the history-第67章

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tirely　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　able　to　get　an　assurance　from　an　eye…witness　that　there　is　any　sea　on　the　further　side　of　Europe。　Nevertheless；　tin　and　amber　do　certainly　come　to　us　from　the　ends　of　the　earth。　　　　　The　northern　parts　of　Europe　are　very　much　richer　in　gold　than　any　other　region：　but　how　it　is　procured　I　have　no　certain　knowledge。　The　story　runs　that　the　one…eyed　Arimaspi　purloin　it　from　the　griffins；　but　here　too　I　am　incredulous；　and　cannot　persuade　myself　that　there　is　a　race　of　men　born　with　one　eye；　who　in　all　else　resemble　the　rest　of　mankind。　Nevertheless　it　seems　to　be　true　that　the　extreme　regions　of　the　earth；　which　surround　and　shut　up　within　themselves　all　other　countries；　produce　the　things　which　are　the　rarest；　and　which　men　reckon　the　most　beautiful。　　　　　There　is　a　plain　in　Asia　which　is　shut　in　on　all　sides　by　a　mountain…range；　and　in　this　mountain…range　are　five　openings。　The　plain　lies　on　the　confines　of　the　Chorasmians；　Hyrcanians；　Parthians；　Sarangians；　and　Thamanaeans；　and　belonged　formerly　to　the　first…mentioned　of　those　peoples。　Ever　since　the　Persians；　however；　obtained　the　mastery　of　Asia；　it　has　been　the　property　of　the　Great　King。　A　mighty　river；　called　the　Aces；　flows　from　the　hills　inclosing　the　plain；　and　this　stream；　formerly　splitting　into　five　channels；　ran　through　the　five　openings　in　the　hills；　and　watered　the　lands　of　the　five　nations　which　dwell　around。　The　Persian　came；　however；　and　conquered　the　region；　and　then　it　went　ill　with　the　people　of　these　lands。　The　Great　King　blocked　up　all　the　passages　between　the　hills　with　dykes　and　flood　gates；　and　so　prevented　the　water　from　flowing　out。　Then　the　plain　within　the　hills　became　a　sea；　for　the　river　kept　rising；　and　the　water　could　find　no　outlet。　From　that　time　the　five　nations　which　were　wont　formerly　to　have　the　use　of　the　stream；　losing　their　accustomed　supply　of　water；　have　been　in　great　distress。　In　winter；　indeed；　they　have　rain　from　heaven　like　the　rest　of　the　world；　but　in　summer；　after　sowing　their　millet　and　their　sesame；　they　always　stand　in　need　of　water　from　the　river。　When；　therefore；　they　suffer　from　this　want；　hastening　to　Persia；　men　and　women　alike；　they　take　their　station　at　the　gate　of　the　king's　palace；　and　wail　aloud。　Then　the　king　orders　the　flood…gates　to　be　opened　towards　the　country　whose　need　is　greatest；　and　lets　the　soil　drink　until　it　has　had　enough；　after　which　the　gates　on　this　side　are　shut；　and　others　are　unclosed　for　the　nation　which；　of　the　remainder；　needs　it　most。　It　has　been　told　me　that　the　king　never　gives　the　order　to　open　the　gates　till　the　suppliants　have　paid　him　a　large　sum　of　money　over　and　above　the　tribute。　　　　　Of　the　seven　Persians　who　rose　up　against　the　Magus；　one；　Intaphernes；　lost　his　life　very　shortly　after　the　outbreak；　for　an　act　of　insolence。　He　wished　to　enter　the　palace　and　transact　a　certain　business　with　the　king。　Now　the　law　was　that　all　those　who　had　taken　part　in　the　rising　against　the　Magus　might　enter　unannounced　into　the　king's　presence；　unless　he　happened　to　be　in　private　with　his　wife。　So　Intaphernes　would　not　have　any　one　announce　him；　but；　as　he　belonged　to　the　seven；　claimed　it　as　his　right　to　go　in。　The　doorkeeper；　however；　and　the　chief　usher　forbade　his　entrance；　since　the　king；　they　said；　was　with　his　wife。　But　Intaphernes　thought　they　told　lies；　so；　drawing　his　scymitar；　he　cut　off　their　noses　and　their　ears；　and；　hanging　them　on　the　bridle　of　his　horse；　put　the　bridle　round　their　necks；　and　so　let　them　go。　　　　　Then　these　two　men　went　and　showed　themselves　to　the　king；　and　told　him　how　it　had　come　to　pass　that　they　were　thus　treated。　Darius　trembled　lest　it　was　by　the　common　consent　of　the　six　that　the　deed　had　been　done；　he　therefore　sent　for　them　all　in　turn；　and　sounded　them　to　know　if　they　approved　the　conduct　of　Intaphernes。　When　he　found　by　their　answers　that　there　had　been　no　concert　between　him　and　them；　he　laid　hands　on　Intaphernes；　his　children；　and　all　his　near　kindred；　strongly　suspecting　that　he　and　his　friends　were　about　to　raise　a　revolt。　When　all　had　been　seize