CIIA1*. II. 



ASIA. 83 



provinces, were to be allowed to Tigranes to en- 

 able him to pay the contribution. 



" In Chaldea or Chalybes," Strabo says, " there 

 must have been mines of silver formerly, al- 

 though there are none at present ; but the 

 country is now only renowned for its iron. 

 Homer notices those of silver, and he was likely 

 to be as well acquainted with them as with the 

 mines of brass at Temesa in Italy, or with the 

 vast riches at Thebes in Egypt, which were at 

 twice the distance V 



The same author informs us that, " in the 

 Troad, beyond the territory of Abydos, the city 

 of Astyra once stood ; the land of which now 

 belongs to Abydos, though in ancient times it 

 was governed by its own laws. It had mines of 

 gold, which yield little or none at present, having 

 been exhausted, like those of mount Tmolus, near 

 the Pactolus 2 ." 



A more diligent research among the writings 

 of antiquity would doubtless bring to our know- 

 ledge some mines which were formerly produc- 

 tive of the precious metals in a greater or less 

 degree, but which have been closed, from the 

 exhaustion of their treasures ; and the number 

 might probably be much increased, if the nume- 



1 Strabo, book xii. cap. 2. 



2 Idem, book xiii. cap. 1. 



G 2 



