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The Carthaginians also relate the following: There is a country in
Libya, and a nation, beyond the Pillars of Hercules, which they
are wont to visit, where they no sooner arrive but forthwith they
unlade their wares, and, having disposed them after an orderly fashion
along the beach, leave them, and, returning aboard their ships,
raise a great smoke. The natives, when they see the smoke, come down
to the shore, and, laying out to view so much gold as they think the
worth of the wares, withdraw to a distance. The Carthaginians upon
this come ashore and look. If they think the gold enough, they take
it and go their way; but if it does not seem to them sufficient, they
go aboard ship once more, and wait patiently. Then the others
approach 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.
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