/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>5163897
The nations that, according to the best authenticated
history, appear to have been first civilised, were those that
dwelt round the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. That sea, by far
the greatest inlet that is known in the world, having no tides,
nor consequently any waves except such as are caused by the wind
only, was, by the smoothness of its surface, as well as by the
multitude of its islands, and the proximity of its neighbouring
shores, extremely favourable to the infant navigation of the
world; when, from their ignorance of the compass, men were afraid
to quit the view of the coast, and from the imperfection of the
art of shipbuilding, to abandon themselves to the boisterous
waves of the ocean. To pass beyond the pillars of Hercules, that
is, to sail out of the Straits of Gibraltar, was, in the ancient
world, long considered as a most wonderful and dangerous exploit
of navigation. It was late before even the Phoenicians and
Carthaginians, the most skilful navigators and ship-builders of
those old times, attempted it, and they were for a long time the
only nations that did attempt it.