the history-第43章

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egg；　yet　when　it　is　full　grown；　the　animal　measures　frequently　seventeen　cubits　and　even　more。　It　has　the　eyes　of　a　pig；　teeth　large　and　tusk…like；　of　a　size　proportioned　to　its　frame；　unlike　any　other　animal；　it　is　without　a　tongue；　it　cannot　move　its　under…jaw；　and　in　this　respect　too　it　is　singular；　being　the　only　animal　in　the　world　which　moves　the　upper…jaw　but　not　the　under。　It　has　strong　claws　and　a　scaly　skin；　impenetrable　upon　the　back。　In　the　water　it　is　blind；　but　on　land　it　is　very　keen　of　sight。　As　it　lives　chiefly　in　the　river；　it　has　the　inside　of　its　mouth　constantly　covered　with　leeches；　hence　it　happens　that；　while　all　the　other　birds　and　beasts　avoid　it；　with　the　trochilus　it　lives　at　peace；　since　it　owes　much　to　that　bird：　for　the　crocodile；　when　he　leaves　the　water　and　comes　out　upon　the　land；　is　in　the　habit　of　lying　with　his　mouth　wide　open；　facing　the　western　breeze：　at　such　times　the　trochilus　goes　into　his　mouth　and　devours　the　leeches。　This　benefits　the　crocodile；　who　is　pleased；　and　takes　care　not　to　hurt　the　trochilus。　　　　　The　crocodile　is　esteemed　sacred　by　some　of　the　Egyptians；　by　others　he　is　treated　as　an　enemy。　Those　who　live　near　Thebes；　and　those　who　dwell　around　Lake　Moeris；　regard　them　with　especial　veneration。　In　each　of　these　places　they　keep　one　crocodile　in　particular；　who　is　taught　to　be　tame　and　tractable。　They　adorn　his　ears　with　ear…rings　of　molten　stone　or　gold；　and　put　bracelets　on　his　fore…paws；　giving　him　daily　a　set　portion　of　bread；　with　a　certain　number　of　victims；　and；　after　having　thus　treated　him　with　the　greatest　possible　attention　while　alive；　they　embalm　him　when　he　dies　and　bury　him　in　a　sacred　repository。　The　people　of　Elephantine　on　the　other　hand；　are　so　far　from　considering　these　animals　as　sacred　that　they　even　eat　their　flesh。　In　the　Egyptian　language　they　are　not　called　crocodiles；　but　Champsae。　The　name　of　crocodiles　was　given　them　by　the　Ionians；　who　remarked　their　resemblance　to　the　lizards；　which　in　Ionia　live　in　the　walls　and　are　called　crocodiles。　　　　　The　modes　of　catching　the　crocodile　are　many　and　various。　I　shall　only　describe　the　one　which　seems　to　me　most　worthy　of　mention。　They　bait　a　hook　with　a　chine　of　pork　and　let　the　meat　be　carried　out　into　the　middle　of　the　stream；　while　the　hunter　upon　the　bank　holds　a　living　pig；　which　he　belabours。　The　crocodile　hears　its　cries；　and　making　for　the　sound；　encounters　the　pork；　which　he　instantly　swallows　down。　The　men　on　the　shore　haul；　and　when　they　have　got　him　to　land；　the　first　thing　the　hunter　does　is　to　plaster　his　eyes　with　mud。　This　once　accomplished；　the　animal　is　despatched　with　ease；　otherwise　he　gives　great　trouble。　　　　　The　hippopotamus；　in　the　canton　of　Papremis；　is　a　sacred　animal；　but　not　in　any　other　part　of　Egypt。　It　may　be　thus　described：…　It　is　a　quadruped；　cloven…footed；　with　hoofs　like　an　ox；　and　a　flat　nose。　It　has　the　mane　and　tail　of　a　horse；　huge　tusks　which　are　very　conspicuous；　and　a　voice　like　a　horse's　neigh。　In　size　it　equals　the　biggest　oxen；　and　its　skin　is　so　tough　that　when　dried　it　is　made　into　javelins。　　　　　Otters　also　are　found　in　the　Nile；　and　are　considered　sacred。　Only　two　sorts　of　fish　are　venerated；　that　called　the　lepidotus　and　the　eel。　These　are　regarded　as　sacred　to　the　Nile；　as　likewise　among　birds　is　the　vulpanser；　or　fox…goose。　　　　　They　have　also　another　sacred　bird　called　the　phoenix　which　I　myself　have　never　seen；　except　in　pictures。　Indeed　it　is　a　great　rarity；　even　in　Egypt；　only　coming　there　（according　to　the　accounts　of　the　people　of　Heliopolis）　once　in　five　hundred　years；　when　the　old　phoenix　dies。　