account of its very great distance.

Sec. 14. Having mentioned the boundaries of Europe, I now proceed to state
those of Africa. Our ancestors considered this as a third part of the
world; not indeed that it contains so much land as the others, because the
Mediterranean cuts it, as it were, in two, breaking in more upon the south
part than on the north[74]. And because the heat is more intense in the
south, than the cold in the north, and because every _wight_ thrives
better in cold than in heat, therefore is Africa inferior to Europe, both
in the number of its people, and in the extent of its land[75]. The eastern
part of Africa, as I said before, begins in the west of Egypt, at the river
Nile, and the most eastern country of this continent is Lybia.
Ciramacia[76] is to the west of lower Egypt, having the Mediterranean on
the north, Libia Ethiopica to the south, and Syrtes Major to the west. To
the east of Libia Ethiopica is the farther Egypt, and the sea called
Ethiopicum[77]. To the west of Rogathitus[78] is the nation called
Tribulitania[79], and the nation called Syrtes Minores, to the north of
whom is that part of the Mediterranean called the Hadriatic. To the west
again of Bizantium, quite to the salt _mere_ of the Arzuges[80]; this
nation has to the east the Syrtes Majores, with the land of Rogathite; and
to the south the Natabres, Geothulas, and Garamantes[81], quite to the sea
of Bizantium. The sea ports of these nations are Adrumetis and Zuges, and
their largest town is Catharina. The country of Numidia has to the east the
Syrtes Minores and the salt _mere_ formerly mentioned, to the north
the Mediterranean, to the west Mauritania, and to the south the hills of
Uzera, and the mountains which extend to Ethiopia, one way, and the
Mauritanian sea on the other side. To the east is Numidia, to the north the
Mediterranean, to the west the river Malvarius, to the south Astryx, near
the mountains which divide the fruitful country from the wild and barren
sands which lie southwards towards the Mauritanian sea, by others called
the Tingitanean. To the east is the river Malon[82], to the north the hills
of Abbenas and Calpri. Another mountain also closes the end of the
Mediterranean sea, between the two hills to the west, where stand the
pillars of Ercoles or Hercules. To the west again is Mount Atlas, quite to
the sea; to the south the hills called AEsperos, and to the south again the
nation called Ausolum[83], which in