BOOK VI.] History of Nature. 117 



with Snow. 1 The People are exceedingly numerous : as 

 much so as the Parthians. The principal People of Scythia 

 are the Sacse, Massagetae, Dahse, Essedones, Ariacae, Rhym- 

 nici, Pesici, Amordi, Histi, Edones, Camee, Camacse, Eu- 

 chatse, Corieri, Antariani, Pialae, Arirnaspi, formerly called 

 Cacidiri, Assei, and Oetei. The Napsei and Apellsei who 

 dwelt there, are said to have perished. The noble Rivers of 

 those People are Mandagrseus and Caspasius. And surely 

 there is not a Region wherein Geographers vary as they do 

 in this : and I believe this to proceed from the very great 

 number of those Nations, and their wandering to and fro. 

 Alexander the Great reporteth that the Water of the Scy- 

 thian Sea is fresh and potable ; and M. Varro saith that 

 Pompey had such Water brought to him when he carried on 

 the War in that Neighbourhood against Mithridates: by 

 reason, no doubt, of the great Rivers that fall into it, which 

 overcome the Saltness of the Water. Varro saith also, that 

 during this Expedition of Pompey to the Bactri it was known 

 that it is but seven Days' Journey from India to the River 

 Icarus, which runneth into the Oxus : and that the Mer- 

 chandise of India, transported by the Caspian Sea, and so 

 to the River Cyrus, may be brought in not more than five 

 Days by Land as far as to Phasis in Pontus. Many Islands 

 lie all over that Sea : but one above the rest is Tazata ; for 

 thither all the Shipping from the Caspian Sea and the Scy- 

 thian Ocean bend their Course, the Sea-coasts being all 

 turned to the East. The first part of this is uninhabitable, 

 from the Scythian Promontory, by reason of the Snow : and 

 the next Regions to this are left uncultivated because of the 

 Fierceness of those Nations that border upon it. The An- 

 thropophagi are in Scythia, who live on Man's flesh. 2 This 

 is the cause why there are nothing there but vast Deserts, 



1 The Emodus or Imaus of Pliny (a word which in the language of 

 the inhabitants signifies snowy,) derived its origin immediately from the 

 Ilimaleh of the Hindoos ; which really signifies in their language " snowy," 

 or more strictly speaking, "the seat of snow." Quarterly Review^ vol. xxiv. 

 p. 103. Wern. Club. 



2 We find a further account of this people, whom the ancients regarded 

 with horror, in the 7th Book, c. 2. The nation referred to was probably 



