CHAP. 195-197. DUMB-TRADING. 171 The natives, when they see the smoke, come down to the shore, and, laying out to view so much gold as they think the worth of the wares, withdraw to a distance. The Carthaginians upon this come ashore and look. If they think the gold enough, they take it and go their way; but if it does not seem to them sufficient, they go aboard ship once more and wait patiently. Then the others approach and add to their gold, till the Carthaginians are content. Neither party deals unfairly by the other for they themselves never touch the gold till it comes up to the worth of their goods, nor do the natives ever carry off the goods till the gold is taken away.7 197. These be the Libyan tribes whereof I am able to give the names; and most of these cared little then, and indeed care little now, for the king of the Medes. One thing more also I can add concerning this region, namely, that, so far as our knowledge reaches, four nations, and no more, inhabit it; and two of these nations are indigenous, while two are not. The two indigenous are the Libyans and Ethiopians, who dwell respectively in the north and south of Libya. The Phoenicians and the Greeks are in-comers.8 7 The "dumb commerce of the African nations is now matter of notoriety. It exists not only upon the western coast, but also to a considerable extent in the interior (See Rennell, p. 717). Lyon thus describes it: -"An invisible nation, according to our informant, inhabit near this place (Soudan), and are said to trade by night. Those who come to traffic for their gold, lay their merchandize in heaps, and retire. In the morning they find a certain quantity of golddust placed against every heap, which if they think sufficient, they leave the goods; if not, they let both remain till more of the precious ore is added (p. 149). Shaw gives a similar account (Travels, p. 302). For further instances, see the Journal of the Asiatic Society, vol. xviii. p. 348. The Egyptians are omitted, because Egypt is reckoned to Asia (supra, ii. 17, iv. 39 and 41). Taking the Ethiopians to represent that type of man, which starting from the characteristics of the Egyptian, develops into the Negro, we shall find no reason to cavil at the enumeration of races in our author. The Libyans, the indigenous inhabitants of the northern parts, are the modern Berbers, who, under various names, Berbers, Shuluks, Cabyles, and Tauriks, continue to form an important element in the popula tion of North Africa, stretching from the mountains of Marocco to the oasis of Ammon. Southward of this race dwell an entirely different people. From Senegambia to Nubia, a type of man approaching more or less nearly to the Negro, is found to prevail (Prichard, Nat. Hist. of Man, p. 269). Even the southern races, Caffres and Hottentots, appear to belong to this same family (ibid. p. 314). In 172 SOIL. BOOK IV. 198. It seems to me that Libya is not to compare for goodness of soil with either Asia or Europe, except the Cinypsregion, which is named after the river that waters it. This piece of land is equal to any country in the world for cereal crops, and is in nothing like the rest of Libya. For the soil here is black, and springs of water abound; so that there is nothing to fear from drought; nor do heavy rains (and it rains in that part of Libya1) do any harm when they soak the ground. The returns of the harvest come up to the measure which prevails in Babylonia.2 The soil is likewise good in the country of the Euesperites; for there the land brings forth in these we have the Ethiopians of Herodotus. The other two Herodotean races have been absorbed, as likewise have the Romans and the Vandals. The only existing element in the popu lation of Africa which does not appear in Herodotus, is the Arabian, the introduction of which is fixed historically to the period of the Mahometan conquests, A.D. 639-710. 9 Della Cella says of this region, "The extensive plain, which about an hour's march from the torrent (Cinyps), stretches out to the east as far as Cape Mesurata, is abundantly productive.... This extraordinary degree of fruitfulness is not owing to the industry of the inhabitants, but proceeds from the generous nature of the soil, spontaneously covered with palm and olivetrees, which there require no sort of cultivation (p. 37). Beechey expresses himself still more strongly : "From the summit appears," he says, "the whole plain of Lebida, stretching down in a gentle slope from the high ground to the sea; and a more beautiful scene can scarcely be witnessed than that which is presented by this fine tract of country. Thick groves of olive and date-trees are seen rising above the villages which are scattered over its surface, and the intermediate spaces are either covered with the most luxuriant turf, or rich with abundant crops of grain" (Narrative, p. 51). Hence the force of the line in 3 The Euesperites are the inhabitants of a town, called Hesperides by Scylax (p. 111), Euesperides by Herodotus (supra, ch. 171), and Hesperis by Stephen (ad voc.). It was situated at the eastern extremity of the Greater Syrtis, between the Borean or Northern Promontory (Cape Tejones) and Tauchira. The Ptolemies changed its name to Berenice (Strab. xvii. p. 1181; Plin. H. N. v. 5), which has since been corrupted into Benghazi. It has been supposed that the famous gardens of the Hesperides were at this place; but Pacho has observed (p. 173) that this is unlikely, as the whole country about Benghazi is bare of trees. He places the gardens considerably further to the east, near Cape Phycus (the modern Ras Sem), and not far from Cyrene. The account in Scylax bears out this view (pp. 110, 111). Benghazi is still famous for its cereal crops, great quantities of which are carried to Augila and there offered for sale, year by year (Horneman, p. 39). Mr. Hamilton says of the tract cul CHAP. 198-200. CROPS. 