the River Gihon is meant only the ancient Conntry of the Scythians upon the AraxThe words Cuthæi and Cutha, whence fome have derived Scythæ and Scuth, are the fame as Cufh, the Chaldees generally put the T (Tau) where the Hebrews write S (Shin,) and therefore fay Cuth and Cut for Cufh. Un. Hiftory, V. 18. p. 254. 8vo. but these learned Authors furely will not say, that the Chaldees would have written Cush for Cuth-therefore they retained the original name Cutha; and here it must be remarked that Ceas in the Irish language is a Skiff, and Uairceas a small boat, fo that Cush might be written for Ceas, or Ceash, or Keash. See p. 22, Introduction.

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(k) Keating's English Edition, fol. p. 41.

Giabbar,