THE First of the Two Books preceding, contains the Acts of the ancient Kings of Egypt, and the Fabulous History of the Egyptian Gods: Of those things reported of the River Nile; of their Fruits, divers kinds of Beasts, the Situation of the Country, and of their Laws and Courts of Justice. In the Second are comprehended the Affairs of Asia, the Acts of the Assyrians in antient Times, and amongst them the Birth and Advancement of Semiramis; how she built Babylon, and many other Cities, and invaded the Indians with a mighty Army. We have treated there likewise of the Caldeans, and their Art in Astronomy. Of Arabia, and the wonderful things there: Of the Amazons: And lastly, of the Hyperboreans, and the Island Taprobana. In this ensuing Book pursuing such things as are coherent with those that went before, we shall treat of the Ethiopians and Africans, and of the Atlantick Islands.
Of the Ethiopians: Their Letters, Laws, Arms, Religion, Funerals: The Description of several Parts of the Country. Manner of making of Gold. Of the Ichthyophages, their several sorts, and way of Living.
THE Ethiopians say that they were the First Men that ever were in the World, and that to prove this, they have clear Demonstrations: For they say, they are Natives of the Country, and not Strangers that came to settle there, and are therefore by the general Consent almost of all Men call'd Autochthones; and that in every Man's Opinion, it's most probable that those that inhabit the South, were the first Living Men that sprung out of the Earth. For being that the heat of the Sun at the first exhal'd the Moisture of the Earth, and in the first production of all things, influenc'd it with a quickening Virtue, they say it's very rational to conclude, that those Places next to the Sun, should be the first Parents of all Living Creatures.