from Egypt in a ship, desiring to come to speech with Cambyses: and as
he was of no small repute among the mercenaries and was very closely
acquainted with all the affairs of Egypt, Amasis pursued him and
considered it a matter of some moment to capture him: and he pursued by
sending after him the most trusted of his eunuchs with a trireme, who
captured him in Lykia; but having captured him he did not bring him back
to Egypt, since Phanes got the better of him by cunning; for he made
his guards drunk and escaped to Persia. So when Cambyses had made his
resolve to march upon Egypt, and was in difficulty about the march, as
to how he should get safely through the waterless region, this man
came to him and besides informing of the other matters of Amasis, he
instructed him also as to the march, advising him to send to the king
of the Arabians and ask that he would give him safety of passage through
this region.

5. Now by this way only is there a known entrance to Egypt: for from
Phenicia to the borders of the city of Cadytis belongs to the Syrians 4
who are called of Palestine, and from Cadytis, which is a city I suppose
not much less than Sardis, from this city the trading stations on the
sea-coast as far as the city of Ienysos belong to the king of Arabia,
and then from Ienysos again the country belongs to the Syrians as far as
the Serbonian lake, along the side of which Mount Casion extends towards
the Sea. After that, from the Serbonian lake, in which the story goes
that Typhon is concealed, from this point onwards the land is Egypt. Now
the region which lies between the city of Ienysos on the one hand and
Mount Casion and the Serbonian lake on the other, which is of no small
extent but as much as a three days' journey, is grievously destitute of
water.

6. And one thing I shall tell of, which few of those who go in ships to
Egypt have observed, and it is this:--into Egypt from all parts of Hellas
and also from Phenicia are brought twice every year earthenware jars
full of wine, and yet it may almost be said that you cannot see there
one single empty 5 wine-jar.

7. In what manner, then, it will be asked, are they used up? This also I
will tell. The head-man 6 of each place must collect all the earthenware
jars from his own town and convey them to Memphis, and those at Memphis
must fill them with water and convey them to these same waterless
regions of Syria: this the jars which come regularly to Egypt and are
emp