erth is diuided: tooke name as some hold opinion, of the doughter of
Oceanus, and Tethis, named Asia, the wife of Iaphetus, and the mother of
Prometheus. Or as other affirme, of Asius, the sonne of Maneye the Lidian.
And it stretcheth it self from the South, bowtyng [Footnote: Bending] by
the Easte into the Northe: hauyng on the West parte the two flouddes, Nilus
and Tanais, and the whole Sea Euxinum, and parte of the middle earth sea.
Vpon the other thre quarters, it is lysted in with the Occean, whiche where
he cometh by Easte Asie, is called Eous (as ye would saie toward the
dawnyng) by the South, Indicus (of the countrie named India) and aftre the
name of the stoure Scithiane, vpon the northe Scythicus. The greate
mounteine Taurus ronnyng East and West, and in a maner equally partyng the
lande in twaine: leaueth one parte on the Northe side, called by the Grekes
the outer Asie: and another on the South, named the inner Asie. This
mounteine in many places is founde thre hundred lxxv. miles broade: and of
length equalle with the whole countrie. About a fiue hundred thre skore and
thre miles. From the coast of the Rhodes, vnto the farthest part of Inde,
and Scythia Eastwarde. And it is deuided into many sondrie partes, in
sondrie wise named, whereof some are larger, some lesse. This Asie is of
suche a sise, as aucthorus holde opinion, that Affrike and Europe ioyned
together: are scante able to matche it in greatnes. It is of a temperate
heate and a fertile soile, and therefore full of all kindes of beaste,
foule, and worme, and it hath in it many countries and Seignouries.

On the other side of the redde Sea, ouer against Egipte in Affrike: lieth
the tripartite region, named Arabia, whose partes are, Petrea: boundyng
West and Northe vpon Siria: and right at fronte before hym Eastwarde,
Deserta: and Arabia Felix by Southe. Certein writers also adioyne to
Arabia: Pancheia, and Sabea. It is iudged to haue the name of Arabus, the
sonne of Apollo and Babilone.