the history-第38章

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odiles。　　　　　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　spelt；　which　they　form　into　loaves　called　in　their　own　tongue　cyllestis。　Their　drink　is　a　wine　which　they　obtain　from　barley；　as　they　have　no　vines　in　their　country。　Many　kinds　of　fish　they　eat　raw；　either　salted　or　dried　in　the　sun。　Quails　also；　and　ducks　and　small　birds；　they　eat　uncooked；　merely　first　salting　them。　All　other　birds　and　fishes；　excepting　those　which　are　set　apart　as　sacred；　are　eaten　either　roasted　or　boiled。　　　　　In　social　meetings　among　the　rich；　when　the　banquet　is　ended；　a　servant　carries　round　to　the　several　guests　a　coffin；　in　which　there　is　a　wooden　image　of　a　corpse；　carved　and　painted　to　resemble　nature　as　nearly　as　possible；　about　a　cubit　or　two　cubits　in　length。　As　he　shows　it　to　each　guest　in　turn；　the　servant　says；　〃Gaze　here；　and　drink　and　be　merry；　for　when　you　die；　such　will　you　be。〃　　　　　The　Egyptians　adhere　to　their　own　national　customs；　and　adopt　no　foreign　usages。　Many　of　these　customs　are　worthy　of　note：　among　others　their　song；　the　Linus；　which　is　sung　under　various　names　not　only　in　Egypt　but　in　Phoenicia；　in　Cyprus；　and　in　other　places；　and　which　seems　to　be　exactly　the　same　as　that　in　use　among　the　Greeks；　and　by　them　called　Linus。　There　were　very　many　things　in　Egypt　which　filled　me　with　astonishment；　and　this　was　one　of　them。　Whence　could　the　Egyptians　have　got　the　Linus？　It　appears　to　have　been　sung　by　them　from　the　very　earliest　times。　For　the　Linus　in　Egyptian　is　called　Maneros；　and　they　told　me　that　Maneros　was　the　only　son　of　their　first　king；　and　that　on　his　untimely　death　he　was　honoured　by　the　Egyptians　with　these　dirgelike　strains；　and　in　this　way　they　got　their　first　and　only　melody。　　　　　There　is　another　custom　in　which　the　Egyptians　resemble　a　particular　Greek　people；　namely　the　Lacedaemonians。　Their　young　men；　when　they　meet　their　elders　in　the　streets；　give　way　to　them　and　step　aside；　and　if　an　elder　come　in　where　young　men　are　present；　these　latter　rise　from　their　seats。　In　a　third　point　they　differ　entirely　from　all　the　nations　of　Greece。　Instead　of　speaking　to　each　other　when　they　meet　in　the　streets；　they　make　an　obeisance；　sinking　the　hand　to　the　knee。　　　　　They　wear　a　linen　tunic　fringed　about　the　legs；　and　called　calasiris；　over　this　they　have　a　white　woollen　garment　thrown　on　afterwards。　Nothing　of　woollen；　however；　is　taken　into　their　temples　or　buried　with　them；　as　their　religion　forbids　it。　Here　their　practice　resembles　the　rites　called　Orphic　and　Bacchic；　but　which　are　in　reality　Egyptian　and　Pythagorean；　for　no　one　initiated　in　these　mysteries　can　be　buried　in　a　woollen　shroud；　a　religious　reason　being　assigned　for　the　observance。　　　　　The　Egyptians　likewise　discovered　to　which　of　the　gods　each　month　and　day　is　sacred；　and　found　out　from　the　day　of　a　man's　birth　what　he　will　meet　with　in　the　course　of　his　life；　and　how　he　will　end　his　days；　and　what　sort　of　man　he　will　be…　discoveries　whereof　the　Greeks　engaged　in　poetry　have　made　a　use。　The　Egyptians　have　also　discovered　more　prognostics　than　all　the　rest　of　mankind　besides。　Whenever　a　prodigy　takes　p