Cellarius has, however, been censured by Signor Della Celia
for having ventured to adopt this derivation, and for “ not knowing
that Sert meant desert in Arabic, and that this name is still
preserved in the bottom of the (Greater) Syrtis But were we
even to agree with Dr. Della Celia, that the district called Syr't is a
desert, (which our friend Shekh Mahommed, who lives there, with
many others, very comfortably, would be very unwilling, and very
ungratefiil to allow,) there does not appear to be any reason why
the regions in question should be particularly distinguished as
deserts, when the country which bounds them to the southward, and
which is much more entitled to the appellation of desert than they
are, was never called Syrtis either by ancients or moderns. The
term existed, it is evident, in the age of Scylax and Herodotus, both of
whom we find to have used i t ; but, in enumerating the several tribes
which inhabited the shores of these gulfs, it by no means appears (as
we have stated above) that the latter of these writers meant to characterise
their country as a desert, or that he was aware of any such
meaning implied by the term in question, Syrtis. - If, therefore, we
suppose the word to be of oriental origin, we should rather look
beyond the language of the Arabs for its root; and as the Phoenicians
were well acquainted with these shores at a very early period
of history, we might suppose, with some appearance of probability,
ing the same derivation. As if (he adds) “ a ixv^u, traho, quod in accessu et recessu
arenam et coenum ad se trahit et congerit.” (Vid. Eustath. Comm.) Travels in Bar-
bary, vol. 1. p. 211.
* Yiaggio da Tripoli* &c. p. 62.
that the term has originated with them. As the peculiarities of the
Gulfs of Syrtis appear to be more striking than those of the territory
within them, it is also probable that the country would have been
named from them, and not the gulfs from the country; particularly
as the Phoenicians were a naval nation, and may be supposed (at the
early period to which we allude) to have been better acquainted with
the Gulfs than with the country here in question.
The Phoenician (or Hebrew) words from which the term Syrtis
might originate, are probably the roots of the Arab phrase Sahara
to which Signor Della Celia appears to allude; but instead
of applying them to the country of the Syrtis, as expressive of its
barren and desolate appearance, we should rather apply them to the
Gulfs themselves, as expressive of the violent storms of wind which
are known to prevail in them, and of the agitation and confusion
resulting from their influence.
The terms to which we allude are the Hebrew words Saar (iFP),
or Sa&rat (m32c)> signifying whirlwind, or tempest; and the root
Seiar (iJ>p), from which they spring,, expressive of agitation and disturbance
; Soarah (myb), tempest-tossed, is also another derivative
of Siiar.
We have very slender pretensions to any skill in Hebrew, and
merely offer the above suggestions for the consideration of those
who may be inclined to reject the Greek origin of the term Syrtis;
which, for our own part, we are very well contented to allow, on the
authority of the writers already quoted, and on inspection of one
of the places in question. I t may be possible, however, that some