Key to Easy Latin Stories for beginners/Part III/VI
VI.THE GOLD ANTS.
124.There are certain Indians bordering on the city of Caspatyrus: these are the most warlike of the Indians, and they are the same men who go forth to collect gold. For there is there a region deserted on account of the sand; and in this sand there are ants of a size not, indeed, as great as that of dogs, but yet larger than foxes. Now these ants, living under ground, dig the sand in the same way as the ants in Greece, which in bodily appearance they closely resemble. But the sand which is thrown out by them is foil of gold. So the Indians, when going to set out to collect this, yoke, each man, three camels, a male on each side fastened to a cord; in the middle a female, care being taken that she be yoked as soon as possible after being taken from her young. This one he mounts himself, for camels are not inferior to horses in swiftness, but, moreover, they are much stronger for carrying burdens. Moreover, females taken from their young are the swiftest. The camel has four thighs, and four knees in its fore legs; therefore the Indians set out to collect the gold in this way, and using such a conveyance as this. Moreover, they collect the gold at that hour of the day when the heat is most blazing; for when heat is blazing the ants are hidden underground. After the Indians have reached the place, having filled the sacks which they have brought with them with sand, and having placed them on the male camels, they take themselves off as quickly as they can; for at once the ants pursue them, perceiving them by smell, as the Persians say. Moreover, this creature so excels all others in swiftness that unless, while the ants are collecting together, the Indians meanwhile took to flight, not one of them would be likely to escape unhurt. So the Indians get the greater part of the gold in this way, as the Persians indeed relate; other gold, which is dug out from mines, is less common.