each side about fifteen feet beyond the sides of the ship. To each end of this is tied a yard or a pole perpendicularly, so as that either end of it may be moved backwards and forwards towards the ship, as it is drawn. To the lower end of this comes a rope from the pole, which is fixed into the rudder. To the upper end a rope is fixed, which is carried to a block at the corner of the stern, and brought again to another block at the upper end of the yard, and thence crosses the ship over the great beam, and goes to the other yard, to which, and to the stern, it is carried in like manner as on the other side. When the ship is to be worked, the rope of communication, which goes across the ship, is drawn to a post nearer the stern, where there is a stay made for it, in which it is drawn one way or another, as the pilot directs, and moves the helm by the ropes fixed to the lower end of the aforesaid yards; and when one is drawn nearer, and the top of the yard comes nearer to the ship, the bottom consequently flies out, and the other pole is left perpendicular in its natural direction. When there is a storm, and they let the ship drive, they loose the rope off from that post, and let the helm play as it will. And this seems to explain what is mentioned in St. Paul's voyage, That when they had committed the ship unto the sea, they loosed the rudder-bands,' and hoisted up the main-sail to the wind.' For these ropes, which direct the helm, may be very properly called the rudder bands, by which it is either fixed or moved one way or the other." . St. Luke next informs us, that, in the attempt to run the ship aground, they fell into a place where two seas met; by which we may understand an eddy or surf, which beat on the stern of the vessel while the head remained fast aground; in which situation it was to be expected, and indeed it so happened, that the ship should soon fall to pieces: but the proximity to the shore, and the assistance afforded by the broken pieces of the wreck, providentially brought them all safe to land. When they had reached the shore in safety, they discovered that the island on which they were cast was named Melita. It has been a subject of much difference of opinion among the commentators, whether the island here specified was the noted island of Malta, on the southern coast of Sicily, formerly called Melita; or an obscure island in the Adriatic Sea, which was formerly called by the same name, and which is now known by the name of Meleda. 'From the expression of St. Luke, Evuτngías tŵv andaλiwv, it seems that the two yards, mentioned by Dr. Pococke, to which the ropes were fastened, explain why the plural number, daxiwy, was here used, and that the word means the clavi, or handles, by which the rudder is,guided, not the rudder itself. I am of opinion, that the island Meleda, last mentioned, is the one here alluded to. My reasons are as follows: The island of Meleda lies confessedly in the Adriatic Sea; which situation cannot, without much strain on the expression, be ascribed to the island of Malta, as I have before shewn. Meleda lies nearer the mouth of the Adriatic than any other island of that sea, and would of course be more likely to receive the wreck of any vessel that should be driven by tempests towards that quarter. Meleda lies nearly N. W. by N. of the South-west promontory of Crete, and of course nearly in the direction of a storm from the South-east quarter. The manner in which Melita is described by St. Luke agrees with the idea of an obscure place, but not with the celebrity of Malta at that time. Cicero speaks of Melita (Malta) as abounding in curiosities and riches, and possessing a remarkable manufacture of the finest linen. The temple of Juno there, which had been preserved inviolate by both the contending parties in the Punic wars, possessed great stores of ivory ornaments, particularly figures of Victory," "antiquo opere et summa arte perfectæ." 2 "Malta," says Diodorus Siculus, "is furnished with many and very good harbours, and the inhabitants are very rich; for it is full of all sorts of artificers, among whom there are excellent weavers of fine linen. Their houses are very stately and beautiful, adorned with graceful eaves, and pargeted with white plaister. The inhabitants are a colony of Phoenicians, who, trading as merchants as far as the Western Ocean, resorted to this place on account of its commodious ports and convenient situation for a sea trade; and by the advantage of this place, the inhabitants presently became famous both for their wealth and merchandise." It is difficult to suppose, that a place of this description could be meant by such an expression, as of "an island called Melite;" nor could the inhabitants, with any propriety of speech, be understood by the epithet "barbarous." But the Adriatic Melite perfectly corresponds with that description. Though too obscure and insignificant to be particularly noticed by the ancient geographers, the opposite and neighbouring coast of Illyricum is represented by Strabo as perfectly corresponding with the expression of St. Paul. The circumstance of the viper, or poisonous snake, that fastened on St. Paul's hand, merits consideration. 'Oratio in Verrem, lib. iv. §. 18. et §. 46. 2 Diodor. lib. v. c. 1. Booth's translation. Father Giorgi, an ecclesiastic of Melite Adriatica, who has written on this subject, suggests, very properly, that as there are now no serpents in Malta, and as it should seem were none in the time of Pliny, there never were any there, the country being dry and rocky, and not affording shelter or proper nourishment for animals of that description. But Meleda abounds with these reptiles, being woody and damp, and favourable to their way of life and propagation. The disease, with which the father of Publius was affected, (dysentery combined with fever,' probably intermittent) affords a presumptive evidence of the nature of the island. Such a place as Melite Africana, (Malta) dry and rocky, and remarkably healthy, was not likely to produce such a disease, which is almost peculiar to moist situations, and stagnant waters, but might well suit a country woody and damp, and, probably for want of draining, exposed to the putrid effluvia of confined moisture. 