[2]. Georg. lib. i. ix. The concluding words are ὧν ἐστι τὸ τῶν Ῥαπτῶν ἀκροτήριον ὀλιγῴ νοτιώτερον. There is no reason why Bilibaldus Pirkimerus (Bilibaldi Pirckeymher), Lugd. 1535, should render it, ‘quibus Rhaptum promontorium paululum est Australius.’
[3]. When the Portuguese counselled the Abyssinians to wall their settlements against the Gallas, the former replied like Spartans, ‘No; we keep stones to build churches and temples, but we defend our country with our arms and hands!’ The Coptic ‘Nob’ signifies gold (Ritter Erdkunde, French translation, 142), the Camoensian ‘Noba’ is therefore more correct than our modern Nubia, which we find in the monk Burchard (A.D. 1250), ‘Æthiopia quæ hodie Nubia dicitur.’ De Barros (1. iii. xii.) prefers ‘a gente dos Nobis.’ I have been tempted to add a stanza which is not translated from Camoens.
95 (a)
‘And[‘And] see the twain from Albion’s chalky shore
go forth th’ Egyptian mystic veil to rend:
the farthest font of Nilus they explore,
those mighty waters whence the rivers trend,
then, O dire Chance! O Fortune hard and sore!
of all their fatal labours view the end—
that lies self-victimed in his natal land,