the history-第46章

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ki。〃　To　obtain　this　they　plant　the　sillicyprium　（which　grows　wild　in　Greece）　along　the　banks　of　the　rivers　and　by　the　sides　of　the　lakes；　where　it　produces　fruit　in　great　abundance；　but　with　a　very　disagreeable　smell。　This　fruit　is　gathered；　and　then　bruised　and　pressed；　or　else　boiled　down　after　roasting：　the　liquid　which　comes　from　it　is　collected　and　is　found　to　be　unctuous；　and　as　well　suited　as　olive…oil　for　lamps；　only　that　it　gives　out　an　unpleasant　odour。　　　　　The　contrivances　which　they　use　against　gnats；　wherewith　the　country　swarms；　are　the　following。　In　the　parts　of　Egypt　above　the　marshes　the　inhabitants　pass　the　night　upon　lofty　towers；　which　are　of　great　service；　as　the　gnats　are　unable　to　fly　to　any　height　on　account　of　the　winds。　In　the　marsh…country；　where　there　are　no　towers；　each　man　possesses　a　net　instead。　By　day　it　serves　him　to　catch　fish；　while　at　night　he　spreads　it　over　the　bed　in　which　he　is　to　rest；　and　creeping　in；　goes　to　sleep　underneath。　The　gnats；　which；　if　he　rolls　himself　up　in　his　dress　or　in　a　piece　of　muslin；　are　sure　to　bite　through　the　covering；　do　not　so　much　as　attempt　to　pass　the　net。　　　　　The　vessels　used　in　Egypt　for　the　transport　of　merchandise　are　made　of　the　Acantha　（Thorn）；　a　tree　which　in　its　growth　is　very　like　the　Cyrenaic　lotus；　and　from　which　there　exudes　a　gum。　They　cut　a　quantity　of　planks　about　two　cubits　in　length　from　this　tree；　and　then　proceed　to　their　ship…building；　arranging　the　planks　like　bricks；　and　attaching　them　by　ties　to　a　number　of　long　stakes　or　poles　till　the　hull　is　complete；　when　they　lay　the　cross…planks　on　the　top　from　side　to　side。　They　give　the　boats　no　ribs；　but　caulk　the　seams　with　papyrus　on　the　inside。　Each　has　a　single　rudder；　which　is　driven　straight　through　the　keel。　The　mast　is　a　piece　of　acantha…wood；　and　the　sails　are　made　of　papyrus。　These　boats　cannot　make　way　against　the　current　unless　there　is　a　brisk　breeze；　they　are；　therefore；　towed　up…stream　from　the　shore：　down…stream　they　are　managed　as　follows。　There　is　a　raft　belonging　to　each；　made　of　the　wood　of　the　tamarisk；　fastened　together　with　a　wattling　of　reeds；　and　also　a　stone　bored　through　the　middle　about　two　talents　in　weight。　The　raft　is　fastened　to　the　vessel　by　a　rope；　and　allowed　to　float　down　the　stream　in　front；　while　the　stone　is　attached　by　another　rope　astern。　The　result　is　that　the　raft；　hurried　forward　by　the　current；　goes　rapidly　down　the　river；　and　drags　the　〃baris〃　（for　so　they　call　this　sort　of　boat）　after　it；　while　the　stone；　which　is　pulled　along　in　the　wake　of　the　vessel；　and　lies　deep　in　the　water；　keeps　the　boat　straight。　There　are　a　vast　number　of　these　vessels　in　Egypt；　and　some　of　them　are　of　many　thousand　talents'　burthen。　　　　　When　the　Nile　overflows；　the　country　is　converted　into　a　sea；　and　nothing　appears　but　the　cities；　which　look　like　the　islands　in　the　Egean。　At　this　season　boats　no　longer　keep　the　course　of　the　river；　but　sail　right　across　the　plain。　On　the　voyage　from　Naucratis　to　Memphis　at　this　season；　you　pass　close　to　the　pyramids；　whereas　the　usual　course　is　by　the　apex　of　the　Delta；　and　the　city　of　Cercasorus。　You　can　sail　also　from　the　maritime　town　of　Canobus　across　the　flat　to　Naucratis；　passing　by　the　cities　of　Anthylla　and　Archandropolis。　　　　　The　former　of　these　cities；　which　is　a　place　of　note；　is　assigned　expressly　to　the　wife　of　the　ruler　of　Egypt　for　the　time　being；　to　keep　her　in　shoes。　Such　has　been　the　custom　ever　since　Egypt　fell　under　the　Persian　yoke。　The　other　city　seems　to　me　to　have　got　its　name　of　Archandropolis　from　Archander　the　Phthian；　son　of　Achaeus；　and　son…in…law　of　Danaus。　