the Arabians and Assyrians at Daphnai of Pelusion, and another towards
Libya at Marea: and even in my own time the garrisons of the Persians
too are ordered in the same manner as these were in the reign of
Psammetichos, for both at Elephantine and at Daphnai the Persians have
outposts. The Egyptians then of whom I speak had served as outposts for
three years and no one relieved them from their guard; accordingly they
took counsel together, and adopting a common plan they all in a body
revolted from Psammetichos and set out for Ethiopia. Hearing this
Psammetichos set forth in pursuit, and when he came up with them he
entreated them much and endeavoured to persuade them not to desert the
gods of their country and their children and wives: upon which it is
said that one of them pointed to his privy member and said that wherever
this was, there would they have both children and wives. When these came
to Ethiopia they gave themselves over to the king of the Ethiopians; and
he rewarded them as follows:--there were certain of the Ethiopians who
had come to be at variance with him; and he bade them drive these out
and dwell in their land. So since these men settled in the land of
the Ethiopians, the Ethiopians have come to be of milder manners, from
having learnt the customs of the Egyptians.

The Nile then, besides the part of its course which is in Egypt, is
known as far as a four months' journey by river and land: for that is
the number of months which are found by reckoning to be spent in going
from Elephantine to these "Deserters": and the river runs from the West
and the setting of the sun. But what comes after that point no one can
clearly say; for this land is desert by reason of the burning heat. This
much however I heard from men of Kyrene, who told me that they had been
to the Oracle of Ammon, and had come to speech with Etearchos king of
the Ammonians: and it happened that after speaking of other matters they
fell to discourse about the Nile and how no one knew the sources of it;