Histories

To a distance of four months' travel by land and water, then, there is knowledge of the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile, besides the part of it that is in Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt. So many months, as reckoning shows, are found to be spent by one going from Elephantine to the country of the Deserters. The river flows from the west and the sun's setting. Beyond this, no one has clear information to declare; for all that country is desolate because of the heat.

But I heard this from some men of Shahhat [21.866,32.833] (inhabited place), Al Jabal al Akhdar, Libya, AfricaCyrene, who told me that they had gone to the oracle of Ammon, and conversed there with Etearchus king of the Ammonians, and that from other subjects the conversation turned to the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile, how no one knows the source of it. Then Etearchus told them that once he had been visited by some Nasamonians.

These are a Libyan people, inhabiting the country of the Golfe de Gabes [10.417,34.000] (gulf), Tunis, AfricaSyrtis and a little way to the east of the Golfe de Gabes [10.417,34.000] (gulf), Tunis, AfricaSyrtis.

When these Nasamonians were asked on their arrival if they brought any news concerning the Libyan desert, they told Etearchus that some sons of their leading men, proud and violent youths, when they came to manhood, besides planning other wild adventures, had chosen by lot five of their company to visit the deserts of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya and see whether they could see any farther than those who had seen the farthest.

It must be known that the whole northern seacoast of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, from Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt as far as the promontory of +Soloeis [13.5167,38.0833] (Perseus) Soloeis, which is the end of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, is inhabited throughout its length by Libyans, many tribes of them, except the part held by Greeks and Phoenicians; the region of Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya that is above the sea and the inhabitants of the coast is infested by wild beasts; and farther inland than the wild-beast country everything is sand, waterless and desolate.