110 History of Nature. [BooK VI. 



Gates : a mighty Piece of Nature's Work, by suddenly cleav- 

 ing asunder those Mountains, where the Gates were barred 

 up with iron Bars, whilst under the midst thereof, the River 

 Dyriodorus runneth : and on this Side of it standeth a formi- 

 dable Castle called Cumania, situated upon a Rock, able to 

 arrest the Passage of a very numerous Army; so that in this 

 Place, by means of these Gates, one Part of the World is 

 excluded from the other : and chiefly over-against Harmastis, 

 a Town of the Iberi. Beyond the Gates of Caucasus, through 

 the Mountains Gordyei, the Valli and Suarni, uncivilised 

 Nations, are employed only in the Mines of Gold. Beyond 

 them as far as to the Pontic Sea, are many Races of the 

 Heniochi ; and soon after, of the Achaei. And thus much 

 concerning this Tract of the Lands among the most re- 

 nowned. Some have set down, that between Pontus and the 

 Caspian Sea, it is not above 375 Miles. Cornelius Nepos 

 saith it is but 150; into such Straits is Asia driven again. 

 Claudius Ccesar hath reported, that from the Cimmerian 

 Bosphorus to the Caspian Sea, is 150 Miles; and that Seleucus 

 Nicator purposed to cut the Land through, at the Time 

 when he was slain by Ptolomceus Ceraunus. It is almost 

 certain, that from the Gates of Caucasus to Pontius is 

 200 Miles. 



CHAPTER XII. 



Islands in the Pontus. 



IN Pontus lie the Islands Planctae, otherwise Cyaneae or 

 Symplegades. Then Apollonia, named also Thynnias, for 

 Distinction sake from that other so named in Europe : it is 

 from the Continent one Mile, and in Circuit three. And 

 over-against Pharnacea is Chalceritis, which the Greeks 

 called Aria, sacred to Mars ; wherein are Birds which fight 

 with a Blow of their Wings against others that come 

 thither. 



CHAPTER XIII. 



Nations on the Scythian Ocean. 



HAVING thus discoursed of all the Countries in the inte- 

 rior of Asia, let us now determine to pass over the Rhiphaean 



