Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 1.djvu/127

CHA.P. i. 15, 16. INTRODUCTION. 113 sena and Araxena, countries of Armenia. In these three it is not so much to be wondered at, since they lie more to the south than Hyrcania, and surpass the rest of the country in the beauty of their climate ; but in Hyrcania it is more re- markable. It is said that in Margiana you may frequently meet with a vine whose stock would require two men with outstretched arms to clasp it, and clusters of grapes two cubits long. Aria is described as similarly fertile, the wine being still richer, and keeping perfectly for three generations in unpitched casks. Bactviana, which adjoins Aria, abounds in the same productions, if we except olives. 15. That there are cold regions in the high and mountainpus Erts of these countries is not to be wondered at ; since in the lore] southern climates the mountains, and even the table- ids, are cold. The districts next the Euxine, in Cappadocia, are much farther north than those adjoining the Taurus. Bagadania, a vast plain, situated between the mountains of Argaeus l and Taurus, hardly produces any fruit trees, although south of the Euxine Sea by 3000 stadia ; while the territory round Sinope, 2 Amisus, 3 and Phanarrea abounds in olives. The Oxus, 4 which divides Bactriana from Sogdiana, is said to be of such easy navigation that the wares of India are brought up it into the sea of Hyrcania, 5 and thence successively by various other rivers to the districts near the Euxine. 6 16. Can one find any fertility to compare with this near to the Dnieper, or that part of Keltica next the ocean, 7 where the vine either does not grow at all, or attains no maturity. 8 However, in the more southerly portions of these districts, 9 1 Mount Argaeus still preserves the name of Ardgeh. The part of the Taurus here alluded to is called Ardoxt Dag. 2 Sinub. 3 Samsoun. * The Gihon of the oriental writers. 5 The Caspian. 6 Gosselin says, the Oxus, or Abi-amu, which now discharges itself into Lake Aral, anciently communicated with the Caspian. The vessels car- rying Indian merchandise used to come down the Oxus into the Caspian ; they then steered along the southern coasts till they reached the mouth of the Cyrus ; up this river they sailed to the sources of the Phasis, (the Fasch,) and so descended into the Black Sea and Mediterranean. About the middle of the 17th century the Russians endeavoured to re-open this ancient route, but this effort was unsuccessful. 7 The north of France. 8 At the time of Strabo France was covered with forests and stagnant water, which rendered its temperature damp and cold. It was not until after considerable drainage about the fourth century that the vine began to attain any perfection. 9 The Crimea.