MELPOMENE. 09

district to the extent of a fourteen days' journey to­
wards the east, as far as the river Gerrhus.

XX. Beyond the Gerrhus is situate what is termed
the royal province of Scythia, possessed by the mors
numerous part and the noblest of the Scythians, who
consider all the rest of their countrymen as their
slaves. From the south they extend to Tauris, and
from the east as far as the trench which was sunk by
the descendants of the blinded slaves, and again as
far as the port of the Palus Mteotis, called Chemni,
and indeed many of them are spread as far as the Ta-
nais. Beyond these, to the north, live the Melanch-
leeni, another nation who are not Scythians. Beyond
the Melanchlteni the lands are low and marshy, and
as we believe entirely uninhabited.

XXI. Beyond the Tanais the region of Scythiater-
minates, and the first nation we meet with are the
SauromatsB, who, commencing at the remote parts of
the Palus Mteotie, inhabit a space to the north, equal
to a fifteen days' journey; the country is totally desti­
tute of trees, both wild and uncultivated. Beyond
these are the Budini, who are husbandmen, and in
whose country trees are found in great abundance.

XXII. To the north, beyond the Budini, is an im­
mense desert of eight days' journey; passing which
to the east are the Thyssagette, a singular but popu­
lous nation, who support themselves by hunting.
Contiguous to these, in the same region, are a people
called IyrcaB; they also live by the chase, which they
thus pursue :—having ascended the tops of the trees,
which every where abound, they watch for their prey.
Each man has a horse, instructed to lie close to the
ground, that it may not be seen; they have each also
a dog. As soon as the man from the troe discovers
his game, he wounds it with an arrow, then mounting
his horse he pursues it, followed by his dog. Advanc­
ing from this people still nearer to the east, we again
meet with Scythians, who having seceded from the
Royal Scythians, established themselves here.

XXIII. As far as these Scythians, the whole coun­
try is flat, and the soil excellent; beyond them it be*
comes barren and atony. After travelling over s

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