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96
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AUEUM.
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in
this pale gold. In fact, it continued to be used in the currency of
the Greek cities of Asia Minor (Cyzicus, &c.) down to the times of
Alexander: perhaps it was found to wear better in the circulation from
the existence of the native alloy, and the saving of the expense in
refining it was of importance to the mint. But it was from ignorance of
the necessary process that the currency of the Gauls and Britons was
struck in the gold just as it comes from the washings, which in these
regions is of very low alloy, containing a good deal of copper as well
as silver.
Herodotus
(iii. 16) states it as a well-known fact that there was an abundance of
gold found in the North of Europe, but had been quite unable to
ascertain anything as to the mode in which it was procured, treating as
quite unworthy of credit the tale of the Arimaspi, the one-eyed race,
stealing it from the custody of the Gryphons. By North of Europe the
north-east is intended, for his Arimaspi are placed to the east of the
Araxes beyond the Issedones. Neighbouring upon the latter are his
Massagetse (i. 201), who have gold and copper in abundance, but neither
silver nor iron. Hence it is pretty evident that these Scythian (or
Cossack) tribes prosecuted with considerable activity the trade of
washing for gold-dust the sands of the Uralian streams, still so
productive in the same way. The Tartar tumuli covering the regions to
the north of the Black Sea testify to the truth of these assertions by
the vast quantity of gold ornaments, belonging to widely separated
dates, which have long rewarded the treasure-seekers amongst the
Cossacks. In some the corpses have been discovered wrapped up in a
complete winding-sheet of gold, in others numerous rude figures of
purely Tartarian origin; others again contain works showing some
influence of Grecian taste.
He
quotes on Carthaginian authority (iv. 195) a tale of an island,
Cyraunis, off the Libyan coast, where there was a lake out of which
girls drew up the gold-dust out of the mud by means of bunches of
feathers smeared with pitch and tied to long poles. This story he seems
to doubt. He likewise describes, on the same authority, how their
traders bartered merchandise against gold in a certain locality on the
African coast, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, probably near Senegal;
or indeed
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