THALIA. 5

distinguished by his mental as well as military accom­
plishments. This person being, for I know not what
reason, incensed against Amasis, fled in a vessel from
Egypt, to have a conference with Cambyses. As he
possessed great influence among the auxiliaries, and
was perfectly acquainted with the affairs of Egypt,
Amasis ordered him to be rigorously pursued, and
for this purpose, equipped, under the care of the most
faithful of his eunuchs, a three-banked galley. The
pursuit was successful, and Phanes was taken in
Lydia, but he was not carried back to Egypt, for he
circumvented his guards, and by making them drunk,
effected his escape. He fled instantly to Persia:
Cambyses was then meditating the expedition against
Egypt, but was deterred by the difficulty of marching
an army over the deserts, where so little water was
to be procured. Phanes explained to the king all
the concerns of Amasis; and to obviate the above
difficulty, advised him to send and ask of the king
of the Arabs, a safe passage through his territories.

V. This is indeed the only avenue by which Egypt
can possibly be entered. The whole country, from
Phoenicia to Cadytis, a city which belongs tb the
Syrians of Palestine, and in my opinion equal to Sar-
dis, together with all the commercial towns as far as
Jenysus, belong to the Arabians. This is also the
case with that space of land which extends from the
Syrian Jenysus to the lake of Serbonis, from the
vicinity of which, mount Casius stretches to the sea.
At this lake, where, as was reported, Typhon was
concealed, Egypt commences. This tract, which
comprehends the city Jenysus, mount Casius, and the
lake of Serbonis, is of no trifling extent; it is a three
days' journey over a very dry and parched desert.

VI. I shall now explain what is known to very few
of those who travel into Egypt by sea. Twice in
every year there are exported from different parts of
Greece to Egypt, and from Phoenicia in particular,
wine secured in earthen jars, not one of which jars
is afterwards to be seen. I shall describe to what
purpose they are applied: the principal magistrate of
every town is obliged to collect all the earthen vessels