the Pillars of Hercules into the sea called the ocean. And first they built a city called Gades near to Hercules' Pillars, at the sea side, in an isthmus in Europe; in which among other things proper for the place, they built a stately temple to Hercules, and instituted splendid sacrifices to be offered to him after the rites and customs of the Phœnicians; this temple is in great veneration at this day, as well as in former ages; so that many of the Romans famous and renowned both for their births and glorious actions, have made their vows to this god, and after success in their affairs have faithfully performed them. The Phœnicians therefore upon the account before related, having found out the coast beyond the Pillars, and sailing along by the shore of Africa, were on a sudden driven by a furious storm afar off into the main ocean, and after they had lain under this violent tempest for many days, they at length arrived at this island, and so coming to the knowledge of the nature and pleasantness of this isle they were the first that discovered it to others: and therefore the Etrurians (when they were masters at sea) designed to send a colony thither, but the Carthaginians opposed them both fearing lest most of their own citizens should be allured through the goodness of the island to settle there, and likewise intending to keep it as a place of refuge for themselves, in case of any sudden and unexpected blasts of fortune, which might tend to the utter rain of their government. For being then potent at sea, they doubted not but they could easily unknown to the conquerors transport themselves and their families into that island."
This passage is generally interpreted as referring to Madeira, but the statements contained in it show that it cannot have been so intended, and further when Diodorus proceeds immediately after to speak of Britain, he merely states it to be an Island, not a large Island, evidently considering it small compared with the one which he had been describing, whereas it is considerably larger than Madeira. The navigable rivers mentioned by Diodorus, as well as by Aristotle in the passage quoted above, show that a large country was referred to, and do not apply to- any of the Atlantic groups or even to the West Indian Islands. Strabo merely quotes the account given by Plato.
Such then are the references to lands beyond the Atlantic to be found in the classics, and found as they are in the writings of authors whose statements respecting other matters are received with deference, it seems to me to be a want of critical fairness to pass them over as undeserving of serious attention merely because they are contrary to our preconceived ideas. I cannot but regard them as independent testimonies
