V

Thence he marched on through Arabia, keeping the Euphrates on the 1 right, five desert stages—­thirty-five parasangs.  In this region the ground was one long level plain, stretching far and wide like the sea, full of absinth; whilst all the other vegetation, whether wood or reed, was sweet scented like spice or sweet herb; there were no trees; but there was wild game of all kinds—­wild asses in greatest abundance, with plenty of ostriches; besides these, there were bustards and antelopes.  These creatures were occasionally chased by the cavalry.  The asses, when pursued, would run forward a space, and then stand still—­their pace being much swifter than that of horses; and as soon as the horses came close, they went through the same performance.  The only way to catch them was for the riders to post themselves at intervals, and to hunt them in relays, as it were.  The flesh of those they captured was not unlike venison, only more tender.  No one was lucky enough to capture an ostrich.  Some of the troopers did give chase, but it had soon to be abandoned; for the bird, in its effort to escape, speedily put a long interval between itself and its 3 pursuers; plying its legs at full speed, and using its wings the while like a sail.  The bustards were not so hard to catch when started suddenly; for they only take short flights, like partridges, and are soon tired.  Their flesh is delicious.

As the army wended its way through this region, they reached the river Mascas, which is one hundred feet in breadth.  Here stood a big deserted city called Corsote, almost literally environed by the stream, which flows round it in a circle.  Here they halted three days and provisioned themselves.  Thence they continued their march thirteen desert stages—­ninety parasangs—­with the Euphrates still on their right, until they reached the Gates.  On these marches several of the baggage animals perished of hunger, for there was neither grass nor green herb, or tree of any sort; but the country throughout was barren.  The inhabitants make their living by quarrying millstones on the river banks, which they work up and take to Babylon and sell, purchasing corn in exchange for their goods.  Corn failed the army, and was not to be got for money, except in the Lydian market open in Cyrus’s Asiatic army; where a kapithe of wheat or barley cost four shekels; the shekel being equal to seven and a half Attic obols, whilst the kapithe is the equivalent of two Attic choeneces[1], dry measure, so that the soldiers subsisted on meat alone for the whole period.  Some of the stages were very long, whenever they had to push on to find water or fodder; and once they found themselves involved in a narrow way, where the deep clay presented an obstacle to the progress of the wagons.  Cyrus, with the nobles about him, halted to superintend the operation, and ordered Glus and Pigres to take a body of barbarians and to help in extricating the wagons.