an ancient kingdom of Africa, bounded on the west by the Atlantic ocean, on the south by Getulia or Libya Interior, and on the north by the Mediterranean; comprehending the greater part of the kingdoms of Fez and Morocco.—Its ancient limits are not exactly mentioned by any historian; neither Mauritania, neither can they now be ascertained by any modern observations, these kingdoms being but little known to Europeans.

This country was originally inhabited by a people called Mauri, concerning the etymology of which name authors are not agreed. It is probable, however, that this country, or at least a great part of it, was first called Phut, since it appears from Pliny, Ptolemy, and St Jerome, that a river and territory not far from Mount Atlas went by that name. From the Jerusalem Targum it likewise appears, that part of the Mauri may be deemed the offspring of Lud the son of Misraim, since his descendants, mentioned Genesis x. are there called Mauri, Mauri, or Mauritani. It is certain, that this region, as well as the others to the eastward of it, had many colonies planted in it by the Phoenicians. Procopius tells us, that in his time two pillars of white stone were to be seen there, with the following inscription in the Phoenician language and character upon them: "We are the Canaanites, that fled from Joabua the son of Nun, that notorious robber." Ibm Ruchic, or Ibm Raquig, an African writer cited by Leo, together with Evagrius and Nicephorus Callistus, assert the same thing.

The Mauritanians, according to Ptolemy, were divided into several cantons or tribes. The Metagonice were seated near the straits of Hercules, now those of Gibraltar. The Saccofii, or Cocofii, occupied the coast of the Iberian sea. Under these two petty nations the Masces, Verusc, and Verbicae or Vervice, were settled. The Salisae or Salinse, were situated lower, towards the ocean; and, still more to the south, the Volubiliani. The Maurenfii and Herpiditani possessed the eastern part of this country, which was terminated by the Mulucha. The Angaucauni, or Tangaucauni, Nectiberes, Zangrenfii, Baniubae, and Vacunae, extended themselves from the southern foot of Ptolemy's Atlas Minor to his Atlas Major. Pliny mentions the Baniurae, whom Father Hardouin takes to be Ptolemy's Baniubae; and Mela the Atlantes, whom he represents as possessed of the western parts of this district.

The earliest prince of Mauritania mentioned in history is Neptune; and next to him were Atlas and Antaeus his two sons, both famous in the Grecian fables on account of their wars with Hercules. Antaeus, in his contention with that hero, seems to have behaved with great bravery and resolution. Having received large reinforcements of Libyan troops, he cut off great numbers of Hercules's men. But that celebrated commander, having at last intercepted a strong body of Libyans sent to the relief of Antaeus, gave him a total overthrow, wherein both he and the best part of his forces were put to the sword. This decisive action put Hercules in possession of Libya and Mauritania, and consequently of the riches of all these kingdoms. Hence came the fable, that Hercules, finding Antaeus, a giant of an enormous size with whom he was engaged in single combat, to receive fresh strength as often as he touched his mother earth when thrown upon her, at last lifted him up in the air and squeezed him to death. Hence likewise may be deduced the fable intimating that Hercules took the globe from Atlas upon his own shoulders, overcame the dragon that guarded the orchards of the Hesperides, and made himself master of all the gold. Mauritania en fruit there. Bochart thinks that the fable alluded chiefly to naval engagements, wherein Hercules, for the most part, was victorious; though Antaeus from time to time received succours by sea. But at last Hercules, coming up with one of his squadrons which had a strong reinforcement on board, made himself master of it, and thus rendered Antaeus incapable for the future of making head against him. The same author likewise intimates, that the notion of Antaeus's gigantic stature prevailing for so many centuries amongst the Tingitaniens, pointed out the size of the vessels of which his fleets and squadrons were composed. As for the golden apples so frequently mentioned by the old mythologists, they were the treasures that fell into Hercules's hands upon the defeat of Antaeus; the Greeks giving the oriental word ἀπόλλω, riches, the signification affixed to their own term μήλα, apples.

