ject has
led me so far--it is expedient now to explain, after showing the
confusion existing in the accounts of the geographers, who, at last,
have found out the truth.

The Danube, which, is greatly increased by other rivers falling into it,
passes through the territory of the Sauromatae [Scythians], which extends
as far as the river Don, the boundary between Asia and Europe. On the
other side of this river the Alani inhabit the enormous deserts of
Scythia, deriving their own name from the mountains around; and they,
like the Persians, having gradually subdued all the bordering nations by
repeated victories, have united them to themselves and comprehended them
under their own name. Of these other tribes the Neuri inhabit the inland
districts, being near the highest mountain chains, which are both
precipitous and covered with the everlasting frost of the north. Next to
them are the Budini, and the Geloni, a race of exceeding ferocity, who
flay the enemies they have slain in battle, and make of their skins
clothes for themselves and trappings for their horses. Next to the
Geloni are the Agathyrsi, who dye both their bodies and their hair of a
blue color, the lower classes using spots few in number and small; the
nobles broad spots, close and thick, and of a deeper hue.

Next to those are the Melanchlaenae and the Anthropophagi, who roam about
upon different tracts of land and live on human flesh. And these men are
so avoided on account of their horrid food that all the tribes which
were their neighbors have removed to a distance from them. And in this
way the whole of that region to the northeast, till you come to the
Chinese, is uninhabited.

On the other side the Alani again extend to the east, near the
territories of the Amazons, and are scattered among many populous and
wealthy nations, stretching to the parts of Asia which, as I am told,
extend up to the Ganges, a river which passes through the country of the
Indians, and falls into the Southern Ocean.

Then the Alani, being thus divided among the two quarters of the
globe--the various tribes which make up the whole nation it is not worth
while to enumerate--although widely separated, wander, like the nomads,
over enormous districts. But in the progress of time all these tribes
came to be united under one generic appellation, and are called Alani.

They have no cottages, and never use the plough, but live solely on meat
and plenty of milk, mounted on their wago