chres of the ancient Scythians; if it be allowed that a part of the tumuli, found in the plains towards the upper branches of the Irtish, Oby, &c. are of so ancient a date: or, on the other hand, if the sepulchres in question are not so ancient, it at least proves, that the same custom prevailed amongst their descendants. It appears, that tumuli are scattered over the whole tract, from the borders of the Wolga and its western branches, to the lake Baikal 5. Those amongst them, which have attracted the greatest notice, on the score of the gold and silver (but principally the former) contained in them, lie between the Wolga and the Oby: for those which are farther to the east, and more particularly at the upper part of the Jenisei, have the utensils contained in them, of copper o.

It has not come to our knowledge, that any of these monuments have been found in the Ukraine; where the sepulchres described by Herodotus should have been however, it may be conceived, that it is a sufficient testimony of the general truth of his description, that they are found so far to the west, as

5 These sepulchres are discovered only in plain and extensive deserts, formerly the abode of a nation which seems to have subsisted by pasturage and the produce of the chase. (Mr. Tooke; Archæologia, Vol. vii. p. 223.)

6

The gold, and copper, found in the different sepulchres, gave occasion to a conjecture, that mines of those metals existed in their respective neighbourhoods; which conjecture was verified by the discovery of the copper mines of Sayane; and of the gold mines of Kolyvan, in the tract adjoining to the Altaian mountains.

the southern parts of Russia, and on the banks of the Okka', Wolga, and Tanais: since much the same sort of customs may have been supposed to exist amongst the Scythians and Sarmatians generally and it is certain that the Sarmatians and seceding Scythians occupied the tracts just mentioned.

It is true that Mr. Tooke (from whose writings our knowledge in this matter, as well as other more important ones, is more particularly derived, and who is therefore entitled to our sincerest thanks,) supposes these monuments to be of a much more modern date: for he refers them to the Tartars of Jinghis Kan and their first successors: and thus much appears certain, that the Kalmucs are still in the habit of burying horses, arms, &c. with their chiefs. But as the Russians and Tartars themselves, appear to regard the articles found in some of the tombs, as being very ancient, and unlike what are now found amongst them, we should at least be led to conclude, that the monuments are of very different ages; and that, of course, there may be amongst them, those of the ancient Scythians, as well as of the modern Tartars, who succeeded them. The bodies wrapt in, or placed between, thin sheets of gold, may perhaps be referred to the latter class: but Mr. Tooke speaks also of gold and silver utensils, of skeletons of horses, as well as the bones of men; of many bodies deposited in the same

'The Okka is the south-west branch of the Wolga, and had its source amongst the Melanchlani.

Archæologia, Vol. vii.; and Russia.

grave; together with weapons and implements of war, and domestic utensils: so that, of whatsoever age these may have been, they prove the general statement of Herodotus, as to the custom of the people of that country. In some of the tumuli were found images and idols.

Many tumuli are found in and about the banks of the Tanais, in the quarter towards the Mæotis. One of these, of considerable magnitude, and said to be the sepulchre of Gulbedin, is described in the voyage to Tana, by Barbaro, in the 15th century. It stood about 60 miles above Tana, (which stood at or near Azoph,) at the side of the Tanais, and consequently on the border of the Sarmatian territory; according to the distribution of the space, by Herodotus. It was 80 paces in diameter, by 50 in height. This was dug into, in the expectation of finding treasure; for it is related that one of the tumuli towards the Altaian mountains afforded no less than forty pounds weight of gold': but although much cost and labour were bestowed on the work, Barbaro says, that they only went to the depth of 10 paces; having intersected the tumulus by a trench of 8 paces in breadth, to that depth. Of course it could not be expected that they should have reached the tomb itself.

The substances found were nothing more than the burnt bones of fishes, the remains of burnt wood, and canes; and of grain, of the millet kind; save only, half the handle of a small silver vessel, wrought

9 Archæol. Vol. vii.

1 Ibid. Vol. ii.

into the form of the head of a snake. There were no bones of men, or of quadrupedes, found.

Mr. Tooke says generally, that some of the Russian and Siberian sepulchres, are perfect tumuli, raised to an enormous height; whilst others are almost level with the ground. Some are encompassed with a square wall of large quarry stones, &c. In some, the earth is excavated several fathoms deep, whilst others are only dug to a sufficient depth for covering the body. After this long digression, we return once more to the narrative.

It appears, that on the invasion of the Persians, the Scythians sent away their families, in the carriages in which they usually dwelt, together with such a portion of their cattle, as was not necessary to their immediate subsistence, or conveniency, to the northward, Melp. 121. Perhaps they were sent into the neighbourhood of the sepulchres, as a place that was meant to be defended to the last.

The expedition of Darius Hystaspes, although it terminated more fortunately for himself (personally,) than that of his predecessor Cyrus, against the Eastern Scythians (Massagetæ), yet, in respect of the wisdom that dictated the two expeditions, as well as in respect of their ultimate success, they seem to be nearly on a par. The Persians had nothing to boast of, in either case; any more than in their attack on the Carduchians, as related by Xenophon in the Anabasis, lib. iii. at the end.

Our Author assigns as the cause of the invasion of Scythia, by Darius Hystaspes, that "he was desirous of avenging on the Scythians, the injuries they

had formerly committed, by entering Media, and defeating those who opposed them. For during a period of 28 years they retained the sovereignty of Upper Asia, by expelling the Medes, its ancient possessors," Melpomene, c. 1. A reason is never wanting for doing that, which our inclinations prompt us to.

The unsuccessful expedition of Darius only provoked other attacks and menaces from the Scythians; such as the attack of the Chersonesus of Thrace, and their alliance with the Spartans, by which it was agreed that the Scythians should invade Media (that is, the empire of Persia) by the way of the Phasis of Colchis, and the Spartans by way of Ephesus, until the two armies should form a junction; Erato, 40 and 84. This negotiation happened

during the reign of Cleomenes.

The Gog and MAGOG of Ezekiel must be understood to be meant for the SCYTHIANS, who made the above irruption into Media; and even carried their devastations into Palestine, and to the borders of Egypt. (See Herodotus, Melp. c. 1; and Clio, 103, et seq.) We are aware that the chronology, as it stands, does not exactly bear us out; but as the prophecies of Ezekiel are allowed to have begun at about 595 years before Christ, and the Scythians to have continued in Western Asia till about 605, it may be conceived that a small error in chronology, (and let it be remembered, that Sir Isaac Newton has made it appear probable, that an error of about 120 years, existed in the date of the foundation of Rome), may change the order of the two events.