ander, and by the communication which was opened with Eastern Asia, in consequence; but still there was no great stock of materials collected for the improvement either of the history, or of the geography of Scythia; which, therefore, continued in a very imperfect state, down to the times of Strabo and Pliny. This is very forcibly expressed by the latter; who says, lib. vi. c. 71, " there is no region in which geographers vary more, than in this (Scythia); which, as I conceive, is occasioned by the infinite number of those nations that wander to and fro;" a remark that will apply no less to the geographers of the present day. In effect, the inhabitants of this tract were so often changed by migrations, southward, and westward, into Persia, &c. that it is no wonder that authors who wrote in different periods, should describe different tribes in the same place. It would therefore require a history, instead of a geographical dissertation, to note the different tribes that occupied the southern frontier of Scythia, between the times of Herodotus and Ptolemy.

Herodotus, from whom we have our first ideas of the Massagetæ, or Eastern Scythians, places them along the northern bank of the Jaxartes (he calls it Araxes,) and also extends them eastward, far into the country, since denominated from the Kalmucs. For he places them "beyond the Araxes ;" and extends their territories" to the extreme parts of the East," and opposite the Issedonians;" Clio, 201.

5

During this interval, a commerce appears to have been opened between the Roman empire and Serica.

6 See above, p. 269, et seq.

In effect, he knew the subject but imperfectly for it has been shewn (page 174, 175,) that he supposed the Issedones and Massagetæ to occupy very different parallels on the globe: and that the former were very much to the northward of the latter.

The Issedonians, as we learn from Ptolemy, were divided between the bordering countries of Scythia and Serica: that is, there were Issedonians of Scythia, and Issedonians of Serica: and as the latter are placed in, or about, the country of the Echarda, or Oigurs, (as we have said before,) we must regard the tract between Turkestan and China as the SERICA of Ptolemy; and of course place the eastern boundary of Scythia extra Imaum, at the western border of the Oigur country. This also agrees with a striking circumstance above related, in the history of the Oigurs; namely, their being a lettered nation, whilst all, or most of their neighbours, were illiterate barbarians: and where should the termination of Scythia be so properly placed as at the commencement of civilization and letters ??

7

It is impossible to ascertain the extent of Ptolemy's knowledge of the Tartarian nations, and of the course of trade between the Roman empire and those of China and Tartary, (that is, of the Since and Seres). However, as there may be traced, in his geography, a general idea of the countries in the line between Sogdiana and the western frontier of China; it may be supposed that this information was collected from the travellers in the caravans, which brought silk and other articles from China, or Serica, or both. This commerce is spoken of by Pliny, lib. vi. c. 17, about half a century before the time of Ptolemy: but Pliny knew so little concerning the nature of silk, that he supposed it to be the produce of a tree; nor does it appear

The Massagetæ then, in the opinion of Herodotus, and of the early Greeks, must have constituted the bulk of the Eastern Scythians: but he also says, Polym. 64, that SACE was a name given by the Persians indiscriminately to ALL Scythians; in which he is supported by Pliny, at least: of which, more in the sequel.

Arrian, who appears to have written solely from materials furnished by the followers of Alexander, (and more particularly by Ptolemy and Aristobulus,) who describe the state of things about a century after the time of Herodotus, places the Massagete along the north of Sogdia: agreeing, so far as he goes, with Herodotus. But he also speaks But he also speaks of the Daha as a very considerable tribe, seated on or near the Jaxartes: and, by circumstances, near the lower part of its course. But he omits the Saca altogether;

that the silk-worm was accurately known till the time of Justinian.

The same degree of ignorance seems to have prevailed respecting the extent of China and Serica. According to Mr. Gibbon, "the Romans did not entertain a suspicion that the SERES or SINE possessed an empire not inferior to their own." The reader will find in the seventh vol. of his great work, p. 90, et seq. a curious history of the introduction of silk into Europe, by Justinian; prefaced with much information respecting that curious and valuable production. In the course of this dissertation he remarks, that "in the vain capital of China, the Sogdian caravans were entertained as the suppliant embassies of tributary kingdoms;" which shews that the customs of China have undergone little change down to the present moment. The reader may receive full conviction on this head (if he doubted it before,) by a perusal of M. Van Braam's account of the late Dutch embassy to China,

which is worthy of remark. They are, however, spoken of by Curtius, who might have had recourse to materials that had not been examined by Arrian. Curtius also mentions the Daha: but seems to intend those only who were seated on the Caspian sea, adjoining to Hyrcania; lib. iii. and iv.

Diodorus speaks of the Massagetæ, Saca, and Arimaspii, as the principal tribes or nations of Scythians, beyond the Tanais (meaning the Jaxartes;) lib. ii. c. 3.

Strabo and Pliny appear to have examined a greater number of authorities than either Arrian or Curtius.

Strabo thus speaks of the positions of the Scythian nations generally: "Certain of the ancient Greek writers called ALL those nations which lay towards the north SCYTHIANS and CELTO-SCYTHIANS, without distinction but at a still earlier period they were divided into classes, or tribes; those who dwelt above the Euxine, the Danube, and the Adriatic were named HYPERBOREANS, SAUROMATÆ, and ARIMASPI ; but of those beyond the Caspian sea, some were called SACE, others MASSAGETÆ, not being able to speak accurately of them, although they had written a history of the war of CYRUS with the MASSAGETÆ." Page 507.

After this he gives, in the succeeding pages, a detail of the positions of several of the principal tribes of Eastern Scythians.

In page 511 he speaks of the Massageta, Daha, and Sace, as the principal Scythian tribes: but says, that there are other tribes also who have indi

vidual names, but pass under the general denomination of Scythians: all of which (says he) are true Nomades. The Daha, he says, begin at the Caspian sea; the Massageta and Saca lie more to the east. Here we find an agreement between Strabo and Curtius respecting the Daha: and as the Massageta and Saca lie more to the east, we are to look for them at or near the Jaxartes, of course. Strabo moreover tells us, p. 514, that the Jaxartes separated the Sogdii and Sace in like manner as the Oxus did the Sogdii and Bactriani.

Again, p. 512, he describes the seats of the Massagete to be towards the lower part of the course of the Jaxartes, and its lakes, (admitting, as we can hardly do less, that the river which he as well as Herodotus, Diodorus, and Justin, calls Araxes, is meant for the former.) In page 513 he also says, that the Chorasmii ARE Massageta and Sace. Whether these tribes possessed Chorasmia at the date of Alexander's expedition, we have no means of knowing; but as Strabo says, page 511, that the Pasiani, Tochari, and Sacæ, dispossessed the Macedonians of the empire of Bactria, it is not improbable that the progress of the Massagetæ in Chorasmia was also subsequent to the time of Alexander. Not but that such migrations from Scythia must have happened in earlier times; only that the Scythians might have been so long established as to pass with the Greeks for aborigines.

He explains in the same pages, and also in 508, that these Daha were of a particular tribe named Parni, or Aparni.