the history-第29节

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in　strong　eddies；　and　a　regurgitation；　owing　to　the　force　wherewith　the　water　dashes　against　the　mountains；　and　hence　a　Sounding…line　cannot　be　got　to　reach　the　bottom　of　the　spring。　　　　　No　other　information　on　this　head　could　I　obtain　from　any　quarter。　All　that　I　succeeded　in　learning　further　of　the　more　distant　portions　of　the　Nile；　by　ascending　myself　as　high　as　Elephantine　and　making　inquiries　concerning　the　parts　beyond；　was　the　following：…　As　one　advances　beyond　Elephantine；　the　land　rises。　Hence　it　is　necessary　in　this　part　of　the　river　to　attach　a　rope　to　the　boat　on　each　side；　as　men　harness　an　ox；　and　so　proceed　on　the　journey。　If　the　rope　snaps；　the　vessel　is　borne　away　down　stream　by　the　force　of　the　current。　The　navigation　continues　the　same　for　four　days；　the　river　winding　greatly；　like　the　Maeander；　and　the　distance　traversed　amounting　to　twelve　schoenes。　Here　you　come　upon　a　smooth　and　level　plain；　where　the　Nile　flows　in　two　branches；　round　an　island　called　Tachompso。　The　country　above　Elephantine　is　inhabited　by　the　Ethiopians；　who　possess　one…half　of　this　island；　the　Egyptians　occupying　the　other。　Above　the　island　there　is　a　great　lake；　the　shores　of　which　are　inhabited　by　Ethiopian　nomads；　after　passing　it；　you　come　again　to　the　stream　of　the　Nile；　which　runs　into　the　lake。　Here　you　land；　and　travel　for　forty　days　along　the　banks　of　the　river；　since　it　is　impossible　to　proceed　further　in　a　boat　on　account　of　the　sharp　peaks　which　jut　out　from　the　water；　and　the　sunken　rocks　which　abound　in　that　part　of　the　stream。　When　you　have　passed　this　portion　of　the　river　in　the　space　of　forty　days；　you　go　on　board　another　boat　and　proceed　by　water　for　twelve　days　more；　at　the　end　of　which　time　you　reach　a　great　city　called　Meroe；　which　is　said　to　be　the　capital　of　the　other　Ethiopians。　The　only　gods　worshipped　by　the　inhabitants　are　Jupiter　and　Bacchus；　to　whom　great　honours　are　paid。　There　is　an　oracle　of　Jupiter　in　the　city；　which　directs　the　warlike　expeditions　of　the　Ethiopians；　when　it　commands　they　go　to　war；　and　in　whatever　direction　it　bids　them　march；　thither　straightway　they　carry　their　arms。　　　　　On　leaving　this　city；　and　again　mounting　the　stream；　in　the　same　space　of　time　which　it　took　you　to　reach　the　capital　from　Elephantine；　you　come　to　the　Deserters；　who　bear　the　name　of　Asmach。　This　word；　translated　into　our　language；　means　〃the　men　who　stand　on　the　left　hand　of　the　king。〃　These　Deserters　are　Egyptians　of　the　warrior　caste；　who；　to　the　number　of　two　hundred　and　forty　thousand；　went　over　to　the　Ethiopians　in　the　reign　of　king　Psammetichus。　The　cause　of　their　desertion　was　the　following：…　Three　garrisons　were　maintained　in　Egypt　at　that　time；　one　in　the　city　of　Elephantine　against　the　Ethiopians；　another　in　the　Pelusiac　Daphnae；　against　the　Syrians　and　Arabians；　and　a　third；　against　the　Libyans；　in　Marea。　（The　very　same　posts　are　to　this　day　occupied　by　the　Persians；　whose　forces　are　in　garrison　both　in　Daphnae　and　in　Elephantine。）　Now　it　happened；　that　on　one　occasion　the　garrisons　were　not　relieved　during　the　space　of　three　years；　the　soldiers；　therefore；　at　the　end　of　that　time；　consulted　together；　and　having　determined　by　common　consent　to　revolt；　marched　away　towards　Ethiopia。　Psammetichus；　informed　of　the　movement；　set　out　in　pursuit；　and　coming　up　with　them；　besought　them　with　many　words　not　to　desert　the　gods　of　their　country；　nor　abandon　their　wives　and　children。　〃Nay；　but；〃　said　one　of　the　deserters　with　an　unseemly　gesture；　〃wherever　we　go；　we　are　sure　enough　of　finding　wives　and　children。〃　Arrived　in　Ethiopia；　they　placed　themselves　at　the　disposal　of　the　king。　In　return；　he　made　them　a　present　of　a　tract　of　land　which　belonged　to　certain　Ethiopians　with　whom　he　was　at　feud；　bidding　them　expel　the　inhabitants　and　take　possession　of　their　territory。　From　the　time　that　this　settlement　was　formed；　their　acquaintance　with　Egyptian　manners　has　tended　to　civilise　the　Ethiopians。　　　　　Thus　the　course　of　the　Nile　is　known；　not　only　throughout　Egypt；　but　to　the　extent　of　four　months'　journey　either　by　land　or　water　above　the　Egyptian　boundary；　for　on　calculation　it　will　be　found　that　it　takes　that　length　of　time　to　travel　from　Elephantine　to　the　country　of　the　Deserters。　There　the　direction　of　the　river　is　from　west　to　east。　Beyond；　no　one　has　any　certain　knowledge　of　its　course；　since　the　country　is　uninhabited　by　reason　of　the　excessive　heat。　　　　　I　did　hear；　indeed；　what　I　will　now　relate；　from　certain　natives　of　Cyrene。　