Dramatic Moments. “GO AND DO IT”

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 95, 16 January 1935, Page 7

Dramatic Moments. “GO AND DO IT”

We read about him in the Bible, old King Necho. who ruled in Egypt 600 years before Christ. The power of Syria had fallen, and King Necho reconquered the land, defeating and killing Josiah of Judah at Megiddo. He pressed on to the very banks of the Euphrates and set his brother, Jehoaiakim, to govern Judah. But he lives in history as the king who said. “Go and do it.’/ It is less than 100 years since the crossing of the Atlantic by a sailing ship was an adventure. Five, hundred years ago no European had ever crossed it. Even the most daring sailors were afraid to go far, out of sight of land, and a thousand years ago. with no compass and with ships' of only a few tons, seamen rarely, if ever, spent the night on board. And yet, 25 centuries ago, there was a little company of marvellous seamen who sailed out of Egypt, down the Red Sea. and along the coast of Africa till they came to the Cape of Good Hope. Then on and on they went, often driven from their course, often out of sight of land, often running through tempest, til) they found the sun rising on their right hand instead of on their left, and came between the Straits of Gibraltar, and so. following the coast, sailed proudly into an Egyptian harbour. They _had circumnavigated Africa. It was an amazing achievement for that early morning of the world’s history, and it all came out of a remark made by King Necho, for he had one day said to a group of sailors,. “I have an idea it is possible to sail round Africa. Go and do it.”