THE EXPEDITION, &c.
As in the delineation of this celebrated Voyage, the East-Wind will be alluded to; the reader will bear in mind its locality upon the diurnal hemisphere,—viz.: extending to 30 degrees North and South of the Equator. Now, in consulting the Map, it will be found that 30 degrees North passes directly through Suez, at the extreme North-East point of the Red Sea. From this place then (Suez), it is probable that the Tyrians hoisted sail and plied their oars. They therefore commenced the Voyage under the minor influence of this Easterly Wind.
609 B. C.] They begun their Voyage, therefore, by leaving Suez; and sailing along the shores of the Red Sea, and through the Straits of Babelmandeb, they doubled Cape Guardatoy, passing between that point and the Island of Socatra. This Isle (subsequently hallowed by the foot of St. Thomas) was probably seen by the Tyrians ages before, during the various voyages of their ancestors to India and Ceylon. The present adventurers, however, had now entered a new track, and hugging the Eastern shore of Africa, coasted past the lands of Adel and Ajan, and so to the Equator of the Indian Ocean. Having crossed the equinoctial line, they reached the first river of importance, the Zebe; and near to Melinda, they must have observed the "incident" of Nature, and have had every feeling of awe and superstition aroused at the sight. Herodotus was so much surprised when he first heard of it, that it caused the only doubt in his mind concerning the Voyage: but it was seen by the Tyrians, and is visible at this day, and has been from Creation's dawn, and will be for ever! This will be explained as we proceed. Following the coast of Zanzibar, they passed through the Channel of Mozambique, the now inner passage to India from America and Europe. Leaving the Island of Madagascar on the left, they reached Port Natal. At this point is the termination of 30 degrees South latitude on the Indian Ocean; having sailed in all from Suez, 60 degrees of latitude. Now during this part of the Expedition, the East-Wind had blown them towards the land, and so favoured their enterprise, which was commenced for the purpose of coasting the African Continent, and consequently they would use every endeavour to keep the land in sight,—to Port Natal, Nature had befriended them. Continuing on 10 degrees of Southern latitude, they reached the Cape of Good Hope. Here the constant wind, which had accompanied them as a friendly convoy from Suez to Natal, now deserted them, and the fierce currents of air rushed as enemies from every quarter to oppose their further progress; and terrible indeed must have been the passing of that stormy Cape to mariners for the first time; they had no previous report of the dangers, but had to meet the foe, as it were, in ambush,—they had no North-Star or Compass to guide them,—their astro-beacons upon the Mediterranean had been the Ursa Constellations; but even those, perhaps, were now obscured by their locality, or by the rising and gathering storm-clouds.
608 B. C.] Having doubled the Cape of Good Hope (probably at the end of the first year) and sailing northward along the western coast of Africa 10 degrees towards the Equator, brought them to the minor river of Namquois,—at this point is the thirty degrees of South latitude on the Atlantic ocean, and the commencement of the East-Wind blowing from Africa, and with much greater force than from the Indian Ocean towards Africa, and for the reason previously stated, viz., that both the Sun and the hot sands of the Desert join their united powers in producing the fierce air-currents,—and consequently this strong wind thus blowing from Africa, has a direct tendency to drift vessels from the coasting of the shores into the broad Atlantic,—and in the present case of the Tyrians, they would have to struggle continually against the power of this East-Wind to keep in sight of land; it was accomplished only by the skill and strength of the Rowers, and this was especially required when they reached the Equator at the Gulf of Guinea,—for here without doubt they encountered the terrific effects of the Equinoctial hurricanes;—all their skill and courage were now demanded,—their Rowers had reached the broad and raging waters of untracked seas,—here their fleet may have sundered, and many a galley have been dismasted, or "broken," and so foundered. We believe that this was the case at this point of their Voyage, for in the words of the Prophet Ezekiel, who (as will be proved) was speaking of this Expedition by the Tyrians, and of the peculiar Wind causing these disasters,—not spoken as a Prophecy, but as a cause accomplishing the disasters:—
"Thy Rowers have brought thee (Tyrus) into great waters: the East-wind HATH broken thee in the midst of the Seas!"
