74 :eiAT<ix'B natueal histobt. [Book VI. 



the Chaldaei, and situate near the river Narraga/* wliich falls 

 into the Narroga, from which a city so called has taken its 

 name. The Persae destroyed the walls of Hipparenuin. 

 Orchenus also, a third place of learning of the Chaldaei, is 

 situate in the same district, towards the south ; after which 

 come the Notit«e, the Orothophanitse, and the Grecichartse.*' 

 From Nearchus and Onesicritus we learn that the distance by 

 water from the Persian Sea to Babylon, up the Euphrates, is 

 four hundred and twelve miles ; other authors, however, who 

 have written since their time, say that the distance to Se- 

 leucia is four hundred and forty miles : and Juba says that 

 the distance from Babylon to Charax is one hundred and 

 seventy-five. Some writers state that the Euphrates con- 

 tinues to flow with an undivided channel for a distance of 

 eighty-seven miles beyond Babylon, before its waters are di- 

 verted from their channel for the purposes of irrigation ; and 

 that the whole length of its course is not less than twelve 

 hundred miles. The circumstance that so many different 

 authors have treated of this subject, accounts for all these 

 variations, seeing that even the Persian writers themselves do 

 not agree as to what is the length of their scheeni and para- 

 sanga, each assigning to them a different length. 



When the Euphrates ceases, by running in its channel, to 

 afford protection" to those who dwell on its banks, which it does 

 when it approaches the confines of Charax, the country is im- 

 mediately infested by the Attali, a predatory people of Arabia, 

 beyond whom are found the Scenitae.*' The banks along this 

 river are occupied by the Nomades of Arabia, as far as the 

 deserts of Sjrria, from which, as we have, already stated,** it 

 takes a turn to the south,*' and leaves the solitary deserts of 

 Palmyra. Seleucia is distant, by way of the Euphrates, from 

 the beginning of Mesopotamia, eleven hundred and twenty- 



*' Parieot says that this river is the one set down in the maps as 

 falling into the Tigris below its junction with the Euphrates, and near the 

 mouths of the two rivers. He says that near the banks of it is marked 

 the town of Nabrahan, the Narraga of Pliny. 



" There is great doubt as to the correct spelling of these names. 



'■'' Against the attacks of robbers dwelling on the opposite side ; the 

 Attali, for instance. 



«* Or " dwellers in tents," Bedouins, as we call them. 



« B. V. c. 20 and 21, 



*' Towards Matamedieh. 