With regard to the age in which Atlas and Antaeus lived, the most probable supposition seems to be that of Sir Isaac Newton. According to that illustrious author, Ammon the father of Sefac was the first king of Libya, or that vast tract extending from the borders of Egypt to the Atlantic ocean; the conquest of which country was effected by Sefac in his father's lifetime. Neptune afterwards excited the Libyans to a rebellion against Sefac, and slew him; and then invaded Egypt under the command of Atlas or Antaeus, the son of Neptune, Sefac's brother and admiral. Not long after, Hercules, the general of Thebais and Ethiopia for the gods or great men of Egypt, reduced a second time the whole continent of Libya, having overthrown and slain Antaeus near a town in Thebais, from that event called Antea or Antopolis; this, we say, is the notion advanced by Sir Isaac Newton, who endeavours to prove, that the first reduction of Libya, by Sefac, happened a little above a thousand years before the birth of Christ, as the last, by Hercules, did some few years after. Now, though we do not pretend to adopt every particular circumstance of Sir Isaac Newton's system, yet we cannot forbear observing, that it appears undeniably plain from Scripture, that neither the western extremity of Libya, nor even the other parts of that region, could possibly have been so well peopled before the time of David or Solomon, as to have sent a numerous army to invade Egypt. For Egypt and Phoenicia, from whence the greatest part of the ancestors of the Libyans came, and which were much nearer the place from whence the first dispersion of mankind was made, could not themselves have been greatly overstocked with inhabitants any considerable time before the reign of Saul. And that such an invasion happened in the reign of Neptune, or at least of his son Antaeus, has been most fully evinced by this most excellent chronologer.

From the defeat of Antaeus, nothing remarkable occurs in the history of Mauritania till the times of the Romans, who at last brought the whole kingdom under their jurisdiction; for which see the article ROME. 1. With regard to the customs, &c. of this people, it would seem, from what Hyginus intimates, that they fought only with clubs, till one Belus, the son of Neptune, as that author calls him, taught Mauritania them the use of the sword. Sir Isaac Newton makes this Belus to have been the same person with Sesostris king of Egypt, who overran a great part of the then known world. 2. All persons of distinction in Mauritania went richly attired, wearing much gold and silver in their clothes. They took great pains in cleaning their teeth, and curled their hair in a curious and elegant manner. They combed their beards, which were very long, and always had their nails pared extremely close. When they walked out in any numbers, they never touched one another, for fear of disconcerting the curls into which their hair had been formed. 3. The Mauritanian infantry, in time of action, used shields made of elephants' skins, being clad in those of lions, leopards, and bears, which they kept on both night and day. 4. The cavalry of this nation was armed with broad short lances, and carried targets or bucklers, made likewise of the skins of wild beasts. They used no saddles. Their horses were small and swift, had wooden collars about their necks, and were so much under the command of their riders, that they would follow them like dogs. The habit of these horsemen was not much different from that of the foot above mentioned, they constantly wearing a large tunic of the skins of wild beasts. The Phutei, of whom the Mauritanians were a branch, were eminent for their shields, and the excellent use they made of them, as we learn from Homer, Xenophon, Herodotus, and Scripture. Nay, Herodotus seems to intimate, that the shield and helmet came from them to the Greeks. 5. Notwithstanding the fertility of their soil, the poorer sort of the Mauritanians never took care to manure the ground, being strangers to the art of husbandry; but roved about the country in a wild savage manner, like the ancient Scythians or Arabes Scenite. They had tents, or mupalia, fo extremely small, that they could scarce breathe in them. Their food was corn, herbage, &c. which they frequently did eat green, without any manner of preparation, being destitute of wine, oil, and all the elegancies as well as many necessaries of life. Their habit was the fame both in summer and winter, consisting chiefly of an old tattered, though thick garment, and over it a coarse rough tunic; which answered probably to that of their neighbours the Numidians. Most of them lay every night upon the bare ground; though some of them火烧 their garments thereon, not unlike the present African Kabyles and Arabs, who, according to Dr Shaw, use their hykes for a bed and covering in the night. 6. If the most approved reading of Horace may be admitted, the Mauritanians shot poisoned arrows; which clearly intimates, that they had some skill in the art of preparing poisons, and were excellent dartmen. This last observation is countenanced by Herodian and Ælian, who entirely come into it, affirming them to have been in such continual danger of being devoured by wild beasts, that they durst not stir out of their tents or mupalia without their darts. Such perpetual exercise must render them exceedingly skilful in hurling that weapon. 7. The Mauritanians sacrificed human victims to their deities, as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, &c. did.

The country people were extremely rude and barbarous; but those inhabiting cities must undoubtedly have had at least some smattering in the literature of the several nations they deduced their origin from. That Mauritania the Mauritanians had some knowledge in naval affairs, seems probable, not only from the intercourse they had with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians, as well as the situation of their country; but likewise from Orpheus, or Onomacritus, who affirms them to have made a settlement at the entrance into Colchis, to which place they came by sea. Magic, sorcery, divination, &c. they appear to have applied themselves to in very early times. Cicero and Pliny say, that Atlas was the inventor of astrology, and the doctrine of the sphere, i.e. he first introduced them into Mauritania. This, according to Diodorus Siculus, gave rise to the fable of Atlas's bearing the heavens upon his shoulders. The same author relates, that Atlas instructed Hercules in the doctrine of the sphere and astrology, or rather astronomy, who afterwards brought those sciences into Greece.