the history-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


o　reason　that　the　country　to　which　the　Sun…god　approaches　the　nearest；　and　which　he　passes　most　directly　over；　will　be　scantest　of　water；　and　that　there　the　streams　which　feed　the　rivers　will　shrink　the　most。　　　　　To　explain；　however；　more　at　length；　the　case　is　this。　The　sun；　in　his　passage　across　the　upper　parts　of　Libya；　affects　them　in　the　following　way。　As　the　air　in　those　regions　is　constantly　clear；　and　the　country　warm　through　the　absence　of　cold　winds；　the　sun　in　his　passage　across　them　acts　upon　them　exactly　as　he　wont　to　act　elsewhere　in　summer；　when　his　path　is　in　the　middle　of　heaven…　that　is；　he　attracts　the　water。　After　attracting　it；　he　again　repels　it　into　the　upper　regions；　where　the　winds　lay　hold　of　it；　scatter　it；　and　reduce　it　to　a　vapour；　whence　it　naturally　enough　comes　to　pass　that　the　winds　which　blow　from　this　quarter…　the　south　and　south…west…　are　of　all　winds　the　most　rainy。　And　my　own　opinion　is　that　the　sun　does　not　get　rid　of　all　the　water　which　he　draws　year　by　year　from　the　Nile；　but　retains　some　about　him。　When　the　winter　begins　to　soften；　the　sun　goes　back　again　to　his　old　place　in　the　middle　of　the　heaven；　and　proceeds　to　attract　water　equally　from　all　countries。　Till　then　the　other　rivers　run　big；　from　the　quantity　of　rain…water　which　they　bring　down　from　countries　where　so　much　moisture　falls　that　all　the　land　is　cut　into　gullies；　but　in　summer；　when　the　showers　fail；　and　the　sun　attracts　their　water；　they　become　low。　The　Nile；　on　the　contrary；　not　deriving　any　of　its　bulk　from　rains；　and　being　in　winter　subject　to　the　attraction　of　the　sun；　naturally　runs　at　that　season；　unlike　all　other　streams；　with　a　less　burthen　of　water　than　in　the　summer　time。　For　in　summer　it　is　exposed　to　attraction　equally　with　all　other　rivers；　but　in　winter　it　suffers　alone。　The　sun；　therefore；　I　regard　as　the　sole　cause　of　the　phenomenon。　　　　　It　is　the　sun　also；　in　my　opinion；　which；　by　heating　the　space　through　which　it　passes；　makes　the　air　in　Egypt　so　dry。　There　is　thus　perpetual　summer　in　the　upper　parts　of　Libya。　Were　the　position　of　the　heavenly　regions　reversed；　so　that　the　place　where　now　the　north　wind　and　the　winter　have　their　dwelling　became　the　station　of　the　south　wind　and　of　the　noon…day；　while；　on　the　other　hand；　the　station　of　the　south　wind　became　that　of　the　north；　the　consequence　would　be　that　the　sun；　driven　from　the　mid…heaven　by　the　winter　and　the　northern　gales；　would　betake　himself　to　the　upper　parts　of　Europe；　as　he　now　does　to　those　of　Libya；　and　then　I　believe　his　passage　across　Europe　would　affect　the　Ister　exactly　as　the　Nile　is　affected　at　the　present　day。　　　　　And　with　respect　to　the　fact　that　no　breeze　blows　from　the　Nile；　I　am　of　opinion　that　no　wind　is　likely　to　arise　in　very　hot　countries；　for　breezes　love　to　blow　from　some　cold　quarter。　　　　　Let　us　leave　these　things；　however；　to　their　natural　course；　to　continue　as　they　are　and　have　been　from　the　beginning。　With　regard　to　the　sources　of　the　Nile；　I　have　found　no　one　among　all　those　with　whom　I　have　conversed；　whether　Egyptians；　Libyans；　or　Greeks；　who　professed　to　have　any　knowledge；　except　a　single　person。　He　was　the　scribe　who　kept　the　register　of　the　sacred　treasures　of　Minerva　in　the　city　of　Sais；　and　he　did　not　seem　to　me　to　be　in　earnest　when　he　said　that　he　knew　them　perfectly　well。　His　story　was　as　follows：…　〃Between　Syene；　a　city　of　the　Thebais；　and　Elephantine；　there　are〃　（he　said）　〃two　hills　with　sharp　conical　tops；　the　name　of　the　one　is　Crophi；　of　the　other；　Mophi。　Midway　between　them　are　the　fountains　of　the　Nile；　fountains　which　it　is　impossible　to　fathom。　Half　the　water　runs　northward　into　Egypt；　half　to　the　south　towards　Ethiopia。〃　The　fountains　were　known　to　be　unfathomable；　he　declared；　because　Psammetichus；　an　Egyptian　king；　had　made　trial　of　them。　He　had　caused　a　rope　to　be　made；　many　thousand　fathoms　in　length；　and　had　sounded　the　fountain　with　it；　but　could　find　no　bottom。　By　this　the　scribe　gave　me　to　understand；　if　there　was　any　truth　at　all　in　what　he　said；　that　in　this　fountain　there　are　certain　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