Once　upon　a　time；　they　said；　they　were　on　a　visit　to　the　oracular　shrine　of　Ammon；　when　it　chanced　that　in　the　course　of　conversation　with　Etearchus；　the　Ammonian　king；　the　talk　fell　upon　the　Nile；　how　that　its　sources　were　unknown　to　all　men。　Etearchus　upon　this　mentioned　that　some　Nasamonians　had　once　come　to　his　court；　and　when　asked　if　they　could　give　any　information　concerning　the　uninhabited　parts　of　Libya；　had　told　the　following　tale。　（The　Nasamonians　are　a　Libyan　race　who　occupy　the　Syrtis；　and　a　tract　of　no　great　size　towards　the　east。）　They　said　there　had　grown　up　among　them　some　wild　young　men；　the　sons　of　certain　chiefs；　who；　when　they　came　to　man's　estate；　indulged　in　all　manner　of　extravagancies；　and　among　other　things　drew　lots　for　five　of　their　number　to　go　and　explore　the　desert　parts　of　Libya；　and　try　if　they　could　not　penetrate　further　than　any　had　done　previously。　The　coast　of　Libya　along　the　sea　which　washes　it　to　the　north；　throughout　its　entire　length　from　Egypt　to　Cape　Soloeis；　which　is　its　furthest　point；　is　inhabited　by　Libyans　of　many　distinct　tribes　who　possess　the　whole　tract　except　certain　portions　which　belong　to　the　Phoenicians　and　the　Greeks。　Above　the　coast…line　and　the　country　inhabited　by　the　maritime　tribes；　Libya　is　full　of　wild　beasts；　while　beyond　the　wild　beast　region　there　is　a　tract　which　is　wholly　sand；　very　scant　of　water；　and　utterly　and　entirely　a　desert。　The　young　men　therefore；　despatched　on　this　errand　by　their　comrades　with　a　plentiful　supply　of　water　and　provisions；　travelled　at　first　through　the　inhabited　region；　passing　which　they　came　to　the　wild　beast　tract；　whence　they　finally　entered　upon　the　desert；　which　they　proceeded　to　cross　in　a　direction　from　east　to　west。　After　journeying　for　many　days　over　a　wide　extent　of　sand；　they　came　at　last　to　a　plain　where　they　observed　trees　growing；　approaching　them；　and　seeing　fruit　on　them；　they　proceeded　to　gather　it。　While　they　were　thus　engaged；　there　came　upon　them　some　dwarfish　men；　under　the　middle　height；　who　seized　them　and　carried　them　off。　The　Nasamonians　could　not　understand　a　word　of　their　language；　nor　had　they　any　acquaintance　with　the　language　of　the　Nasamonians。　They　were　led　across　extensive　marshes；　and　finally　came　to　a　town；　where　all　the　men　were　of　the　height　of　their　conductors；　and　black…complexioned。　A　great　river　flowed　by　the　town；　running　from　west　to　east；　and　containing　crocodiles。　　　　　Here　let　me　dismiss　Etearchus　the　Ammonian；　and　his　story；　only　adding　that　（according　to　the　Cyrenaeans）　he　declared　that　the　Nasamonians　got　safe　back　to　their　country；　and　that　the　men　whose　city　they　had　reached　were　a　nation　of　sorcerers。　With　respect　to　the　river　which　ran　by　their　town；　Etearchus　conjectured　it　to　be　the　Nile；　and　reason　favours　that　view。　For　the　Nile　certainly　flows　out　of　Libya；　dividing　it　down　the　middle；　and　as　I　conceive；　judging　the　unknown　from　the　known；　rises　at　the　same　distance　from　its　mouth　as　the　Ister。　This　latter　river　has　its　source　in　the　country　of　the　Celts　near　the　city　Pyrene；　and　runs　through　the　middle　of　Europe；　dividing　it　into　two　portions。　The　Celts　live　beyond　the　pillars　of　Hercules；　and　border　on　the　Cynesians；　who　dwell　at　the　extreme　west　of　Europe。　Thus　the　Ister　flows　through　the　whole　of　Europe　before　it　finally　empties　itself　into　the　Euxine　at　Istria；　one　of　the　colonies　of　the　Milesians。　　　　　Now　as　this　river　flows　through　regions　that　are　inhabited；　its　course　is　perfectly　well　known；　but　of　the　sources　of　the　Nile　no　one　can　give　any　account；　since　Libya；　the　country　through　which　it　passes；　is　desert　and　without　inhabitants。　As　far　as　it　was　possible　to　get　information　by　inquiry；　I　have　given　a　description　of　the　stream。　It　enters　Egypt　from　the　parts　beyond。　Egypt　lies　almost　exactly　opposite　the　mountainous　portion　of　Cilicia；　whence　a　lightly…equipped　traveller　may　reach　Sinope　on　the　Euxine　in　five　days　by　the　direct　route。　Sinope　lies　opposite　the　place　where　the　Ister　falls　into　the　sea。　My　opinion　therefore　is　that　the　Nile；　as　it　traverses　the　whole　of　Libya；　is　of　equal　length　with　the　Ister。　And　here　I　take　my　leave　of　this　subject。　　　　　Concerning　Egypt　itself　I　shall　extend　my　remarks　to　a　great　length；　because　there　is　no　country　that　possesses　so　many　wonders；　nor　any　that　has　such　a　number　of　works　which　defy　description。　Not　only　is　the　climate　different　from　that　of　the　rest　of　the　world；　and　the　rivers　unlike　any　other　rivers；　but　the　people　also；　in　most　of　their　manners　and　customs；　exactly　reverse　the　common　practice　of　mankind。　The　women　attend　the　markets　and　trade；　while　the　men　sit　at　home　at　the　loom；　and　here；　while　the　rest　of　the　world　works　the　woof　up　the　warp；　the　Egyptians　work　it　down；　the