Page:Arrian's Voyage Round the Euxine Sea Translated.djvu/51

Rh this circumtance. Arrian, although he ues an expreion denoting clearnes and tranparency, allows that it reembles water impregnated with lead or tin, and that it depoits a ediment on tanding. He adds, that it does not become putrid by keeping, a quality eemingly inconitent with that acribed to it by Hippocrates. Very different accounts of this river are given by other writers. Although Hippocrates repreents it as the mot itagnant of all rivers, others decribe it as rapid and violent;,

rapidas limoi Phaidis undas. . Met. lib. vii. ver. 5.

Magnus ubi adverum pumanti Phais in æquor

Ore ruit. lib. v. ver. 179.

But I think thee eemingly oppoite accounts may be reconciled, if we conider, that this river ries among the mountains of Armenia, which during a coniderable part of the year are covered with now

, and which that remains unmelted, the river may be as Hippocrates repreents it; but on the melting of the now, it may become rapid and violent, like other rivers that rie in mountainous countries. It is called Nivoi by Statius, which indicates omewhat of this kind. Hippocrates alo mentions, that large and violent howers frequently fall in that region, which might contribute to well it. Plutarch ays, that this river was formerly called