112 
THE RIVER KUR. 
capital of a government; and possesses a fortress, of more 
strength, than imposing appearance. From this point, the Kur 
takes a south-eastern direction, fertilizing a country of as much 
beauty as grandeur. The most considerable rivers which pour 
themselves into its channel, during this course, are, the Alazan, 
from the north-east; and the Aras, (or Araxes,) from the south, 
which discharges itself into the Kur at about seventy miles dis¬ 
tance from the mouth of that river. When this junction has 
taken place, the breadth and the depth of the Kur are so en- 
creased, it immediately becomes navigable for much larger boats 
than any which could have been attempted higher up. At fifty 
miles lower down, it divides itself into two noble branches; and 
so flows onward, through the province of Maghan, to the north¬ 
west coast of the Caspian ; whence, by these double channels, it 
unites its waters with the sea. 
Ancient writers would lead us to suppose, that in former 
times this celebrated river was navigable to a much higher 
reach, than it is at present. We can draw no other inference, 
from the accounts given by some of them, of the methods in 
use to convey goods from India, to the Black Sea. Pliny parti¬ 
cularly describes the route : — “ Having arrived at Bactra,” (mo¬ 
dern, Balk,) he observes, “ the merchandise then descends the 
Icarus (Jehon river) as far as the Oxus; and thence are carried 
down to the Caspian. They then cross that sea, to the mouth 
of the Cyrus (the Kur), where they ascend that river; and, on 
going on shore, are transported by land for Jive days , to the 
banks of the Phasis (Rion), where they once more embark, and 
are conveyed down to the Euxine.” Pliny, lib. vi. c. 4. 
Ancient authors, all bearing the same testimony, that such 
was the great road by which Europe received the luxuries of the 
