6 THALIA.

imported to the place where he resides, and send them
to Memphis. The Memphians fill them with water,
and afterwards transport them to the Syrian deserts.
Thus all the earthen vessels carried into Egypt, and
there carefully collected, are continually added to
those already in Syria.

VII. Such are the means which the Persians have
constantly adopted to provide themselves with water
in these deserts, from the time that they were first
masters of Egypt. But as, at the time of which I
speak, they had not this resource, Cambyses listened
to the advice of his Halicarnassian guest, and solicited
of the Arabian prince a safe passage through his ter­
ritories ; which was granted, after mutual promises of
friendship.

VIII. These are the ceremonies which the Arabians
observe when they .make alliances, of which no people
in the world are more tenacious. On these occasions
some one connected with both parties stands betwixt
them, and with a sharp stone opens a vein of the hand,
near the middle finger, of those who are about to
contract. He then takes a piece of the vest of each
person, and dips it in their blood, with which he stains
several stones purposely placed in the midst of the
assembly, invoking, during the process, Bacchus and
Urania. When this is finished, he who solicits the
compact to be made, pledges his friends for the sin­
cerity of his engagements to the stranger or citizen,
or whoever it may happen to be; and all of them con­
ceive an indispensable necessity to exist, of perform­
ing what they promise. Bacchus and Urania are the
only deities whom they venerate. They cut off their
hair round their temples, from the supposition that
Bacchus wore his in that form; him they call Urotalt ;
Urania has the name of Alilat.

IX. When the Arabian prince had made an alliance
with the messengers of Cambyses, he ordered all his
camels to be laden with camel-skins filled with water,
and to be driven to the desertsvihere to wait the arri­
val of Cambyses and his army. Of this incident, the
above seems to me the more probable narrative.
There is also another, which however I may disbe­