and ή ανωτατη χώρα. from not rightly understanding the meaning of these terms for they are always relative to the true situation of the country, and the course of the river; which descends from the higher lands to the lower, till it loses itself in the sea. Delta therefore, that was situated among the branches of the Nile, was esteemed the lowest of all. Καλείται δε κοινως η περι

Great mistakes have ensued

τότες τες ποταμες χωρα κατω.

8

It is observable that, from the confines of Ethiopia downward, Egypt is for a long way very narrow; being bounded on each side with mountains, between which the river descends: and, according to the determination of most geographers of antiquity, it separates Africa from Asia; and more particularly Lybia from Arabia. Here was the general boundary of the two great continents. This however is greatly disapproved of by Herodotus. He objects to the decision of those people, who attribute part of Egypt to one country, and part to another. He therefore varies in some degree from this disposition; and makes Egypt itself the boundary between the regions that it borders upon. The country by this means is intermediate, and ascribed to neither. 9 Ou.

Ptol. Geogr. Edit. Bertii. lib. 4.

9 Lib. 2. cap. 17. This is the opinion of Herodotus; but he is not followed in it: επερχεται δε ὁ Νείλος, επεαν πληθυῃ, ου μόνον το Δελτα, αλλά και το Λιβυκε τε λεγομενε χωρις είναι, και τε Αραβία ενιαχε.

γαρ δὴ ὁ Νείλος γε εςι κατα τ8τον τον λογον င် την Αστην ερίζων τη Λιβύη, χρισμα δε Ασίη και Λιβύη οίδαμεν εδεν εον ορθῷ λόγῳ, ει μη της Αιγυπτιων ερες. Whether Herodotus was aware that any ill consequences would arise from the other way of proceeding, I know not; but it is certain some obscurity has ensued. As long as the river was single, it might well serve to determine the countries on each side: but, when it was branched out into many streams, it became difficult to say to which part of the world the intermediate provinces were to be assigned. Therefore some have referred them to Lybia, others to Arabia, without any just reason to determine them: which has induced many people to alter their true position; and to transfer them in their maps to those countries, imagining that such was their situation. But this, being only a matter of reference, should not have affected the real order and disposition of those states. How Egypt was situated and bounded, we are very clearly informed by Leo Africanus: Egyptus, clarissima regio, ab occidente desertis Barca, Libya, ac Numidia clauditur; ab oriente desertis, quæ Ægypto et Mari Rubro interjacent. The account of Strabo is agreeable to the foregoing: Αιγυπτος-απο μεν των αρκτων αλιμένῳ παραλία και

Herod. lib. 2. cap. 19. Αίγυπτος ὁμερος τη Λιβύη. lib. 2. cap.65.

10 Vol. 2. p. 1174. Kas is certainly wanting" with deserts

πελάγει τῷ Αιγυπτιῳ φρερέμενη απο δε της έω και της έσπερας, ερήμοις (και) όρεσι, τοις τε Διβυκοις και τοις Αραβίοις, ώσπερ εφαμεν.

The whole extent of this country from north to south was computed to be about six hundred miles and consisted, as I before observed, of three principal divisions; and those subdivided into smaller provinces, called by the Greeks Nopo, but by the natives Tabir. The number of them has been computed to have been thirty-six; " dexa μεÛ δεκα ἡ Θηβαΐς, δεκα δ ̓ ἡ ἐν τῷ Δελτα, ἑκκαιδεκα δ ̓ ἡ μεταξύ. 12 Diodorus makes the same distribution. But of this we can have no certainty, on account of the disagreement that is found among writers upon this subject, who add and diminish too arbitrarily. Pliny takes notice of this inconsistency, and mentions some particulars. "Quidam ex his aliqua nomina permutant, et substituunt alios nomos, ut Heroopoliten, Crocodilopoliten. In short, wherever there was a city, the Grecians added a nome;

14

" and with mountains." The lower parts were bounded with deserts, the upper with mountains. Without this the force and precision of the writer is lost.

"Strabo. vol. 2. p. 1185.

