and participate in the benefits; whilst systems of politics, and the fame of their authors, vanish; and are, in comparison with the other, like unsubstantial clouds, that vary their form and colour with every change of position or circumstance3.

To return to the proper subject of the work.-In the above geographical discussion, we have attempted to give a sketch of the extent of Europe, and the distribution of its parts, according to the ideas of Herodotus. The Greek writers of succeeding times limited it generally to the Tanais and Mæotis, and thereby reduced its length to about of that allowed by our Author. But whatsoever he might add to it in length, was more than overbalanced by the quantity of actual space unknown to him, and consequently omitted, in Scandinavia, the northern part of Russia, and the British islands.

It is certain that the ideas, either of Arrian, or of the journalists of Alexander's expedition, from whom he collected his information, were not perfectly clear concerning the extent of Europe eastward. For Arrian says, (lib. iv. c. 1,) that very soon after the arrival of Alexander at the Jaxartes, he received ambassadors from the EUROPEAN Scythians. Now, when it is considered that it is two months' journey from the Tanais to Alexander's post on the Jaxartes, the sud

3

"And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever would make Two ears of corn, or Two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only ONE grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together." (SWIFT'S Gulliver's Travels.)

den appearance of the ambassadors there proves, either that they could not have come from so distant a quarter, or that they were already in the neighbourhood on some other errand. It is therefore probable that Alexander, following the ideas of Herodotus, and other Greeks, extended Europe very far to the east of the Mæotis, and to the supposed strait that led from the northern ocean to the Caspian ; which latter, it appears, he believed to be a gulf of that ocean; as Eratosthenes, Strabo, and others did, after him. And thus he might class some of the Asiatic Scythians, as belonging to Europe. We are told that Alexander sent back some confidential sons with these Scythians (denominated European : and Arrian himself allows that there was a great nation of Scythians in Europe,) who returned again to him afterwards, whilst in his winter quarters in Bactria, and previous to his second visit to Sogdia. Arrian, lib. iv. c. 15.

per

If we are to credit the report of Arrian respecting the opinion of Alexander on this matter, he was in doubt whether the Euxine and Caspian seas did not communicate with each other; for, he is said to have projected the equipment of a fleet, for the purpose of deciding the question; lib. vii. c. 1 and 16. He remarks also, that at this time the limits of the Caspian sea were unknown. Be it as it will, Alexander told the king of Chorasmia, who affirmed that his territories bordered on the Euxine, that, after he had made himself master of Asia, and was returned to Greece, he would pass through the Hellespont and Propontis, into the Euxine sea. Lib. iv. c. 15. And

in lib. vii. c. 1, it is said that this expedition was intended against the Scythians of the Mæotis.

Should the reader be inclined to censure either our decisions or our prolixity, it may be stated in apology, that it is a very difficult task to follow the geography of persons who describe the relative position of countries, without putting the description to the test, by reducing it to geometrical construction. The same may be said equally of Strabo and Eratosthenes, as of Herodotus.

END OF THE GEOGRAPHY OF EUROPE.

SECTION VIII.

OF ASIA, ACCORDING TO HERODOTUS.

Extent and boundaries of Asia, according to Herodotus—Arabia the last inhabited country towards the south, India to the east -The space beyond India supposed to be a desert-Asia of less extent than Europe, in our Author's idea—China not known to the ancient Persians; and India a recent discovery-The visit of Alexander to India had the effect of contracting the limits of the Earth in the ancient systems of geography; as well as of falsifying certain particulars of it-India supposed by him to be shut up by the Eastern Ocean-Longitudinal extent of Asia, and of the Earth, according to the ideas of Eratosthenes, Strabo, and Pliny-Scope of the geographical knowledge of Herodotus, in Asia-deficient in respect of his description of the physical geography-Idea of the Chain of Taurus, amongst the Greeks—their system failed to express the levels of the different regions-Caspian Strait and Mount Argæus— the Mediterranean and Euxine seas both seen from the summit of the latter-General idea of the levels and of the courses of the waters, through Western Asia-Hollow tract which contains Assyria, Babylonia, Arabia, &c-Of Imaus, and Emodus, the elevated region of Eastern Asia, and the courses of its waters-The whole of Eastern Asia on a higher level than the Western.

On the subject of ASIA, Herodotus has said a great deal; for this division of the globe, next to Greece and Egypt, formed the chief theatre of his history. His knowledge of Asia extended from the shores of

the Arabian gulf, and of the Mediterranean and Euxine seas, its acknowledged boundaries on the west and south-west, to the country of the Oigurs (or Eluths), the sandy desert of Kobi and India, inclusive, on the east. Southward, it extended to the Erythræan sea, the proper boundary of Asia on the side of Arabia and Persia: but there is reason to believe that he, in idea, allowed to the Peninsula of India far less extent than the truth. Northwards,

he seems to have known (as has already been proved) the whole extent of the Great Steppe, or territory of the Kirgees, the Desht Kipzak, and other tracts, as far as the mountains of Altai and the heads of the Irtish.

This space, however, is hardly equal to one third of Asia; but it is all that is described by him. He had heard of the Hyperboreans, as well as of the vast deserts that extended to the east, beyond India; and also of the Issedones; however, we cannot fix any limits to his ideas of the extent of space in these two directions, although we may pretty confidently believe that they went but little beyond India, on the one hand, or beyond the tribes specified in his description of Europe, on the other. Here it is necessary to remind the reader, that in order to adjust the extent of Asia to the ideas of Herodotus, one must deduct, as belonging to Europe, all the tract lying to the north of Caucasus, the Caspian sea, and the Massagetæ. And, in effect, his Asia, with the exception of Arabia, the Massagetæ, and a part of India, was little more than that part of it which was subject to