largeſt river in that neighbourhood. It riſes, he ſays[1], in Armenia, and receiving ſeveral other ſtreams from mount Caucaſus, pours itſelf through a narrow channel into Albania, and becomes then a large ſtream, by the acceſſion of four other navigable rivers; and, being thus increaſed, empties itſelf into the Cafpian ſea.
From modern maps[2], and the conſideration of the large rivers, which appear to flow into it, I make no doubt, that it was navigable (for ſuch'veſſels as uſually trade on rivers) as high as the meridian of Sarapana, which place ſtill retains its ancient name, and is in one place diſtant only about 25 miles from a branch of the Cyrus. Sarapana was a fortified place, lying, as Sarapan now does, on one of the rivers that compoſe the Phaſis, which laſt: river, Strabo tells us, was alſo navigable ſo far. To this place the goods brought up the Cyrus were carried in waggons, and there re-embarked upon the Phaſis, (which both Arrian and Pliny deſcribe, as a very large river,) and carried down to its opening into the Euxine ſea.
Strabo ſays, that the breadth of this iſthmus, from the mouth of the Cyrus to Colchis, is about 3000 ſtadia, or 343 Engliſh miles. This ſeems to be nearly correct; the narroweſt[2] part is about 318 Engliſh miles wide; but as the mouth of the Cyrus lies obliquely to the ſouthward, this deviation would increaſe the diſtance rather more, I think, than Strabo's computation, who does not indeed profefs to itate the diſtance with exactneſs. Dioſcurias, which lies conſiderably to the north of the mouth
