the history-第28节

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s　on　Libya；　took　a　dislike　to　the　religious　usages　of　the　country　concerning　sacrificial　animals；　and　wished　no　longer　to　be　restricted　from　eating　the　flesh　of　cows。　So；　as　they　believed　themselves　to　be　Libyans　and　not　Egyptians；　they　sent　to　the　shrine　to　say　that；　having　nothing　in　common　with　the　Egyptians；　neither　inhabiting　the　Delta　nor　using　the　Egyptian　tongue；　they　claimed　to　be　allowed　to　eat　whatever　they　pleased。　Their　request；　however；　was　refused　by　the　god；　who　declared　in　reply　that　Egypt　was　the　entire　tract　of　country　which　the　Nile　overspreads　and　irrigates；　and　the　Egyptians　were　the　people　who　lived　below　Elephantine；　and　drank　the　waters　of　that　river。　　　　　So　said　the　oracle。　Now　the　Nile；　when　it　overflows；　floods　not　only　the　Delta；　but　also　the　tracts　of　country　on　both　sides　the　stream　which　are　thought　to　belong　to　Libya　and　Arabia；　in　some　places　reaching　to　the　extent　of　two　days'　journey　from　its　banks；　in　some　even　exceeding　that　distance；　but　in　others　falling　short　of　it。　　　　　Concerning　the　nature　of　the　river；　I　was　not　able　to　gain　any　information　either　from　the　priests　or　from　others。　I　was　particularly　anxious　to　learn　from　them　why　the　Nile；　at　the　commencement　of　the　summer　solstice；　begins　to　rise；　and　continues　to　increase　for　a　hundred　days…　and　why；　as　soon　as　that　number　is　past；　it　forthwith　retires　and　contracts　its　stream；　continuing　low　during　the　whole　of　the　winter　until　the　summer　solstice　comes　round　again。　On　none　of　these　points　could　I　obtain　any　explanation　from　the　inhabitants；　though　I　made　every　inquiry；　wishing　to　know　what　was　commonly　reported…　they　could　neither　tell　me　what　special　virtue　the　Nile　has　which　makes　it　so　opposite　in　its　nature　to　all　other　streams；　nor　why；　unlike　every　other　river；　it　gives　forth　no　breezes　from　its　surface。　　　　　Some　of　the　Greeks；　however；　wishing　to　get　a　reputation　for　cleverness；　have　offered　explanations　of　the　phenomena　of　the　river；　for　which　they　have　accounted　in　three　different　ways。　Two　of　these　I　do　not　think　it　worth　while　to　speak　of；　further　than　simply　to　mention　what　they　are。　One　pretends　that　the　Etesian　winds　cause　the　rise　of　the　river　by　preventing　the　Nile…water　from　running　off　into　the　sea。　But　in　the　first　place　it　has　often　happened；　when　the　Etesian　winds　did　not　blow；　that　the　Nile　has　risen　according　to　its　usual　wont；　and　further；　if　the　Etesian　winds　produced　the　effect；　the　other　rivers　which　flow　in　a　direction　opposite　to　those　winds　ought　to　present　the　same　phenomena　as　the　Nile；　and　the　more　so　as　they　are　all　smaller　streams；　and　have　a　weaker　current。　But　these　rivers；　of　which　there　are　many　both　in　Syria　and　Libya；　are　entirely　unlike　the　Nile　in　this　respect。　　　　　The　second　opinion　is　even　more　unscientific　than　the　one　just　mentioned；　and　also；　if　I　may　so　say；　more　marvellous。　It　is　that　the　Nile　acts　so　strangely；　because　it　flows　from　the　ocean；　and　that　the　ocean　flows　all　round　the　earth。　　　　　The　third　explanation；　which　is　very　much　more　plausible　than　either　of　the　others；　is　positively　the　furthest　from　the　truth；　for　there　is　really　nothing　in　what　it　says；　any　more　than　in　the　other　theories。　It　is；　that　the　inundation　of　the　Nile　is　caused　by　the　melting　of　snows。　Now；　as　the　Nile　flows　out　of　Libya；　through　Ethiopia；　into　Egypt；　how　is　it　possible　that　it　can　be　formed　of　melted　snow；　running；　as　it　does；　from　the　hottest　regions　of　the　world　into　cooler　countries？　Many　are　the　proofs　whereby　any　one　capable　of　reasoning　on　the　subject　may　be　convinced　that　it　is　most　unlikely　this　should　be　the　case。　The　first　and　strongest　argument　is　furnished　by　the　winds；　which　always　blow　hot　from　these　regions。　The　second　is　that　rain　and　frost　are　unknown　there。　Now　whenever　snow　falls；　it　must　of　necessity　rain　within　five　days；。so　that；　if　there　were　snow；　there　must　be　rain　also　in　those　parts。　Thirdly；　it　is　certain　that　the　natives　of　the　country　are　black　with　the　heat；　that　the　kites　and　the　swallows　remain　there　the　whole　year；　and　that　the　cranes；　when　they　fly　from　the　rigours　of　a　Scythian　winter；　flock　thither　to　pass　the　cold　season。　If　then；　in　the　country　whence　the　Nile　has　its　source；　or　in　that　through　which　it　flows；　there　fell　ever　so　little　snow；　it　is　absolutely　impossible　that　any　of　these　circumstances　could　take　place。　　　　　As　for　the　writer　who　attributes　the　phenomenon　to　the　ocean；　his　account　is　involved　in　such　obscurity　that　it　is　impossible　to　disprove　it　by　argument。　For　my　part　I　know　of　no　river　called　Ocean；　and　I　think　that　Homer；　or　one　of　the　earlier　poets；　invented　the　name；　and　introduced　it　into　his　poetry。　　　　　Perhaps；　after　censuring　all　the　opinions　that　have　been　put　forward　on　this　obscure　subject；　one　ought　to　propose　some　theory　of　one's　own。　I　will　therefore　proceed　to　explain　what　I　think　to　be　the　reason　of　the　Nile's　swelling　in　the　summer　time。　During　the　winter；　the　sun　is　driven　out　of　his　usual　course　by　the　storms；　and　removes　to　the　upper　parts　of　Libya。　This　is　the　whole　secret　in　the　fewest　possible　words；　for　it　stands　to　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　mou