Its　size　and　appearance；　if　it　is　like　the　pictures；　are　as　follow：…　The　plumage　is　partly　red；　partly　golden；　while　the　general　make　and　size　are　almost　exactly　that　of　the　eagle。　They　tell　a　story　of　what　this　bird　does；　which　does　not　seem　to　me　to　be　credible：　that　he　comes　all　the　way　from　Arabia；　and　brings　the　parent　bird；　all　plastered　over　with　myrrh；　to　the　temple　of　the　Sun；　and　there　buries　the　body。　In　order　to　bring　him；　they　say；　he　first　forms　a　ball　of　myrrh　as　big　as　he　finds　that　he　can　carry；　then　he　hollows　out　the　ball；　and　puts　his　parent　inside；　after　which　he　covers　over　the　opening　with　fresh　myrrh；　and　the　ball　is　then　of　exactly　the　same　weight　as　at　first；　so　he　brings　it　to　Egypt；　plastered　over　as　I　have　said；　and　deposits　it　in　the　temple　of　the　Sun。　Such　is　the　story　they　tell　of　the　doings　of　this　bird。　　　　　In　the　neighbourhood　of　Thebes　there　are　some　sacred　serpents　which　are　perfectly　harmless。　They　are　of　small　size；　and　have　two　horns　growing　out　of　the　top　of　the　head。　These　snakes；　when　they　die；　are　buried　in　the　temple　of　Jupiter；　the　god　to　whom　they　are　sacred。　　　　　I　went　once　to　a　certain　place　in　Arabia；　almost　exactly　opposite　the　city　of　Buto；　to　make　inquiries　concerning　the　winged　serpents。　On　my　arrival　I　saw　the　back…bones　and　ribs　of　serpents　in　such　numbers　as　it　is　impossible　to　describe：　of　the　ribs　there　were　a　multitude　of　heaps；　some　great；　some　small；　some　middle…sized。　The　place　where　the　bones　lie　is　at　the　entrance　of　a　narrow　gorge　between　steep　mountains；　which　there　open　upon　a　spacious　plain　communicating　with　the　great　plain　of　Egypt。　The　story　goes　that　with　the　spring　the　winged　snakes　come　flying　from　Arabia　towards　Egypt；　but　are　met　in　this　gorge　by　the　birds　called　ibises；　who　forbid　their　entrance　and　destroy　them　all。　The　Arabians　assert；　and　the　Egyptians　also　admit；　that　it　is　on　account　of　the　service　thus　rendered　that　the　Egyptians　hold　the　ibis　in　so　much　reverence。　　　　　The　ibis　is　a　bird　of　a　deep…black　colour；　with　legs　like　a　crane；　its　beak　is　strongly　hooked；　and　its　size　is　about　that　of　the　land…rail。　This　is　a　description　of　the　black　ibis　which　contends　with　the　serpents。　The　commoner　sort；　for　there　are　two　quite　distinct　species；　has　the　head　and　the　whole　throat　bare　of　feathers；　its　general　plumage　is　white；　but　the　head　and　neck　are　jet　black；　as　also　are　the　tips　of　the　wings　and　the　extremity　of　the　tail；　in　its　beak　and　legs　it　resembles　the　other　species。　The　winged　serpent　is　shaped　like　the　water…snake。　Its　wings　are　not　feathered；　but　resemble　very　closely　those　of　the　bat。　And　thus　I　conclude　the　subject　of　the　sacred　animals。　　　　　With　respect　to　the　Egyptians　themselves；　it　is　to　be　remarked　that　those　who　live　in　the　corn　country；　devoting　themselves；　as　they　do；　far　more　than　any　other　people　in　the　world；　to　the　preservation　of　the　memory　of　past　actions；　are　the　best　skilled　in　history　of　any　men　that　I　have　ever　met。　The　following　is　the　mode　of　life　habitual　to　them：…　For　three　successive　days　in　each　month　they　purge　the　body　by　means　of　emetics　and　clysters；　which　is　done　out　of　a　regard　for　their　health；　since　they　have　a　persuasion　that　every　disease　to　which　men　are　liable　is　occasioned　by　the　substances　whereon　they　feed。　Apart　from　any　such　precautions；　they　are；　I　believe；　next　to　the　Libyans；　the　healthiest　people　in　the　world…　an　effect　of　their　climate；　in　my　opinion；　which　has　no　sudden　changes。　Diseases　almost　always　attack　men　when　they　are　exposed　to　a　change；　and　never　more　than　during　changes　of　the　weather。　They　live　on　bread　made　of　s