12 Την δε χώραν ἅπασαν εις ἑξ και τριακοντα μέρη διελων [Σεσοωσις.] lib. 1. pag. 35.

13 Nat. Ilist. lib. 5. cap. 9.

14 Strabo mentions nomes that never existed. He has one near the Red Sea called the Phagroriopolitan, which was quite imaginary.

which very much confused and encumbered the geography of those parts. Hence Epiphanius, speaking of the word voμos, does not hesitate to define it in this manner; την περίχωρον της τυχεσης πολιος σημαινει : 15"it was the environs of every city." At which rate, as Egypt is said to have once had thirty thousand cities; it should follow, that there were so many nomes.

The river that waters the whole country is the Nile; which is single for some hundreds of miles downwards, running in one direction: or, if it be at any time separated by the interposition of an island, the streams unite again soon; and it proceeds in its usual channel. But when it arrives at

the extremity of lower Egypt, called by the Greeks Delta, where stood the city Cercasora; it is divided into two very considerable branches, which inclose all the country below, and never unite again. They are called the Canobic and Pelusiac branches; and are the extreme of all others into which the river is divided. At the same time that this separation is made, the river still keeps on his course downward; having a sufficient supply of water to fill the Sebennitic channel, which forms

15 In like manner Cyrill. Alexandr. tells us, that among the Egyptians a nome was a city, and the country about it, with the dependent villages. Νομος έκαςη πολις και αι περιοικίδες αυτής, και αν ὑπ' αὐτῇ κωμαι. In Esaiam. cap. 19.

16 See Theocritus. Idyll. 17.

one of the most considerable mouths of the Nile. For this we have the testimony of Herodotus; who in his accounts of these parts is more particular and intelligible, and far more to be depended on than any other writer. 17'0 yag δη Νείλος αρξαμενος εκ των Καταδέπων, ρεει, μεσην Αίγυπτον σχίζων, ες θάλασσαν. Μεχρι μεν νυν Κερκασωρε πολιος ῥεει εις εων ὁ Νειλος· το δὲ απο ταυτης της πολιος σχίζεται τριφασίας ὁδους. Και ἡ μεν προς ηω τρεπεται, το καλεεται Πηλεσίον ςομα· ἡ δε ἑτερη των όδων προς έσπέρην εχει τετο δε Κανωβικον τομα κεκληται ἡ δε δη ιθεα των οδων τῳ Νειλῳ εςι ήδε. Ανωθεν φερόμενος, ες το οξυ τε Δελτα απικνέεται το δε απο τετ8, σχίζων μεσον το Δελτα ες θαλασσαν εξίει, ετε ελάχιστην μοιρην τε ύδατος παρεχομενος ταυτην, ούτε ήχισα ενομασην το καλέεται Σεβεννυτικον ςομα. Agreeable to this is the description of the Nile, as we find it in 18 Achilles

17 Lib. 2. cap. 17.

18 Είχε δε αυτοίς έτω της κωμης ἡ θεσις, Ὁ Νειλος δει μεν ανωθεν εκ Θηβης των Αιγυπτίων, και εσιν ες τοσετον ῥέων αχρι Μέμφεως, και εσι μικρον κάτω κερας. Σύρος όνομα τη κωμη προς το τελει το μεγαλες ῥεύματος. Εντευθεν δε περιῤῥηγνυται τη γη, και εξ ένος πολαμε γίγνονται τρεις, δυο μεν ἑκατέρωθεν λελυμενοι, ὁ δε εις και την γην εις το σχήμα τε Λελτα ποιων. Achill. Tatius. lib. 4. It wants a great deal of amendment:

Instead of και εςι μικρον κατω κέρας Συρος ονομα τη κώμη,

read και ες τι μικρον κατω Κερκασυρος ονομω τη κωμης and for ὁδε εις και την γην εις το σχημα το Δελτα ποιων,

read ὁδε εις κατα την γην εισιει, το σχίσμα το Δελτα ποιεν. The two extreme branches inclosed the land, and the centre or Sebennytic ran through and divided it. The latter part is an imitation of Herodotus.-σχίζων μέσον το Δελτα ες θαλασσαν εξίει.