OLtpEN—On the Geography of Ros Ailithir. 237 
XXIII. 
In that eastern land of many deeds are the Seres [Chinese] of ancient fame ; 
For there are woods there, whence, no wonder [comes], their wool.° 
XXIV. 
Bactria and Dahe are known in the north; they adjoin Scythia : 
In Scythia are griffins? of the valley, guarding gold and bright gems. 
XXV. 
Thence south-west around the head of the Caspian is Hyrcania, without doubt ; 
Land where are tigers1 swift and fierce, and brown panthers. 
XXVI. 
Land of Alaunia*[where is], a burning fire ; from the Caspian Sea tothe [palus] Mzotis ; 
Known are their tribes in west and east, a fair-haired people. 
XXVII. 
Iberia, on the shore of the famous Caspian Sea, between Armenia and Albania ; 
Meotis by Armenia on the west, its vicinity is not very far. 
XXVIII. 
Pentisilias in the north without deceit, between the External sea 
And Albania of fierce aspect, and the land of the Amazons. 
XXIX. 
The Colchians, who are by Albania, between it and the Cimerian Sea ; 
The Cimerian Sea, which meets at the south flowery Little Asia.t 
a cheyeaux blonds dans |’ Asie Centrale, A Lan, ou A Lan Na dans le seconde 
siecle avant Jesus Christ ce sont les Alains.’’—Notes to the Atlas of Asia: Poly- 
glotta. They originally occupied the deserts of Scythia; but when defeated by 
the Huns, a colony of them took refuge in the Caucasus. 
A burning fire.—The ‘‘ager ardens’’ or burning plain, near Baku on the 
Caspian: see p. 223. The latest account of it is to be found in O’ Donovan’s Verv. 
8 Pentisilia.—I have been unable to discover any country answering to this 
description. The Book of Leinster has Pentisiria. The Amazons are always known 
by Ivish writers as the Cichloscthe, or ‘“‘ Burnt-breasts.’’ The origin of this name 
is explained by Mela: ‘‘Sarmatia . . . usque eo immanis atque atrox ut femine 
etiam cum viris bella ineant: atque ut habiles sint natis statim dextra aduritur 
mamma ’—lib. 111. cap. iv. § 10. We have them associated with Pentisilia, as here, 
in another passage of the Book of Leinster :— 
Rucao cup na ciélLoretb rap n-apigain Tip Sip 
Ro mapb cu Gét cetpacac ve fluds Pentaplia. 
Who invaded the Amazons after plundering Syria; 
Who slew 12000 of the host of Pentasilia (Penthesilea ?). 
a 
? 22-23" 
t The Irish did not speak of Asia Minor, but of “ Asia the Little’’ ; so the Germans, 
klein-asien. 
R, I. A. PROC., VOL, 11., SER. II.—POL. LIT, AND ANTIQ. 2# 
