BOOK VI.] History of Nature. 109 



Number being 120, with barbarous Names. It is enclosed 

 Eastward with Mountains, but neither the Ceraunii, nor the 

 Region Adiabene, do immediately border on it. The Country 

 of the Sopherii lieth between : next are the Mountains Ce- 

 raunii ; and beyond them dwell the Adiabeni. But through 

 the flat Valleys the next Neighbours to Armenia are the 

 Menobardi and Moscheni. The River Tigris and steep 

 Mountains encompass Adiabene. On the left Hand its 

 Region is of the Medians, and the Prospect of the Caspian 

 Sea. This is poured in from the Ocean (as we shall shew in 

 its place), and is enclosed wholly within the Mountains of 

 Caucasus. We will now speak of the Inhabitants of these, 

 through the Confine of Armenia. 



CHAPTER X. 

 Albania and Iberia. 



THE Nation of the Albani inhabit all the plain Country 

 from the River Cyrus. Beyond it is the Region of the Iberes, 

 who are separated from the Albani by the River Alazon, 

 which runneth down from the Caucasian Mountains into the 

 Cyrus. The strong Towns of Albania : Cabalaca ; of Iberia, 

 Harmastis, near the River Neoris : the Region Thasie, and 

 Triare, as far as to the Mountains Partedori. Beyond them 

 are the Deserts of Colchis: and on the side of them which 

 lieth toward the Ceraunii the Armenochalybes inhabit : and 

 the Tract of the Moschi to the River Iberus, that floweth into 

 the Cyrus. Beneath them, inhabit the Sacassani, and beyond 

 them the Macrones, who reach to the River Absarus. Thus 

 the Plain and the hanging of the Hills are inhabited. Again, 

 from the Frontiers of Albania, in all the front of the Moun- 

 tains are the savage Nations of the Sylvi ; and beneath them, 

 of the Lubieni, and so forward the Diduri, and Sodii. 



CHAPTER XI. 

 The Gates of the Caucasus. 



BEYOND the Sodii are the Gates of Caucasus, which many 

 have very erroneously called Caspise Portae, or the Caspian 