If at this period they had had sails only, they would have been cast abroad upon the Atlantic Ocean, and so have been driven to America;—but we will not avail ourselves of a possibility, when we are possessed of a probability and truth as to the cause and means of their reaching the Western Hemisphere, which the subsequent pages will, (we believe) prove and establish. In this voyage their object was apparent, and upon losing masts and sails, still the power of the Rowers would accomplish that object,—viz., of coasting the African shores, and consequently prevent the drifting of a Galley to America. Their determination was to reach that home where their king and countrymen were waiting with open arms to receive the adventurous "spirits of the vasty deep,"—Egypt, also, was waiting to give her welcome, and to announce the victory of Science. We are anxious to destroy even any apparent possibility (however remote) of their reaching the Western Hemisphere during this voyage. We desire this History to rest upon the more lasting basis of strong and apparent truth and probability,—but, even if a Galley had drifted across the Atlantic, an absolute cause exists against even the possibility of their populating America at this time. Of this hereafter,—if the ingenious reader has not already guessed the reason.
Having escaped from the hurricanes of the Equator, and having "crossed the line," the, to them, phenomenon of Nature again appeared, but in a different aspect, exciting again their fears and alarm,—yet mingled with recovering joy, for it appeared the same as when they, at Tyrus, gazed upon the rising Sun, and knelt in prayer to the Apollo of their ancestors! We will not anticipate this "phenomenon," although the ingenuity of the reader may—we retain it for our final proof that this Expedition was accomplished.
Having passed the Equator they followed the Gold and Ivory coasts,—doubled the Capes Palmas and Verd,—passing between the latter and the Island of the same name,—doubled Capes Blanco and Barbas,—and having reached nearly thirty degrees of North latitude they must have seen with some astonishment a snow-crowned peak, rising like a sparkling Pharos of the Ocean. They could not (within the scope of probability) have passed between it and the Continent and not have seen it, as they must have been several days in reaching the base of so elevated a land-beacon; and having witnessed so conspicuous an object they would not pass without landing. The ocean and silver-crested giant attracting the attention of the Tyrians, was the now renowned Peak of Teneriffe, upon the Island of the name; and forming the principal of a group of thirteen, now called the Canaries, but known in ancient geography as the Fortunate Isles. They are all within the thirty degrees of North latitude, and consequently within the influence of the East-Wind. This fact is of importance, and will again be brought forward,—we mention this to impress the fact upon the mind of the reader.
The Tyrians in all probability landed at Teneriffe,—"replenished," refitted, and repaired all damages, for a continuation of the voyage;—of its remaining distance as yet they could have no intelligence. They were, however, within ten degrees of the Herculean Gates of that Sea, which their fellow-countrymen claimed to be their own! As the entire expedition occupied three years in its accomplishment they probably landed at the Isle of Teneriffe in about two and a half years from the time of their leaving Suez. [606½ B. C.]
It appears certain that none of the Tyrians would leave the Galleys for the purpose of becoming the Aborigines of the Island at this time,—for they knew not of the future dangers of the voyage, therefore "all hands" were required. Again,—the peculiar character of the Expedition would not permit it,—and having been so long from their native land, together with the pride of receiving the National applause attendant upon their Nautical triumph,—would be against any supposition that the Tyrians would remain from choice, or as exiles and outcasts. This slight review of the apparent impossibility of any of the voyagers remaining upon the Islands after the departure of the Galleys, is required in order to establish in the future pages, when the Phœnicians did land and dwell there, and so account for the ancient Mummies found at this day in the rocky caverns of Teneriffe;—and of which, allusion and comparisons have been made, in investigating the Tyrian and Mexican analogies. [Vol. i., Book i., ch. vii., § 4.] We considered it established, therefore, that no settled residence would take place at any period of this Expedition: and apart from all other reasons, there is one that would render it absolutely impossible,—viz., They had not with them that lovely portion of Nature, without which life itself is but a desert Isle or a desolation,—viz., Woman! This fact, also, produced an incontrovertible argument against even the possibility (as before hinted) that the foundations of the Aboriginal family were laid in Ancient America during any period of this Expedition. This part of the argument must appear to every reader as irrefragable. The custom of not permitting the Wives to accompany the mariners, and especially on a Voyage of Discovery, is practised even at this day. This arises not only from physical reasons, but from mental causes;—for in the hour of storm or wreck, the courage of the mariner would be divided from his duty, remembering that his affections were in danger; and in contemplating the proverbial solicitude and devotion of Woman, for the safety of her husband or her child, he would be compelled to turn from the general rescue, to aid her resolution, and selfishly (though naturally) confront danger for themselves alone.