the
longest term of life appointed for a Persian man. In answer to this the
Ethiopian said that he did not wonder that they lived but a few years,
when they fed upon dung; for indeed they would not be able to live
even so many years as this, if they did not renew their vigour with the
drink, indicating to the Ichthyophagoi the wine; for in regard to this,
he said, his people were much behind the Persians.

23. Then when the Ichthyophagoi asked the king in return about the
length of days and the manner of life of his people, he answered that
the greater number of them reached the age of a hundred and twenty
years, and some surpassed even this; and their food was boiled flesh
and their drink was milk. And when the spies marvelled at the number of
years, he conducted them to a certain spring, in the water of which they
washed and became more sleek of skin, as if it were a spring of oil; and
from it there came a scent as it were of violets: and the water of this
spring, said the spies, was so exceedingly weak that it was not possible
for anything to float upon it, either wood or any of those things which
are lighter than wood, but they all went to the bottom. If this water
which they have be really such as it is said to be, it would doubtless
be the cause why the people are long-lived, as making use of it for all
the purposes of life. Then when they departed from this spring, he led
them to a prison-house for men, and there all were bound in fetters of
gold. Now among these Ethiopians bronze is the rarest and most precious
of all things. Then when they had seen the prison-house they saw also
the so-called table of the Sun:

24, and after this they saw last of all their receptacles of dead
bodies, which are said to be made of crystal in the following
manner:--when they have dried the corpse, whether it be after the
Egyptian fashion or in some other way, they cover it over completely
with plaster 21 and then adorn it with painting, making the figure as
far as possible like the living man. After this they put about it a
block of crystal hollowed out; for this they dig up in great quantity
and it is very easy to work: and the dead body being in the middle of
the block is visible through it, but produces no unpleasant smell nor
any other effect which is unseemly, and it has all its parts visible
like the dead body itself. For a year then they who are most nearly
related to the man keep the block in their house, giving to the de