64 JOURNEY FROM out, will very decidedly authorize us to do, one difficulty will be found to arise. It is the impossibility of reconciling the distance from the sea, of the nearest range of hiUs to the southward, with that assigned by Herodotus to the Hill of the Graces, in which he affirms the Cinyphus to have its source.

The Hill of the Graces is laid down by this geographer at 200 stadia from the sea * ; whereas the distance of the nearest range of hills, to the southward of Wad’ el Khahan, is little more than four English miles from the coast ; and we could perceive in this range no aperture or break through which we might imagine that a stream could have passed in its course from the southward to the sea. We should certainly infer, from the appearance of this chain, that the river must have had its source in it ; and one of the hills of which it is composed does certainly present an appearance of three peaks, as we may imagine the Hill of the Graces did ; but then we must suppose that some mistake has been made, either by Herodotus himself, or by his editors, in the number of stades above mentioned ; and, although it is possible that such an error might have occurred, we have no greater right to dispute the passage in question, than we have to challenge the accuracy of any other statement which is received on the authority of the geographer. We mean, with reference tc|the text itself, exclusive of local information ; for the passage is simply and clearly stated, without the least appearance of * Aia Se avrm (Macarum) Kivz/4' iroracfAOs, euv ex xscXiv/xei/b XseiTwv, sr daXa/raav exSiSoi. 0 Se Xoipoy ouTos o XagiTO/v Soktus' iSvci es"*, soiKjris rns ocWns t»k jtqoxaraXiyfisia'ns AiQvris ccTTo SaXaaaw Se es- ocvroy faJioi Sinxoaiot e«7i. (Melp. §oe.)