 According to Ibn Rusta , the late 9th @-@ century Magyars " dwell in tents and move from place to place in search of pasturage " , but during the winters they settled along the nearest river , where they lived by fishing . He also said their " land is well watered and harvests abundant " , showing they had arable lands , although it is unclear whether those lands were cultivated by the Magyars themselves or by their prisoners . Taxes collected from the neighboring peoples , a slave trade , and plundering raids made the Magyars a wealthy people . <unk> wrote that they were " a handsome people and of good appearance and their clothes are of silk brocade and their weapons are of silver and are encrusted with pearls " , proving their growing wealth . However , 9th @-@ century Byzantine and Muslim coins have rarely been found in the Pontic steppes . 