173 the best years a hundred-fold. But the Cinyps-region yields three hundred-fold. 199. The country of the Cyrenæans, which is the highest tract within the part of Libya inhabited by the wandering tribes, has three seasons that deserve remark. First the crops along the sea-coast begin to ripen, and are ready for the harvest and the vintage; after they have been gathered in, the crops of the middle tract above the coast-region (the hillcountry, as they call it) need harvesting; while about the time when this middle crop is housed, the fruits ripen and are fit for cutting in the highest tract of all. So that the produce of the first tract has been all eaten and drunk by the time that the last harvest comes in. And the harvest-time of the Cyrenæans continues thus for eight full months. So much con cerning these matters. 200. When the Persians sent from Egypt by Aryandes to help Pheretima, reached Barca, they laid siege to the town, calling on those within to give up the men who had been guilty of the murder of Arcesilaus. The townspeople, however, as they had one and all taken part in the deed, refused to entertain the proposition. So the Persians beleaguered Barca for tivated by the Benghazini:-" The soil is a rich loam, yielding, without any sort of tilling, abundant harvests of wheat and barley. It seems probable that, if a moderate amount of labour were expended in the husbandry of this country, its ample crops would vie with those of Egypt or Sicily" (Wanderings, p. 167). 4 Kiepert gives the height of the upper plateau of Cyrene at 1700 feet (Atlas, Map XXII.). Beechey estimated it at 1800 feet (p. 434, and note). It is probably, as Herodotus says, the loftiest region of NorthEastern Africa, though some of the summits in the basaltic chain of Harudtsh may attain a greater elevation. Pacho observes in speaking of this passage "L'heureuse disposition de cette partie de la Libye..., la graduation de ses terraces boissées, et leur situation variée . . ., présentent autant Mr. Hamilton says:- "When I left Derna the grape season was long over; in Grennah, on my return, not a cluster remained on the few vines grown by the Bedawin: here (at Belandsh) I bought white grapes with which the trellises were loaded, and which were not yet ripe. Herodotus speaks of the three climates of the Cyrenaica, in consequence of which the harvest is carried on during eight months of the year; and it was interesting to meet with this practical confirmation of his remark" (Wanderings, p. 124). 174 THE BARCEANS, HOW CONQUERED. BOOK IV. 6 nine months, in the course of which they dug several mines from their own lines to the walls, and likewise made a number of vigorous assaults. But their mines were discovered by a man who was a worker in brass, who went with a brazen shield all round the fortress, and laid it on the ground inside the city. In other places the shield, when he laid it down, was quite dumb; but where the ground was undermined, there the brass of the shield rang. Here, therefore, the Barcæans countermined, and slew the Persian diggers. Such was the way in which the mines were discovered; as for the assaults, the Barcæans beat them back. 201. When much time had thus been consumed, and great numbers had fallen on both sides, nor had the Persians lost fewer than their adversaries, Amasis, the leader of the landarmy, perceiving that, although the Barcæans would never be conquered by force, they might be overcome by fraud, contrived as follows. One night he dug a wide trench, and laid light planks of wood across the opening, after which he brought mould and placed it upon the planks, taking care to make the place level with the surrounding ground. At dawn of day he summoned the Barcæans to a parley: and they gladly hearkening, the terms were at length agreed upon. Oaths were interchanged upon the ground over the hidden trench, and the agreement ran thus-" So long as the ground beneath our feet stands firm, the oath shall abide unchanged; the people of Barca agree to pay a fair sum to the king, and the Persians promise to cause no further trouble to the people of Barca." After the oath, the Barcæans, relying upon its terms, threw open all their gates, went out themselves beyond the walls, and allowed as many of the enemy as chose, to enter. Then the Persians broke down their secret bridge, and rushed at 6 Mining was no doubt practised from very early times. It is represented in the Assyrian sculptures, where it is the substitute for the battering practised by the Greeks and Romans. The Persians seems to have been particularly fond of attempting it, wherever the nature of the ground made it practicable (vide infra, v. 115, and vi. 18; comp. Polyæn. vii. 11, § 5). In Roman history we find it as early as the 5th century B. C. (Liv. iv. 22, v. 19.) CHAP. 200-203. PHERETIMA'S CRUEL TREATMENT OF THEM. 175 speed into the town-their reason for breaking the bridge being, that so they might observe what they had sworn; for they had promised the Barcæans that the oath should continue "so long as the ground whereon they stood was firm." When, therefore, the bridge was once broken down, the oath ceased to hold. 202. Such of the Barcæans as were most guilty the Persians gave up to Pheretima, who nailed them to crosses all round. the walls of the city. She also cut off the breasts of their wives, and fastened them likewise about the walls. The remainder of the people she gave as booty to the Persians, except only the Battiada, and those who had taken no part in the murder, to whom she handed over the possession of the town. 203. The Persians now set out on their return home, carrying with them the rest of the Barcæans, whom they had made their slaves. On their way they came to Cyrêné; and the Cyrenæans, out of regard for an oracle, let them pass through the town. During the passage, Bares, the commander of the fleet, advised to seize the place; but Amasis, the leader of the land-force, would not consent; "because," he said, "they had only been charged to attack the one Greek city of Barca."8 When, however, they had passed through the town, and were 8 This whole account of the danger and escape of Cyrene is exceedingly improbable. If Cyrene was not in rebellion, the Persians would pass through it, as a matter of course, on their way to and from Barca. If it was, they would have orders to reduce it no less than Barca. If the Cyrenæans regarded their coming hostile, they would not have been induced by an oracle to open their gates. If they had opened their gates and suffered no punishment, it is not likely that a hostile attack would directly afterwards have been made as on them. |
