CYNEGETICA, IV. 142-170 



carrying blazing torches " ; and the fishes tremble to 

 behold them and do not abide the whirling gleam ; 

 so the kings of beasts shut their eyes and then, 

 fearing the din of men and the flame of torches, of 

 their own motion they approach the plaited flanks 

 of the nets. 



There is a third manner of hunting among the 

 Ethiopians, untiring, marvellous. And this do four 

 vahant Ethiopians perform, trusting in their valour. 

 They fashion with t\\isted -sWthes plaited shields, 

 strong and with round sides, and stretch dried ox- 

 hides over the bossy shields to be a defence at once 

 against strong claws and murderous jaws. They 

 themselves array all their bodies in the fleeces of 

 sheep, fastening them above with close-set straps. 

 Helmets cover their heads ; only their hps and 

 nostrils and shining eyes could you see. And they 

 go together to chase the beast, flashing in the air 

 many a sounding whip. But the Lion leaps forth 

 from his cave unflinchingly and opens his deadly gape 

 in the face of the men and utters his roar, while 

 with his bright eyes he looks blazing fire, blustering 

 in his ^\Tath like the thunder-bolts of Zeus. Not 

 Ganges' stream, which sunward over the Indian land 

 passes the Mary^andean ^ people, bellows with such 

 stupendous roar when it leaps forth from the pre- 

 cipices and covers the dark space of the shore ; that 

 stream which, although it is exceeding broad, yet 

 by twenty other rivers is it swollen and arches the 

 crest of its furious flood ; not Ganges roars so loud 

 as roar the boundless wood and the ra\ines with 



« Cf. H. iv. 640 ff. 



* Possibly the people mentioned in Ptolemy, Geogr. vii. 2, 

 14 vrb Se TO&rovi (*r. Tayyavoi'i} MapotrScu fi^XP*- '^'^ Fa-y- 

 7o/>i5uJ»', eV oh ir oXeis 'rpbs rQ Vdyytj roraiup kt\. 



173 



