ſe men are ſtationed, ſeems to me very ſtrong by ſituation, and conveniently ſituated for the protection of thoſe that ſail upon the river. It was ſurrounded with a ditch and a double wall, each of them very broad. The walls were formerly of earth, and the towers of wood; but at preſent both the wall and the towers are built of baked brick, the foundations of which are ſecurely laid, and the whole furniſhed with warlike engines, and, in ſhort, ſo fortified in every reſpect, as to afford no acceſs to the Barbarians, nor to expoſe thoſe who defend it to the danger of a ſiege. But as it is adviſable that the port ſhould be rendered ſafe for ſea-faring people, and that other places ſhould be ſecured which lie without the walls of the caſtle, and are inhabited by people who are now exempted from military ſervice, or by perſons engaged in commerce, I thought proper to carry from the double ditch, that ſurrounds the wall, another ditch, as far as the river, which may include both the harbour, and the buildings, that lie beyond the walls of the fortifications.
Leaving the Phaſis we paſſed by the Chariens, a navigable river, at the diſtance of ninety ſtadia from the Phaſis. From the Chariens we ſailed to the Chobus, which is ninety ſtadia diſtant from the Chariens. We here went into the harbour; but for what cauſes, and what buſineſs we tranſacted there, the Latin letters will explain. Proceeding from the Chobus we ſailed by the Singamis, a navigable river, at the diſtance from the Chobus of two hundred and ten stadia at the utmoſt. Next to the Singamis, and at the distance of one hundred and ninety stadia, lies the river Tarſuras. From the Tarſuras to the Hippus is one hundred and fifty ſtadia. From Hippus to Aſtelephus is thirty ſtadia. In our courſe from the Chobus we paſſed by Aſtelephus,
