ThememoryofpasteventscannotlongbepreservedinthefrequentandremoteemigrationsofilliterateBarbarians。ThemodernTartarsareignorantoftheconquestsoftheirancestors；
^16andourknowledgeofthehistoryoftheScythiansisderivedfromtheirintercoursewiththelearnedandcivilizednationsoftheSouth，theGreeks，thePersians，andtheChinese。TheGreeks，whonavigatedtheEuxine，andplantedtheircoloniesalongthesea—coast，madethegradualandimperfectdiscoveryofScythia；fromtheDanube，andtheconfinesofThrace，asfarasthefrozenMaeotis，theseatofeternalwinter，andMountCaucasus，which，inthelanguageofpoetry，wasdescribedastheutmostboundaryoftheearth。Theycelebrated，withsimplecredulity，thevirtuesofthepastorallife:^17theyentertainedamorerationalapprehensionofthestrengthandnumbersofthewarlikeBarbarians，^18whocontemptuouslybaffledtheimmensearmamentofDarius，thesonofHystaspes。^19ThePersianmonarchshadextendedtheirwesternconqueststothebanksoftheDanube，andthelimitsofEuropeanScythia。TheeasternprovincesoftheirempirewereexposedtotheScythiansofAsia；
thewildinhabitantsoftheplainsbeyondtheOxusandtheJaxartes，twomightyrivers，whichdirecttheircoursetowardstheCaspianSea。ThelongandmemorablequarrelofIranandTouranisstillthethemeofhistoryorromance:thefamous，perhapsthefabulous，valorofthePersianheroes，RustanandAsfendiar，wassignalized，inthedefenceoftheircountry，againsttheAfrasiabsoftheNorth；^20andtheinvinciblespiritofthesameBarbariansresisted，onthesameground，thevictoriousarmsofCyrusandAlexander。^21IntheeyesoftheGreeksandPersians，therealgeographyofScythiawasbounded，ontheEast，bythemountainsofImaus，orCaf；andtheirdistantprospectoftheextremeandinaccessiblepartsofAsiawascloudedbyignorance，orperplexedbyfiction。Butthoseinaccessibleregionsaretheancientresidenceofapowerfulandcivilizednation，^22whichascends，byaprobabletradition，abovefortycenturies；^23andwhichisabletoverifyaseriesofneartwothousandyears，bytheperpetualtestimonyofaccurateandcontemporaryhistorians。^24TheannalsofChina^25
illustratethestateandrevolutionsofthepastoraltribes，whichmaystillbedistinguishedbythevagueappellationofScythians，orTartars；thevassals，theenemies，andsometimestheconquerors，ofagreatempire；whosepolicyhasuniformlyopposedtheblindandimpetuousvaloroftheBarbariansoftheNorth。FromthemouthoftheDanubetotheSeaofJapan，thewholelongitudeofScythiaisaboutonehundredandtendegrees，which，inthatparallel，areequaltomorethanfivethousandmiles。Thelatitudeoftheseextensivedesertscannotbesoeasily，orsoaccurately，measured；but，fromthefortiethdegree，whichtouchesthewallofChina，wemaysecurelyadvanceaboveathousandmilestothenorthward，tillourprogressisstoppedbytheexcessivecoldofSiberia。Inthatdrearyclimate，insteadoftheanimatedpictureofaTartarcamp，thesmokethatissuesfromtheearth，orratherfromthesnow，betraysthesubterraneousdwellingsoftheTongouses，andtheSamoides:thewantofhorsesandoxenisimperfectlysuppliedbytheuseofreindeer，andoflargedogs；andtheconquerorsoftheearthinsensiblydegenerateintoaraceofdeformedanddiminutivesavages，whotrembleatthesoundofarms。^26
[Footnote16:AbulghasiKhan，inthetwofirstpartsofhisGenealogicalHistory，relatesthemiserabletalesandtraditionsoftheUzbekTartarsconcerningthetimeswhichprecededthereignofZingis。