the history-第59章

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　procure　the　gold。　For　it　is　in　this　part　of　India　that　the　sandy　desert　lies。　Here；　in　this　desert；　there　live　amid　the　sand　great　ants；　in　size　somewhat　less　than　dogs；　but　bigger　than　foxes。　The　Persian　king　has　a　number　of　them；　which　have　been　caught　by　the　hunters　in　the　land　whereof　we　are　speaking。　Those　ants　make　their　dwellings　under　ground；　and　like　the　Greek　ants；　which　they　very　much　resemble　in　shape；　throw　up　sand…heaps　as　they　burrow。　Now　the　sand　which　they　throw　up　is　full　of　gold。　The　Indians；　when　they　go　into　the　desert　to　collect　this　sand；　take　three　camels　and　harness　them　together；　a　female　in　the　middle　and　a　male　on　either　side；　in　a　leading…rein。　The　rider　sits　on　the　female；　and　they　are　particular　to　choose　for　the　purpose　one　that　has　but　just　dropped　her　young；　for　their　female　camels　can　run　as　fast　as　horses；　while　they　bear　burthens　very　much　better。　　　　　As　the　Greeks　are　well　acquainted　with　the　shape　of　the　camel；　I　shall　not　trouble　to　describe　it；　but　I　shall　mention　what　seems　to　have　escaped　their　notice。　The　camel　has　in　its　hind　legs　four　thigh…bones　and　four　knee…joints。　　　　　When　the　Indians　therefore　have　thus　equipped　themselves　they　set　off　in　quest　of　the　gold；　calculating　the　time　so　that　they　may　be　engaged　in　seizing　it　during　the　most　sultry　part　of　the　day；　when　the　ants　hide　themselves　to　escape　the　heat。　The　sun　in　those　parts　shines　fiercest　in　the　morning；　not；　as　elsewhere；　at　noonday；　the　greatest　heat　is　from　the　time　when　he　has　reached　a　certain　height；　until　the　hour　at　which　the　market　closes。　During　this　space　he　burns　much　more　furiously　than　at　midday　in　Greece；　so　that　the　men　there　are　said　at　that　time　to　drench　themselves　with　water。　At　noon　his　heat　is　much　the　same　in　India　as　in　other　countries；　after　which；　as　the　day　declines；　the　warmth　is　only　equal　to　that　of　the　morning　sun　elsewhere。　Towards　evening　the　coolness　increases；　till　about　sunset　it　becomes　very　cold。　　　　　When　the　Indians　reach　the　place　where　the　gold　is；　they　fill　their　bags　with　the　sand；　and　ride　away　at　their　best　speed：　the　ants；　however；　scenting　them；　as　the　Persians　say；　rush　forth　in　pursuit。　Now　these　animals　are；　they　declare；　so　swift；　that　there　is　nothing　in　the　world　like　them：　if　it　were　not；　therefore；　that　the　Indians　get　a　start　while　the　ants　are　mustering；　not　a　single　gold…gatherer　could　escape。　During　the　flight　the　male　camels；　which　are　not　so　fleet　as　the　females；　grow　tired；　and　begin　to　drag；　first　one；　and　then　the　other；　but　the　females　recollect　the　young　which　they　have　left　behind；　and　never　give　way　or　flag。　Such；　according　to　the　Persians；　is　the　manner　in　which　the　Indians　get　the　greater　part　of　their　gold；　some　is　dug　out　of　the　earth；　but　of　this　the　supply　is　more　scanty。　　　　　It　seems　as　if　the　extreme　regions　of　the　earth　were　blessed　by　nature　with　the　most　excellent　productions；　just　in　the　same　way　that　Greece　enjoys　a　climate　more　excellently　tempered　than　any　other　country。　In　India；　which；　as　I　observed　lately；　is　the　furthest　region　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　d