426 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



such, for example, as that by the Helmund, towards 

 the region where Persepolis and Susa were afterwards 

 built, had black eyes and curly hair, like every race 

 that came in contact with the Ethiopian stem ; tnose 

 which followed the course more directly west, along 

 the flank of the mountains, where their monuments 

 are still visible, were more probably a blue eyed 

 people, with brown hair, and full muscular structure ; 

 nationally graziers (gwallah), and possessing that basis 

 of traditions which they afterwards carried with them 

 to Gaul and Britain. In a pure state, or already in 

 commixture with tribes of Finnic origin, we find them 

 in Armenia ; tribes reckoned among the giant con- 

 querors, penetrating into Syria and Arabia, and the 

 main columns possessing Colchis and Asia Minor, 

 where the rivers Sangarius and Gallus (Halys), with 

 other remote Celtic denominations, attest that they 

 once resided. If the Milesians have a true claim to 

 Celtic consanguinity, they penetrated to the Borys- 

 thenes, and built Olbio, where the sturgeon fishery, 

 corn husbandry, and weaving fine cloths from hemp, 

 had formed a flourishing community in the time of 

 Herodotus, or B. C. 460. But this date is several ages 

 posterior to the first Celtic irruption across the Tau- 

 rine Alps in Italy ; since that event preceded the con- 

 quests of the Gauls, B. C. about 600, when they esta- 

 blished themselves in the Cisalpine territory, an event 

 which was said to be the consequence of over popu- 

 lation already accumulated in Transalpine Gaul, and 

 therefore at least many generations after their first 



