the history-第76章

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gion　of　the　inhabited　world　towards　the　east；　all　the　four…footed　beasts　and　the　birds　are　very　much　bigger　than　those　found　elsewhere；　except　only　the　horses；　which　are　surpassed　by　the　Median　breed　called　the　Nisaean。　Gold　too　is　produced　there　in　vast　abundance；　some　dug　from　the　earth；　some　washed　down　by　the　rivers；　some　carried　off　in　the　mode　which　I　have　but　now　described。　And　further；　there　are　trees　which　grow　wild　there；　the　fruit　whereof　is　a　wool　exceeding　in　beauty　and　goodness　that　of　sheep。　The　natives　make　their　clothes　of　this　tree…wool。　　　　　Arabia　is　the　last　of　inhabited　lands　towards　the　south；　and　it　is　the　only　country　which　produces　frankincense；　myrrh；　cassia；　cinnamon；　and　ledanum。　The　Arabians　do　not　get　any　of　these；　except　the　myrrh；　without　trouble。　The　frankincense　they　procure　by　means　of　the　gum　styrax；　which　the　Greeks　obtain　from　the　Phoenicians；　this　they　burn；　and　thereby　obtain　the　spice。　For　the　trees　which　bear　the　frankincense　are　guarded　by　winged　serpents；　small　in　size；　and　of　varied　colours；　whereof　vast　numbers　hang　about　every　tree。　They　are　of　the　same　kind　as　the　serpents　that　invade　Egypt；　and　there　is　nothing　but　the　smoke　of　the　styrax　which　will　drive　them　from　the　trees。　　　　　The　Arabians　say　that　the　whole　world　would　swarm　with　these　serpents；　if　they　were　not　kept　in　check　in　the　way　in　which　I　know　that　vipers　are。　Of　a　truth　Divine　Providence　does　appear　to　be；　as　indeed　one　might　expect　beforehand；　a　wise　contriver。　For　timid　animals　which　are　a　prey　to　others　are　all　made　to　produce　young　abundantly；　that　so　the　species　may　not　be　entirely　eaten　up　and　lost；　while　savage　and　noxious　creatures　are　made　very　unfruitful。　The　hare；　for　instance；　which　is　hunted　alike　by　beasts；　birds；　and　men；　breeds　so　abundantly　as　even　to　superfetate；　a　thing　which　is　true　of　no　other　animal。　You　find　in　a　hare's　belly；　at　one　and　the　same　time；　some　of　the　young　all　covered　with　fur；　others　quite　naked；　others　again　just　fully　formed　in　the　womb；　while　the　hare　perhaps　has　lately　conceived　afresh。　The　lioness；　on　the　other　hand；　which　is　one　of　the　strongest　and　boldest　of　brutes；　brings　forth　young　but　once　in　her　lifetime；　and　then　a　single　cub；　she　cannot　possibly　conceive　again；　since　she　loses　her　womb　at　the　same　time　that　she　drops　her　young。　The　reason　of　this　is　that　as　soon　as　the　cub　begins　to　stir　inside　the　dam；　his　claws；　which　are　sharper　than　those　of　any　other　animal；　scratch　the　womb；　as　the　time　goes　on；　and　he　grows　bigger；　he　tears　it　ever　more　and　more；　so　that　at　last；　when　the　birth　comes；　there　is　not　a　morsel　in　the　whole　womb　that　is　sound。　　　　　Now　with　respect　to　the　vipers　and　the　winged　snakes　of　Arabia；　if　they　increased　as　fast　as　their　nature　would　allow；　impossible　were　it　for　man　to　maintain　himself　upon　the　earth。　Accordingly　it　is　found　that　when　the　male　and　female　come　together；　at　the　very　moment　of　impregnation；　the　female　seizes　the　male　by　the　neck；　and　having　once　fastened；　cannot　be　brought　to　leave　go　till　she　has　bit　the　neck　entirely　through。　And　so　the　male　perishes；　but　after　a　while　he　is　revenged　upon　the　female　by　means　of　the　young；　which；　while　still　unborn；　gnaw　a　passage　through　the　womb；　and　then　through　the　belly　of　their　mother；　and　so　make　their　entrance　into　the　world。　Contrariwise；　other　snakes；　which　are　harmless；　lay　eggs；　and　hatch　a　vast　number　of　young。　Vipers　are　found　in　all　parts　of　the　world；　but　the　winged　serpents　are　nowhere　seen　except　in　Arabia；　where　they　are　all　congregated　together。　This　makes　them　appear　so　numerous。　　　　　