and taking back gold, ivory, ebony, brightly-plumaged tropical birds,
precious stones and black slaves,--the treasures of Ethiopia; but more
especially the far-famed Egyptian corn, Memphian chariots, lace from
Sais, and the finer sorts of papyrus. The time when commerce was carried
on merely by barter was now, however, long past, and the merchants of
Naukratis not seldom paid for their goods in gold coin and carefully-
weighed silver.

Large warehouses stood round the harbor of this Greek colony, and
slightly-built dwelling-houses, into which the idle mariners were lured
by the sounds of music and laughter, and the glances and voices of
painted and rouged damsels. Slaves, both white and colored, rowers and
steersmen, in various costumes, were hurrying hither and thither, while
the ships' captains, either dressed in the Greek fashion or in Phoenician
garments of the most glaring colors, were shouting orders to their crews
and delivering up their cargoes to the merchants. Whenever a dispute
arose, the Egyptian police with their long staves, and the Greek warders
of the harbor were quickly at hand. The latter were appointed by the
elders of the merchant-body in this Milesian colony.

The port was getting empty now, for the hour at which the market opened
was near, and none of the free Greeks cared to be absent from the market-
place then. This time, however, not a few remained behind, curiously
watching a beautifully-built Samian ship, the Okeia, with a long prow
like a swan's neck, on the front of which a likeness of the goddess Hera
was conspicuous. It was discharging its cargo, but the public attention
was more particularly attracted by three handsome youths, in the dress of
Lydian officers, who left the ship, followed by a number of slaves
carrying chests and packages.