MARCH OF XENOPHON THROUGH ARMENIA. 
668 
As I have now, in all probability, marched over part of the 
ground, passed by Xenophon and his brave Greeks with so much 
difficulty and danger 2200 years ago, I venture to propose my 
impression of the particular point in Armenia where he crossed 
the Araxes. The observations I have made incline me to think 
that common opinion has placed that spot too much to the east¬ 
ward ; a mistake likely to have arisen from the inaccurate ideas 
which have long been conceived of the course of the Arpatchia, 
the Harpasus of the Greeks. I compare geographical positions, 
with the descriptions of Xenophon, riding over the same country 
with his volume in my hand; and in this way I seek the spot where 
his troops forded the Euphrates. “ It was then only navel-high, 
and its source said to be not far off;” consequently this ford could 
be but a few miles to the westward of the most eastern source, 
and therefore a little to the south of the modern town of Diadan. 
The valleys are there very extensive, both in length and breadth; 
and amongst them the Greeks marched fifteen farsangs in three 
days. The ancient and modern farsang differ considerably, both 
Herodotus and Xenophon giving the former thirty stadia; which 
computation by the latter, makes each day’s march amount to little 
more than fifteen British miles. The direction he would take, we 
may suppose would be to the north-east; and the third day’s march 
was rendered dreadfully severe “ by the piercing north wind which 
blew directly in the faces of his people.” The fourth was still on the 
plain, and when covered most impedingly with snow. At length 
they came to many villages, answering exactly in description 
(Anab. lib, 4.) to those under-ground habitations I have so 
lately described ; and which, I am told, still keep the same charac¬ 
ter all along the southern shores of the Aras (or Araxes), mean¬ 
ing particularly the rich vale east and west of Kara-klissa ; the 