Such；　then；　is　the　way　in　which　the　Arabians　obtain　their　frankincense；　their　manner　of　collecting　the　cassia　is　the　following：…　They　cover　all　their　body　and　their　face　with　the　hides　of　oxen　and　other　skins；　leaving　only　holes　for　the　eyes；　and　thus　protected　go　in　search　of　the　cassia；　which　grows　in　a　lake　of　no　great　depth。　All　round　the　shores　and　in　the　lake　itself　there　dwell　a　number　of　winged　animals；　much　resembling　bats；　which　screech　horribly；　and　are　very　valiant。　These　creatures　they　must　keep　from　their　eyes　all　the　while　that　they　gather　the　cassia。　　　　　Still　more　wonderful　is　the　mode　in　which　they　collect　the　cinnamon。　Where　the　wood　grows；　and　what　country　produces　it；　they　cannot　tell…　only　some；　following　probability；　relate　that　it　comes　from　the　country　in　which　Bacchus　was　brought　up。　Great　birds；　they　say；　bring　the　sticks　which　we　Greeks；　taking　the　word　from　the　Phoenicians；　call　cinnamon；　and　carry　them　up　into　the　air　to　make　their　nests。　These　are　fastened　with　a　sort　of　mud　to　a　sheer　face　of　rock；　where　no　foot　of　man　is　able　to　climb。　So　the　Arabians；　to　get　the　cinnamon；　use　the　following　artifice。　They　cut　all　the　oxen　and　asses　and　beasts　of　burthen　that　die　in　their　land　into　large　pieces；　which　they　carry　with　them　into　those　regions；　and　Place　near　the　nests：　then　they　withdraw　to　a　distance；　and　the　old　birds；　swooping　down；　seize　the　pieces　of　meat　and　fly　with　them　up　to　their　nests；　which；　not　being　able　to　support　the　weight；　break　off　and　fall　to　the　ground。　Hereupon　the　Arabians　return　and　collect　the　cinnamon；　which　is　afterwards　carried　from　Arabia　into　other　countries。　　　　　Ledanum；　which　the　Arabs　call　ladanum；　is　procured　in　a　yet　stranger　fashion。　Found　in　a　most　inodorous　place；　it　is　the　sweetest…scented　of　all　substances。　It　is　gathered　from　the　beards　of　he…goats；　where　it　is　found　sticking　like　gum；　having　come　from　the　bushes　on　which　they　browse。　It　is　used　in　many　sorts　of　unguents；　and　is　what　the　Arabs　burn　chiefly　as　incense。　　　　　Concerning　the　spices　of　Arabia　let　no　more　be　said。　The　whole　country　is　scented　with　them；　and　exhales　an　odour　marvellously　sweet。　There　are　also　in　Arabia　two　kinds　of　sheep　worthy　of　admiration；　the　like　of　which　is　nowhere　else　to　be　seen；　the　one　kind　has　long　tails；　not　less　than　three　cubits　in　length；　which；　if　they　were　allowed　to　trail　on　the　ground；　would　be　bruised　and　fall　into　sores。　As　it　is；　all　the　shepherds　know　enough　of　carpentering　to　make　little　trucks　for　their　sheep's　tails。　The　trucks　are　placed　under　the　tails；　each　sheep　having　one　to　himself；　and　the　tails　are　then　tied　down　upon　them。　The　other　kind　has　a　broad　tail；　which　is　a　cubit　across　sometimes。　　　　　Where　the　south　declines　towards　the　setting　sun　lies　the　country　called　Ethiopia；　the　last　inhabited　land　in　that　direction。　There　gold　is　obtained　in　great　plenty；　huge　elephants　abound；　with　wild　trees　of　all　sorts；　and　ebony；　and　the　men　are　taller；　handsomer；　and　longer　lived　than　anywhere　else。　　　　　Now　these　are　the　farthest　regions　of　the　world　in　Asia　and　Libya。　Of　the　extreme　tracts　of　Europe　towards　the　west　I　cannot　speak　with　any　certainty；　for　I　do　not　allow　that　there　is　any　river；　to　which　the　barbarians　give　the　name　of　Eridanus；　emptying　itself　into　the　northern　sea；　whence　（as　the　tale　goes）　amber　is　procured；　nor　do　I　know　of　any　islands　called　the　Cassiterides　（Tin　Islands）；　whence　the　tin　comes　which　we　use。　For　in　the　first　place　the　name　Eridanus　is　manifestly　not　a　barbarian　word　at　all；　but　a　Greek　name；　invented　by　some　poet　or　other；　and　secondly；　though　I　have　taken　vast　pains；　I　have　never　been