sewing together raw ox-hides and other skins, of such a length as
to reach to the waterless region, conducted the water through these
forsooth, 9 and had great cisterns dug in the waterless region, that
they might receive the water and preserve it. Now it is a journey of
twelve days from the river to this waterless region; and moreover the
story says that he conducted the water by three 10 conduit-pipes to
three different parts of it.

10. Meanwhile Psammenitos the son of Amasis was encamped at the Pelusian
mouth of the Nile waiting for the coming of Cambyses: for Cambyses did
not find Amasis yet living when he marched upon Egypt, but Amasis had
died after having reigned forty and four years during which no great
misfortune had befallen him: and when he had died and had been embalmed
he was buried in the burial-place in the temple, which he had built for
himself. 11 Now when Psammenitos son of Amasis was reigning as king,
there happened to the Egyptians a prodigy, the greatest that had ever
happened: for rain fell at Thebes in Egypt, where never before had rain
fallen nor afterwards down to my time, as the Thebans themselves say;
for in the upper parts of Egypt no rain falls at all: but at the time of
which I speak rain fell at Thebes in a drizzling shower. 12

11. Now when the Persians had marched quite through the waterless region
and were encamped near the Egyptians with design to engage battle, then
the foreign mercenaries of the Egyptian king, who were Hellenes and
Carians, having a quarrel with Phanes because he had brought
against Egypt an army of foreign speech, contrived against him as
follows:--Phanes had children whom he had left behind in Egypt: these
they brought to their camp and into the sight of their father, and they
set up a mixing-bowl between the two camps, and after that they brought
up the children one by one and cut their throats so that the blood ran
into the bowl. Then when they had gone through the whole number of the
children, they brought and poured into the bowl both wine and water, and
not until the mercenaries had all drunk of the blood, did they engage
battle. Then after a battle had been fought with great stubbornness, and
very many had fallen of both the armies, the Egyptians at length turned
to flight.

12. I was witness moreover of a great marvel, being informed of it by
the natives of the place; for of the bones scattered about of those
who fell in this fight, each side separately,