http://www.earth-history.com/Ancient-texts/Persian/Herodotus/herodotus-book-6.htm


The Persian Wars
by Herodotus
Written 440 BCE

Translated by George Rawlinson


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Book 6 - ERATO


[6.119] As for the Eretrians, whom Datis and Artaphernes had carried away captive, when the fleet reached Asia,
 they were taken up to Susa. Now King Darius, before they were made his prisoners, nourished a fierce anger 
against these men for having injured him without provocation; but now that he saw them brought into his 
presence, and become his subjects, he did them no other harm, but only settled them at one of his own stations 
in Cissia - a place called Ardericea - two hundred and ten furlongs distant from Susa, and forty from the well 
which yields produce of three different kinds. For from this well they get bitumen, salt, and oil, procuring it in 
the way that I will now describe: they draw with a swipe, and instead of a bucket make use of the half of a wine-
skin; with this the man dips, and after drawing, pours the liquid into a reservoir, wherefrom it passes into another,
 and there takes three different shapes. The salt and the bitumen forthwith collect and harden, while the oil is 
drawn off into casks. It is called by the Persians "rhadinace," is black, and has an unpleasant smell. 
Here then King Darius established the Eretrians; and here they continued to my time, and still spoke their old 
language. So thus it fared with the Eretrians.