And For Anointing Those Of The
Egyptians Who Dwell In The Fens Use Oil From The Castor-Berry, Which
Oil The Egyptians Call /Kiki/, And Thus They Do:
- They sow along the
banks of the rivers and pools these plants, which in a wild form grow
of
Themselves in the land of the Hellenes; these are sown in Egypt and
produce berries in great quantity but of an evil smell; and when they
have gathered these some cut them up and press the oil from them,
others again roast them first and then boil them down and collect that
which runs away from them. The oil is fat and not less suitable for
burning than olive-oil, but it gives forth a disagreeable smell.
Against the gnats, which are very abundant, they have contrived as
follows: - those who dwell above the fen-land are helped by the towers,
to which they ascend when they go to rest; for the gnats by reason of
the winds are not able to fly up high: but those who dwell in the fen-
land have contrived another way instead of the towers, and this it is:
- every man of them has got a casting net, with which by day he
catches fish, but in the night he uses it for this purpose, that is to
say he puts the casting-net round about the bed in which he sleeps,
and then creeps in under it and goes to sleep: and the gnats, if he
sleeps rolled up in a garment or a linen sheet, bite through these,
but through the net they do not even attempt to bite.
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