414 NATURAL HISTORY OF 



a great wall, or continuous lines of defence, from Bactria to 

 the Caspian, a rampart like the Kizil Alan, most likely older 

 than the accession of the Sassanian dynasty ; since further 

 west, the wall between the two seas, passing from Derbend 

 (Porta portarum, Portue Caspiae) to the Euxine, appears also to 

 be more ancient than historical record. 



The Yuei-chi, the last Caucasian race that left the north 

 central high land of Asia, being pressed by the Mongolians, or 

 by Huns from the north-east (about 200 B. C), were compelled 

 to quit Chensi, and fell upon the Sai, or Sakas, who, retreat- 

 ing, divided into two great masses, whereof the first directed 

 its course towards the west, and the other, not quite so numer- 

 ous, fell back upon Southern Thibet, and thence came down 

 upon the Greek Bactrian state (B. C. 90), then ruled by Mith- 

 ridates. They had, at the same time, similar conflicts with 

 the Parthians, whose king, Artaban, they slew. They gave 

 an asylum to Sanotrokes, and restored him to power (B. C. 

 76). From Bactria they crossed the Paropamisus, and sub- 

 dued another Greek sovereignty in Afghanistan, on the south 

 side of the chain. Passing onwards, they formed a province 

 of Scinde ; but, in an attempt to penetrate further eastward, 

 they were routed by Vikra-maditya, king of Avanti (B. C. 

 56). If not from an earlier invasion, it was, at the latest, in 

 consequence of this defeat, that the recoiling Scythae were 

 supplied with the Hindoo religious elements, which some of 

 the tribes, migrating westward, have evidently mixed up with 

 Celtic and Finnic legends in the north of Europe. We do 

 not, for example, find the Asii, here called Lazi, to have pos- 

 sessed the doctrines recorded in the Edda. When, according 

 to the Chinese annals, they were opposing the Tatzin or the 

 Romans, in their endeavors to open a trade with China, for 

 which purpose, being hindered on land, they sent an ambassa- 

 dor by sea to the Celestial Empire, in the reign of a sovereign 

 denominated " Anton," i. c, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. 

 While they were still residing on the Caspian, and when the" 



