on a large scale, following the line of the old cutting, but greatly widening it, so that triremes might meet in it and pass each other, without shipping their oars.  After a time, however, he felt compelled to desist, without effecting his purpose, owing to an extraordinary mortality among the labourers.  According to Herodotus, 120,000 of them perished.  At any rate, the suffering and loss of life, probably by epidemics, was such as induced him to relinquish his project, and to turn his thoughts toward gaining his end in another way.

[Illustration:  HEAD OF NECO.]

Might not Nature have herself established a water communication between the two seas by which Egypt was washed?  It was well known that the Mediterranean and the Red Sea both communicated with an open ocean, and it was the universal teaching of the Greek geographers, that the ocean flowed round the whole earth.  Neco determined to try whether Africa was not circumnavigable.  Manning some ships with Phoenician mariners, as the boldest and most experienced, accustomed to brave the terrors of the Atlantic outside the Pillars of Hercules, he dispatched them from a port on the Red Sea, with orders to sail southwards, keeping the coast of Africa on their right, and see if they could not return to Egypt by way of the Mediterranean.  The enterprise succeeded.  The ships, under the skilful guidance of the Phoenicians, anticipated the feat of Vasco di Gama—­rounded the Cape of Storms, and returned by way of the Atlantic, the Straits of Gibraltar, and the Mediterranean to the land from which they had set out.  But they did not reach Egypt till the third year.  The success obtained was thus of no practical value, so far as the Pharaoh’s warlike projects were concerned.  He had to relinquish the idea of uniting his two fleets in one, owing to the length of the way and the dangers of the navigation.

He had, however, no mind to relinquish his warlike projects, Syria, Phoenicia, and Palestine were still in an unsettled state, the yoke of Assyria being broken, and that of Babylon not yet firmly fixed on them.  Josiah was taking advantage of the opportunity to extend his authority over Samaria.  Phoenicia was hesitating whether to submit to Nabopolassar or to assert her freedom.  The East generally was In a ferment.  Neco in B.C. 608, determined to make his venture.  At the head of a large army, consisting mainly of his mercenaries, he took the coast route into Syria, supported by his Mediterranean fleet along the shore, and proceeding through the low tracts of Philistia and Sharon, prepared to cross the ridge of hills which shuts in on the south the great plain of Esdraelon; but here he found his passage barred by an army.  Josiah, either because he feared that, if Neco were successful, his own position would be imperilled, or because he had entered into engagements with Nabopolassar, had resolved to oppose the further progress of the Egyptian army, and had occupied a strong position near