'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎274] (341/905)

274
THE HALYS AND ARAXES. [CHAP. XII.
who then discovered a seductive quality in the juice of the
grape, which he does not appear to have been aware of pre
viously to the flood. 1
Aralf 7 of the Here are forests of oak, ash, walnut, and the finest fruit
trees; whilst rice, wheat, barley, hemp, and flax, are reared
in the neighbouring plains almost without culture. Sir Gore
Ouseley, in his Oriental Collections, describes the valley of
the Aras as enjoying everything that can contribute to the
happiness of its inhabitants, and so extremely beautiful, that
fanciful travellers had imagined that they had there found
the situation of the original garden of Eden. 2
The Haiys pre- The Halys, or Alys, the Eksios of the Armenians, 3 is
sumed to be j i i • i • i • .
the Pison, presumed to be the river which is first mentioned by Moses,
and, under the appellation of the Kizil-Irmak, it encompasses
a large portion of Asia Minor.
From its springs, close to those of the Euphrates, the Aras
flows through the valleys of Armenia into the Caspian Sea;
and this river forms the northern limits of a country answer
ing to the land of Cush.
^ot axes ^ elan d infers the identity of this river and the Gihon from
the Armenian word Gukh, to gush forth, or tear away; 4
Calmet says, its impetuous speed from the Armenian moun
tains to the Caspian quite accords with the original Hebrew ; 5
and an incidental expression used by an Armenian historian
(without any reference to the present subject) may be con
sidered almost conclusive on this point. He says, that, south
west of Erivan, Araxmais, son of Armenac, built a city of
hewn stones in the plain of Aragaz, near the left bank of the
river called Gihon, whose name was then changed to Arast,
or Araxes, after his son.®
Genesis ix. 20, 21. The quality of the wine produced here ranks very
high; the red particularly is powerful, and, in my opinion, scarcely inferior
to Burgundy.
2 Ouseley's Oriental Collections, Vol. II., p. 140.
8 St. Martin, Memoires, &c.. Vol. IT., p. 401.
* Reland, de Situ Parad., chap, xvi and xvii., pp. 32 and 33.
4 Calmet's Dictionary, article Gihon
6 Michael Chamish's. History of Armenia, translated by Johannes Avdall
Esq., Vol. I., p. 13.