Then the others draw near and add to their gold till the Carthaginians are
content. Neither party deals unfairly by the other; for they themselves
never touch the gold till it comes up to the worth of their goods, nor do
the natives ever carry off the goods till the gold is taken away.'
Plato ('Critias' [Footnote: The celebrated Dialogue which treats of
Altantis and describes cocoas as the 'fruits having a hard rind, affording
drinks and meats and ointments.']) may refer to this dumb trade when he
tells us, 'Never was prince more wealthy than Atlas [eldest son of
Poseidon by Cleito]. His land was fertile, healthy, beautiful, marvellous;
it was terminated by a range of gold-yielding mountains.' Lyon, speaking
of the western Sudan, uses almost the very words of Herodotus. 'An
invisible nation, according to our informant, inhabit near this place, and
are said to trade by night. Those who come to traffic for their gold lay
their merchandise in heaps and retire. In the morning they find a certain
quantity of gold-dust placed against every heap, which if they think
sufficient they leave the goods; if not, they let both remain till more of
the precious ore is added' (p.
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