Page:The geography of Strabo (1854) Volume 2.djvu/240

 232 STRABO. CASAUB. 501. Possessions are common property in families, but the eldest governs, and is the steward of each. Such is the character of the Iberians, and the nature of their country. CHAPTER IV. 1. THE Albanians pursue rather a shepherd life, and resem- ble more the nomadic tribes, except that they are not savages, and hence they are little disposed to war. They inhabit the country between the Iberians and the Caspian Sea, approach- ing close to the sea on the east, and on the west border upon the Iberians. Of the remaining sides the northern is protected by the Caucasian mountains, for these overhang the plains, and are called, particularly those near the sea, Ceraunian mountains. The southern side is formed by Armenia, which extends along it. A large portion of it consists of plains, and a large portion also of mountains, as Cambysene, where the Armenians approach close both to the Iberians and the Al- banians. 2. The Cyrus, which flows through Albania, and the other rivers which swell the stream of the Cyrus, improve the qualities of the land, but remove the sea to a distance. For the mud, accumulating in great quantity, fills- up the channel in such a manner, that the small adjacent islands are an- nexed to the continent, irregular marshes are formed, and difficult to be avoided ; the reverberation also of the tide in- creases the irregular formation of the marshes. The mouth of the river is said to be divided into twelve branches, some of which afford no passage through them, others are so shallow as to leave no shelter for vessels. The shore for an extent of more than 60 stadia is inundated by the sea, and by the rivers ; all that part of it is inaccessible ; the mud reaches even as far as 500 stadia, and forms a bank along the coast. The Araxes 1 discharges its waters not far off, coming with an impetuous stream from Armenia, but the mud which this 1 The Aras.