Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/417

 Chap. 1.] ACCOUNT OF COriTTEIES, ETC. 883 although it was in the winter season that he visited them. We also learn from the same source that the people who inhabit the adjoining forests, which are full of all kinds of elephants, wild beasts, and serpents, have the name of Ca- narii ; from the circumstance that they partake of their food in common with the canine race, and share with it the entrails of wild beasts. It is a well-known fact, that adjoining to these localities is a nation of Ethiopians, which bears the name of Perorsi. Juba, the father of Ptolemy, who was the first king^ wlio reigned over both the ]Mauritanias,and who has been rendered even more famous by the brilliancy of his learning than by his kingly rank, has given us similar information relative to Mount Atlas, and states that a certain herb grows there, which has received the name of ' euphorbia'^ from that of his physician, who was the first to discover it. Juba extols with wondrous praises the milky juice of this plant as tending to improve the sight, and acting as a specific against the bites of serpents and all kinds of poison ; and to this subject alone he has devoted an entu-e book. Thus much, if indeed not more than enough, about Mount Atlas. (2.) The province of Tingitana is 170 miles iii leugth'. Of the nations in this province the principal one was for- merly that of the Mauri'*, who have given to it the name of Mauritania, and have been by many writers called the Maurusii^. This nation has been greatly weakened by the disasters of war, and is now dwindled down to a few fami- lies only^. Next to the Mauri was formerly the nation of ^ Bocchu9 however, the kinsman of Maesinissa, had previously for some time reigned over both the Mauritanias, couaifiting of Mauritania Tuigitana and Maui'itania Cajf»aEiana. 2 See B. XXV. c. 7. 12, and B. xxvi. c. 8. 3 Extending from the sea to the river Moluga, now called the Molucha and Moloeliath, or Malva and Malvana. observes liere, that though Phny di.slinguishes the Mauri from the GivtuU, they essctitiiilly belonged to the same raee and sjioke the same hmguage, the so-ealli'd I>erber, and its diak-ets, the SeheUou and the 8i-lu)viah. Mareus suggests that Mauri was a synonym only for the Greek word nomades, ' wanderers,' Paulinus, the Mauri had retreated uito the interior and taken refuge in
 * From whom the Moors of the present day take their name. IVfarrus
 * ' Maurusii' was the On-ek name, ' ^hiuri' lw Latin, for this peo])le.
 * As Mareus observes, IHiny is here greatly in error. On the inroads of