The histories of Herodotus;

93-96] CUSTOMS OF THE EGYPTIANS 117
way by the stream. When the Nile begins to overflow, the
hollow parts of the land and the marshes near the river first
begin to be filled by the water oozing through from the river
and as soon as they are full, they are immediately filled with
little fishes; the reason of which, as I conjecture, is this: in
the preceding year, when the Nile retreated, the fish that had
deposited their eggs in the marshy ground went away with
the last of the waters ; but when, as the time came round, the
water has risen again, fishes are immediately produced from
these eggs. Thus it happens with respect to the fishes.
The Egyptians who live about the fens use an oil drawn
from the fruit of the sillicypria, which they call cici ; and they
make it in the following manner : They plant these sillicypria,
which in Greece grow spontaneous and wild, on the banks of
the rivers and lakes : these, when planted in Egypt, bear
abundance of fruit, though of an offensive smell. When they
have gathered it, some bruise it and press out the oil ; others
boil and stew it, and collect the liquid that flows from it ; this
is fat, and no less suited for lamps than olive-oil ; but it emits
an offensive smell. They have the following contrivance to
protect themselves from the mosquitoes, which abound very
the towers are of great service to those who inhabit
much :
the upper parts of the marshes ; for the mosquitoes are prevented
by the winds from flying high ; but those who live
round the marshes have contrived another expedient instead
of the towers. Every man has a net, with which in the day he
takes fish, and at night uses it in the following manner: In
whatever bed he sleeps, he throws the net around it, and then
getting in, sleeps under it: if he should wrap himself up in
his clothes or in linen, the mosquitoes would bite through
them, but they never attempt to bite through the net.
Their ships in which they convey merchandise are made
of the acacia, which in shape is very like the Cyrensean lotus,
and its exudation is gum. From this acacia they cut planks
about two cubits in length, and join them together like bricks,
building their ships in the following manner: they fasten
the planks of two cubits length round stout and long ties
when they have thus built the hulls, they lay benches across
them. They make no use of ribs, but calk the seams inside
with byblus. They make only one rudder, and that is driven
through the keel. They use a mast of acacia, and sails of
byblus. These vessels are unable to sail up the stream unless
a fair wind prevails, but are towed from the shore. They are
thus carried down the stream : there is a hurdle made of
tamarisk, wattled with a band of reeds, and a stone bored
: ;