§2.96.1τὰ δὲ δὴ πλοῖά σφι, τοῖσι φορτηγέουσι, ἐστὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀκάνθης ποιεύμενα, τῆς ἡ μορφὴ μὲν ἐστὶ ὁμοιοτάτη τῷ Κυρηναίῳ λωτῷ, τὸ δὲ δάκρυον κόμμι ἐστί.
And indeed their boats, those which carry cargo, are made of the acacia, of which the form indeed is very similar to the Cyrenaean lotus, and the sap is gum.
ἐκ ταύτης ὦν τῆς ἀκάνθης κοψάμενοι ξύλα ὅσον τε διπήχεα πλινθηδὸν συντιθεῖσι ναυπηγεύμενοι τρόπον τοιόνδε·
Therefore, having cut from this acacia pieces of wood of about two cubits in length, they arrange them like bricks, building the boat in the following manner:
§2.96.2περὶ γόμφους πυκνοὺς καὶ μακροὺς περιείρουσι τὰ διπήχεα ξύλα· ἐπεὰν δὲ τῷ τρόπῳ τούτῳ ναυπηγήσωνται, ζυγὰ ἐπιπολῆς τείνουσι αὐτῶν· νομεῦσι δὲ οὐδὲν χρέωνται· ἔσωθεν δὲ τὰς ἁρμονίας ἐν ὦν ἐπάκτωσαν τῇ βύβλῳ.
Around close-set and long wooden pegs they thread the two-cubit pieces of wood; and when they have built the boat in this manner, they stretch beams across on top of them; and they make no use of ribs; and from the inside they caulk the seams with papyrus.
§2.96.3πηδάλιον δὲ ἓν ποιεῦνται, καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τῆς τρόπιος διαβύνεται.
They make one rudder, and this is passed through the keel.
ἱστῷ δὲ ἀκανθίνῳ χρέωνται, ἱστίοισι δὲ βυβλίνοισι.
And they use a mast of acacia, and sails of papyrus.
ταῦτα τὰ πλοῖα ἀνὰ μὲν τὸν ποταμὸν οὐ δύναται πλέειν, ἢν μὴ λαμπρὸς ἄνεμος ἐπέχῃ, ἐκ γῆς δὲ παρέλκεται, κατὰ ῥόον δὲ κομίζεται ὧδε·
These boats are not able to sail up the river unless a strong wind blows, but they are towed from the land; and downstream they are carried in the following way:
§2.96.4ἔστι ἐκ μυρίκης πεποιημένη θύρη, κατερραμμένη ῥιπὶ καλάμων, καὶ λίθος τετρημένος διτάλαντος μάλιστά κῃ σταθμόν·
There is a hurdle made of tamarisk, wattled with a mat of reeds, and a stone with a hole in it, weighing about two talents.
τούτων τὴν μὲν θύρην δεδεμένην κάλῳ ἔμπροσθε τοῦ πλοίου ἀπιεῖ ἐπιφέρεσθαι, τὸν δὲ λίθον ἄλλῳ κάλῳ ὄπισθε.
Of these, they let the hurdle, tied with a rope, float ahead of the boat, and the stone with another rope behind.
§2.96.5ἡ μὲν δὴ θύρη τοῦ ῥόου ἐμπίπτοντος χωρέει ταχέως καὶ ἕλκει τὴν βᾶριν (τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ οὔνομα ἐστὶ τοῖσι πλοίοισι τούτοισι), ὁ δὲ λίθος ὄπισθε ἐπελκόμενος καὶ ἐὼν ἐν βυσσῷ κατιθύνει τὸν πλόον. ἔστι δέ σφι τὰ πλοῖα ταῦτα πλήθεϊ πολλά, καὶ ἄγει ἔνια πολλὰς χιλιάδας ταλάντων.
Then, as the current strikes it, the hurdle moves rapidly and pulls the baris (for this is the name of these boats), while the stone, being dragged behind and being on the bottom of the river, keeps the course straight. They possess these boats in great numbers, and some carry many thousands of talents. Then, as the current strikes it, the hurdle moves rapidly and pulls the baris (for this is the name of these boats), while the stone, being dragged behind and being on the bottom of the river, keeps the course straight. They possess these boats in great numbers, and some carry many thousands of talents.