America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the Nevv VVorld / Containing the Original of the Inhabitants, and the Remarkable Voyages Thither. The Conquest of the Vast Empires of Mexico and Peru, and Other Large Provinces and Territories, with the Several European Plantations in Those Parts. Also Their Cities, Fortresses, Towns, Temples, Mountains, and Rivers. Their Habits, Customs, Manners, and Religions. Their Plants, Beasts, Birds, and Serpents. With an Appendix, Containing, Besides Several Other Considerable Additions, a Brief Survey of What Hath Been Discover'd of the Unknown South-land and the Arctick Region.

by John Ogilby

Original and Habitations of the Phenicians, of whom, according to several Learned, the Americans are extracted.

Aristotle from a Greek Word calls them Phenicians, from their being red or bloody with the Slaughter of all Strangers that Landed on their Coast; but rather, and so indeed they are call’d Phenicians, or Erythreans, from Esau, or Edom, from whom they are deriv’d; for these two Words, or Denominations, signifie in Greek, Red; the two last, the like in Hebrew. Phenix himself first planted all the Countrey lying between the River Eleutherus, and the Egyptian City Pelusium; and afterwards Damiata, wash’d by the Mediterrane: But since, these Boundaries are alter’d, on the North, by Judea; Westward, by the Mediterrane; Southerly, by Egypt; and towards the East, by the Desart Arabia.

The chiefest Cities are Ptolemais, otherwise call’d Acon, Sidon, Arad, Great Cana, Sarepta, Biblis, Bothris, Berithus, and their Princess Tyre, formerly scituate in an Isle, but since joyn’d to the Main-Land by Alexander the Great.

Herodot. lib. 1 .

Salust in Igurtha.

Wonderful Power of the Phenicians.

None can disown, but that the Phenicians have every where been Admirals of the Sea; so that they were formidable to the greatest Princes. When the Persian King Cambyses came with a vast Army against the Carthaginians, he was forc’d to give over his Design, because the Phenicians refus’d to help him with their Fleet, being allied to, and the City founded by them: But they not only built Carthage, which strove with Rome to be the Empress of the World, but also the famous Cities Leptis, Utica, Hippo, and Adrumetum in Africa, with Cadiz and Tartessus in Spain; nay, they sent Plantations of People into the Heart of Iberia and Lybia. It will not be amiss to add Q. Curtius his Relation, who tells us, “Where-ever the Phenicians came with their Fleets, Landing their Men, they subdu’d whole Countreys, and by that means spread their Colonies over the known World; Carthage in Africa, Thebes in Boetia, and Cadiz near the Western Ocean.” Aristotle relates, “That they made such rich Returns of their Merchandize, and chiefly of their Oyl, in Spain, that their Anchors, Pins, and all Iron Materials belonging to a Ship, in stead of that Metal, were Silver.”

Testimonies that the Americans are deriv’d from the Phenicians.

First Testimony.

Is contradicted.