and
bore clusters that were a yard long. Margiana possessed, however, as a
separate country, little military strength, and it was only as a
portion of some larger and more populous territory that it could become
formidable to the Parthians.

South of Margiana, and adjoining upon Parthia toward the east, was Aria,
the tract which lies about the modern Herat. This was for the most
part a mountain region, very similar in its general character to the
mountainous portion of Parthia, but of much smaller dimensions. Its
people were fairly warlike; but the Parthian population was probably
double or triple their number, and Parthia consequently had but little
to fear in this quarter.

Upon the south-east Parthia was bordered by Sarangia, the country of the
Sarangae, or Drangae. This appears to have been the district south
of the Herat valley, reaching thence as far as the Hamoon, or Sea of
Seistan. It is a country of hills and downs, watered by a number of
somewhat scanty streams, which flow south-westward from the Paropamisus
to the Hamoon. Its population can never have been great, and they were
at no time aggressive or enterprising, so that on this side also the
Parthians were secure, and had to deal with no formidable neighbor.

Sagartia succeeded to Sarangia towards the west, and bordered Parthia
along almost the whole of its southern frontier. Excepting in the
vicinity of Tebbes and Toun (lat. 34 deg., long. 56 deg. to 58 deg.), this
district is an absolute desert, the haunt of the gazelle and the wild
ass, dry, saline, and totally devoid of vegetation. The wild nomads, who
wandered over its wastes, obtaining a scanty subsistence by means of
the lasso, were few in number, scattered, and probably divided by feuds.
Southern Parthia might occasionally suffer from their raids; but
they were far too weak to constitute a serious danger to the mountain
country.

Lastly, towards the west and the north-west, Parthia was bordered by
Hyrcania, a region geographically in the closest connection with it,
very similar in general character, but richer, warmer, and altogether
more desirable. Hyrcania was, as already observed, the western and
north-western portion of that broad mountain region which has been
described as intervening between the eastern shores of the Caspian
and the river Arius, or Heri-rud. It consisted mainly of the two rich
valleys of the Gurghan and Ettrek, with the mountain chains inclosing or
dividing them. Here o