there is no visible means oe ingress to this temple, with its columned 



portico and broken columns: the village oe martchan 



(see also pages 308-309) 



The absence of means of ingress is only apparent; for, as the disintegration of the stone 

 is going on all the while, the cones are necessarily growing smaller, and the original finger- 

 and-toe holes have simply rotted away. 



said to be heavy-armed wear circular 

 shields made of raw ox-hide and carry 

 clubs that are decorated with iron-plated 

 knobs ; but the rest of them use bows and 

 spears. 



much merrymaking at troglodyte 

 eunerals 



"Their mode of burial is very singular. 

 They bind together the neck and the 

 knees of the dead person with withes 

 made from the thornbush ; then they 

 carry the corpse thus bound up to a place 

 at some distance from the camp, where 

 with laughter and with merriment they 

 hurl upon it stones as large as they can 

 hold in their hands, until they succeed in 

 covering and concealing the body with 

 the stones. As the final ceremony they 

 place a goat's horn upon the heap, and 

 then go to their several homes without 

 the display of the slightest kindly feeling. 



"They do not fight, as the Greeks do, 

 about land or about accusations which 



some one has made against them, but 

 they do fight about the various pasture 

 grounds which from time to time succeed 

 each other according to the season. In 

 these fights they begin by hurling stones 

 at each other ; then, after some of them 

 have been wounded, they betake them to 

 their bows and arrows. Many of them 

 are soon killed, because they are experts 

 in the use of these weapons and they 

 shoot accurately, and moreover the men 

 at whom they shoot are unprotected by 

 defensive armor. 



"Eventually the old women throw 

 themselves into the midst of the fray, and 

 as they are held in great reverence, they 

 soon put an end to the fights. For a 

 custom prevails among the Troglodytes 

 which forbids them to strike a woman 

 under any circumstances whatsoever, and 

 in consequence of this custom the fight- 

 ing ceases as soon as the women appear 

 upon the scene. 



303 



