452 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



Another detachment of his army proceeded to the coun- 

 try of the Shepherds, who, indeed, furnilhed him with 

 food ; but, exafperated at the facrilege he had committed 

 againft their god, they conducted his troops through places 

 where they could procure no water. After fuffering all 

 this lofs, he was not yet arrived beyond 24 , the parallel of 

 Syene. From hence he difpatched ambafTadors, or fpies, to 

 difcover the country before him, finding he could no longer 

 rely upon the Shepherds. Thefe found it full of black war- 

 like people, of great fize, and prodigious ftrength of body; 

 active, and continually exercifed in hunting the lion, the 

 elephant, and other monftrous beails which live in thefe 



forefts. 



» 



The inhabitants fo abounded with gold, that the moil 

 common utenfils and inflruments were made of that metal:, 

 whilft, at the fame time, they were utter ftrangers to bread 

 of any kind whatever ; and, not only fo, but their country 

 was, by its nature, incapable of producing any fort of grain 

 from which bread could be made. They fubfifted upon 

 raw flem alone, dried in the fun, efpecially that of the 

 rhinoceros, the elephant, and girafFa, which they had flain 

 in hunting. On fuch food they have ever fince lived, and 

 live to this day, and on fuch food I myfelf have lived with 

 them; yet flill it appears ftrange, that people confined to 

 this diet, without variety or change, mould have it for their 

 characteriftic that they were long livers. 



They were not at all alarmed at the arrival of Cambyfes's 

 arnhaffadors. On the contrary, they treated them as an in- 

 ferior fpecies of men. Upon afking them about their diet,. 



and- 