2 After a stay here of full three months, they departed in a ship of Alexandria, which, perhaps from similar stress of weather, had wintered in the isle, and came from thence to Syracuse. If we suppose that St. Paul with his company arrived at Meleda about the beginning of December, a stay of three months, and of perhaps something more, will bring their departure from this island to the beginning of March, the tenth day of which month was, according to Vegetius, the time of the commencement of the navigation of merchant ships, and thence called Natalis Navigationis. This is about the time of the cosmical rise of Orion, and the putting forth of the leaves of the fig-tree," according to Theophrastus, at which time Hesiod declares navigation to be safe. The Natalis Navigationis in Egypt, called also Isidis Navigium,' was on the third of the nones of March, or on the fifth day of that mouth; Isis being the representative of the moon, and that Veget. lib. iv. c. 29. 4 Orion rises cosmically, March 16. Plin. xviii. 26. 5 Fig-tree, ipivòs, leafs 14 Pisces, March 2. Theophr. Fig-tree, ux, leafs 29 Pisces, March 17. πpò lonμegías de μixpóv. Ibidem. N. B. The vernal equinox, or entrance of the Sun into Aries, is placed by Geminus at March 19. Petavii Uranologion. Οἰγέται ἄρτι θάλασσα ἐφοπλίζοιτε δὲ νήας Ωρίων ἀκλύστων ἄγειν λιμένων. Greek Epigram. Calend. Constantini Magni, A. D. 325. Petavii Uranologion. p. 112. Calendar. duo vetusta, quorum in Grutero reperiunda exemplaria. planet being supposed to have a great influence on the weather,' was likely to be introduced as the protectress of navigation. 2 Lucian and others speak of the moon as having the power to raise or to compose tempests at her pleasure. A writer in the Theological Repository 3 has brought an argument in favor of the opinion, that the island here in question was the island of Malta, "from," as it is expressed," St. Paul's calling at Syracuse, in his way to Rhegium; which is," he says, " so far out of the track, that no example can be produced in the history of navigation of any ship going so far out of her course, except it was driven by a violent tempest." This argument tends principally to show, that the author had a very incorrect idea of the relative situation of the places to which he refers. The ship, which carried St. Paul from the Adriatic Sea to Rhegium, would not deviate from its course more than half a day's sail by touching at Syracuse; and the delay so occasioned would probably be but a few hours more than it would have been, had they proceeded to Syracuse in their way to the Straits of Messina from Malta, as the map will show. Besides, the master of the ship might have, and probably had, some business at Syracuse, which had originated at Alexandria, from which place it must have been originally intended the ship should commence her voyage to Puteoli; and in this course, the calling at Syracuse would have been the smallest deviation possible. The difference then, on which this writer places so much dependence, is too insignificant to merit farther notice. Again, supposing the ship to have come from Malta, it must have been on account of some business, probably commercial, that they touched at Syracuse in their way to Puteoli, as Malta is scarcely more than one day and night's sail from Syracuse: whereas there might be some reasons respecting the voyage, had the ship come from Meleda, which is more than five times that distance, and probably a more uncertain navigation. After three days' stay at Syracuse, they sailed for the Straits of Messina, and after, as it should seem, one day's stay at Rhegium, the South wind blew, and brought them on the ensuing day to Puteoli. 1 See Long's Astronomy on the Metonic Cycle, vol. ii. §. 1333. 2 Jablonski Pantheon Ægyptiacum, lib. iii. cap. 1. §. 6. 3 Theological Repository, vol. iv. 4 Malta is eighty-five nautical miles, or ninety-nine and a half English miles, from Syracuse. 5 Meleda is distant from Syracuse 372 nautical miles, or 440 English, in a straight line; and if we consider that the course from Meleda requires a large circuit, and that from Malta very little, it will make the difference of distance more than 400 English miles, or more than five times the distance of Malta. This must be understood as a voyage of two days' sail, as the distance is near 1900 stadia, or more than the extent of three degrees of latitude, which with a fair wind, as it seems they had, might be performed in two days and a night. Thucydides,' speaking of the usual computation of sailing, says, that a ship will pass from Naples to Sicily in two days and a night. Now Naples is close upon Puteoli, and Rhegium lies on the strait that divides Sicily from Italy. A fair wind, as in the present instance, might accelerate the voyage a little above the usual calculation. A note of Wetstein's on this passage has shown, that Puteoli was the port at which the corn ships from Egypt (Alexandria2) usually touched, and landed their cargoes. F. VIS MAGNETICA. ARCANAS rerum causas, quo corpora pacto Thucydid. lib. vii. c. 50. 2 There was a considerable trade between Alexandria and Puteoli for other articles besides corn. Forte Puteolanum sinum prætervehenti, vectores nautæque de navi Alexandrina, quæ tantum quod ad pulerat, candidati, coronatique, et thura libantes, fausta omina et eximias laudes congesserant: per illum se vivere : per illum navigare: libertate atque fortunis per illum frui. Qua re admodum exhilaratus, quadragenos aureos comitibus divisit: jusque jurandum, et cautionem exegit a singulis, non alio datam summam, quam in emtionem Alexandrinarum mercium, absumturos. Sueton. Casar Octavius Augustus. |