the history-第66章

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。　This　tribe　is　said　to　have　the　following　customs：…　If　one　of　their　number　be　ill；　man　or　woman；　they　take　the　sick　person；　and　if　he　be　a　man；　the　men　of　his　acquaintance　proceed　to　put　him　to　death；　because；　they　say；　his　flesh　would　be　spoilt　for　them　if　he　pined　and　wasted　away　with　sickness。　The　man　protests　he　is　not　ill　in　the　least；　but　his　friends　will　not　accept　his　denial…　in　spite　of　all　he　can　say；　they　kill　him；　and　feast　themselves　on　his　body。　So　also　if　a　woman　be　sick；　the　women；　who　are　her　friends；　take　her　and　do　with　her　exactly　the　same　as　the　men。　If　one　of　them　reaches　to　old　age；　about　which　there　is　seldom　any　question；　as　commonly　before　that　time　they　have　had　some　disease　or　other；　and　so　have　been　put　to　death…　but　if　a　man；　notwithstanding；　comes　to　be　old；　then　they　offer　him　in　sacrifice　to　their　gods；　and　afterwards　eat　his　flesh。　　　　　There　is　another　set　of　Indians　whose　customs　are　very　different。　They　refuse　to　put　any　live　animal　to　death；　they　sow　no　corn；　and　have　no　dwelling…houses。　Vegetables　are　their　only　food。　There　is　a　plant　which　grows　wild　in　their　country；　bearing　seed；　about　the　size　of　millet…seed；　in　a　calyx：　their　wont　is　to　gather　this　seed　and　having　boiled　it；　calyx　and　all；　to　use　it　for　food。　If　one　of　them　is　attacked　with　sickness；　he　goes　forth　into　the　wilderness；　and　lies　down　to　die；　no　one　has　the　least　concern　either　for　the　sick　or　for　the　dead。　　　　　All　the　tribes　which　I　have　mentioned　live　together　like　the　brute　beasts：　they　have　also　all　the　same　tint　of　skin；　which　approaches　that　of　the　Ethiopians。　Their　country　is　a　long　way　from　Persia　towards　the　south：　nor　had　king　Darius　ever　any　authority　over　them。　　　　　Besides　these；　there　are　Indians　of　another　tribe；　who　border　on　the　city　of　Caspatyrus；　and　the　country　of　Pactyica；　these　people　dwell　northward　of　all　the　rest　of　the　Indians；　and　follow　nearly　the　same　mode　of　life　as　the　Bactrians。　They　are　more　warlike　than　any　of　the　other　tribes；　and　from　them　the　men　are　sent　forth　who　go　to　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