There　might　certainly　have　been　another　Archander；　but；　at　any　rate；　the　name　is　not　Egyptian。　　　　　Thus　far　I　have　spoken　of　Egypt　from　my　own　observation；　relating　what　I　myself　saw；　the　ideas　that　I　formed；　and　the　results　of　my　own　researches。　What　follows　rests　on　the　accounts　given　me　by　the　Egyptians；　which　shall　now　repeat；　adding　thereto　some　particulars　which　fell　under　by　own　notice。　　　　　The　priests　said　that　Min　was　the　first　king　of　Egypt；　and　that　it　was　he　who　raised　the　dyke　which　protects　Memphis　from　the　inundations　of　the　Nile。　Before　his　time　the　river　flowed　entirely　along　the　sandy　range　of　hills　which　skirts　Egypt　on　the　side　of　Libya。　He；　however；　by　banking　up　the　river　at　the　bend　which　it　forms　about　a　hundred　furlongs　south　of　Memphis；　laid　the　ancient　channel　dry；　while　he　dug　a　new　course　for　the　stream　halfway　between　the　two　lines　of　hills。　To　this　day；　the　elbow　which　the　Nile　forms　at　the　point　where　it　is　forced　aside　into　the　new　channel　is　guarded　with　the　greatest　care　by　the　Persians；　and　strengthened　every　year；　for　if　the　river　were　to　burst　out　at　this　place；　and　pour　over　the　mound；　there　would　be　danger　of　Memphis　being　completely　overwhelmed　by　the　flood。　Min；　the　first　king；　having　thus；　by　turning　the　river；　made　the　tract　where　it　used　to　run；　dry　land；　proceeded　in　the　first　place　to　build　the　city　now　called　Memphis；　which　lies　in　the　narrow　part　of　Egypt；　after　which　he　further　excavated　a　lake　outside　the　town；　to　the　north　and　west；　communicating　with　the　river；　which　was　itself　the　eastern　boundary。　Besides　these　works；　he　also；　the　priests　said；　built　the　temple　of　Vulcan　which　stands　within　the　city；　a　vast　edifice；　very　worthy　of　mention。　　　　　Next；　they　read　me　from　a　papyrus　the　names　of　three　hundred　and　thirty　monarchs；　who　（they　said）　were　his　successors　upon　the　throne。　In　this　number　of　generations　there　were　eighteen　Ethiopian　kings；　and　one　queen　who　was　a　native；　all　the　rest　were　kings　and　Egyptians。　The　queen　bore　the　same　name　as　the　Babylonian　princess；　namely；　Nitocris。　They　said　that　she　succeeded　her　brother；　he　had　been　king　of　Egypt；　and　was　put　to　death　by　his　subjects；　who　then　placed　her　upon　the　throne。　Bent　on　avenging　his　death；　she　devised　a　cunning　scheme　by　which　she　destroyed　a　vast　number　of　Egyptians。　She　constructed　a　spacious　underground　chamber；　and；　on　pretence　of　inaugurating　it；　contrived　the　following：…　Inviting　to　a　banquet　those　of　the　Egyptians　whom　she　knew　to　have　had　the　chief　share　in　the　murder　of　her　brother；　she　suddenly；　as　they　were　feasting；　let　the　river　in　upon　them　by　means　of　a　secret　duct　of　large　size。　This　and　this　only　did　they　tell　me　of　her；　except　that；　when　she　had　done　as　I　have　said；　she　threw　herself　into　an　apartment　full　of　ashes；　that　she　might　escape　the　vengeance　whereto　she　would　otherwise　have　been　exposed。　　　　　The　other　kings；　they　said；　were　personages　of　no　note　or　distinction；　and　left　no　monuments　of　any　account；　with　the　exception　of　the　last；　who　was　named　Moeris。　He　left　several　memorials　of　his　reign…　the　northern　gateway　of　the　temple　of　Vulcan；　the　lake　excavated　by　his　orders；　whose　dimensions　I　shall　give　presently；　and　the　pyramids　built　by　him　in　the　lake；　the　size　of　which　will　be　stated　when　I　describe　the　lake　itself　wherein　they　stand。　Such　were　his　works：　the　other　kings　left　absolutely　nothing。　　　　　Passing　over　these　monarchs；　therefore；　I　shall　speak　of　the　king　who　reigned　next；　whose　name　was　Sesostris。　He；　the　priests　said；　first　of　all　proceeded　in　a　fleet　of　ships　of　war　from　the　Arabian　gulf　along　the