The
third and last, the south-eastern gold-fields, have been discovered by the
Portuguese in comparatively modern days.
In this paper I propose to treat only of the western field. Its
exploitation began early enough to be noticed by Herodotus, the oldest of
Greek prose-writers. He tells us (lib. iv. 196, &c.) that the
Carthaginians received gold from a black people, whose caravans crossed
the Sahara, or Great Desert, and that they traded for it with the wild
tribes of the West Coast. His words are as follows:--'There is a land in
Libya, and a nation beyond the Pillars of Hercules [the Straits of
'Gib.'], which they [the Carthaginians] are wont to visit, where they no
sooner arrive but forthwith they break cargo; and, having disposed their
wares in an orderly way along the beach, leave them, and, returning aboard
their ships, raise a great smoke.
'The natives, when they see the smoke, come down to the shore, and, laying
out to view so much gold as they think the worth of the wares, withdraw
themselves afar. The Carthaginians upon this come ashore and look. If they
deem the gold sufficient they take it and wend their way; but if it does
not seem to them sufficient, they go aboard once more and wait patiently.
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