thirteen, a famine is threatened; and when it exceeds fixteen there is danger. It must be remembered, that a cubit is a foot and a half. The emperor Julian takes notice, in a letter to Ecdicius prefect of Egypt, that the height of the Nile's overflowings was fifteen cubits, the 20th of September, in 362. The ancients do not agree entirely with one another, nor with the moderns, with regard to the height of the inundation; but the difference is not very confiderable, and may proceed, 1. from the disparity between the ancient and modern measures, which it is hard to estimate on a fixed and certain foot; 2. from the careleffnefs of the observators and historians; 3. from the real difference of the Nile's increase, which was not fo great the nearer it approached the fea.

As the riches of Egypt depended on the inundation of the Nile, all the circumftances and different degrees of its increase have been carefully confidered; and by a long feries of regular obfervations, made during many years, the inundation itfelf difcovered what kind of harveft the enfuing year was likely to produce. The kings had placed at Memphis a measure on which these different increases were marked; and from thence notice was given to all the reft of Egypt, the inhabitants of which knew, by that means, beforehand, what they might fear or promife themfelves from the harvest. Strabo fpeaks of a well on the banks of the Nile near the town of Syene, made for that purpose.

of

The fame cuftom is obferved to this day at Grand Cairo. In the court of a mofque there ftands a pillar, on which are marked the degrees of the Nile's increafe; and common criers every day proclaim in all parts the city, how high it is rifen. The tribute paid to the grand fignor for the lands, is fettled by the inundation. The day it rifes to fuch a height, is kept as a grand

ampliores detinent tardius recedendo. Ha ferendi tempora abfumunt folo madente: illa non dant fitiente. Utrumque reputat provincia. In duodecim cubitis famem fentit, in tredecim etiamnum efurit: quatuordecim cubita hilaritatem afferunt, quindecim fecuritatem, fexdecim delicias. PLIN. 1. v. c 9.

a

• Jul. Epist. 50. Diod. 1. i. p. 33,

feftival; and folemnized with fire-works, feaftings, and all the demonstrations of public rejoicing; and in the remoteft ages, the overflowing of the Nile was always attended with an univerfal joy throughout all Egypt, that being the fountain of its happiness.

The heathens afcribed the inundation of the Nile to their god Serapis; and the pillar on which was marked the increase, was preferved religioufly in the temple of that idol. The emperor Conftantine having ordered it to be removed into the church of Alexandria, the Egyptians fpread a report, that the Nile would rife no more, by reafon of the wrath of Serapis; but the river overflowed and increased as ufual the following years. Julian the apoftate, a zealous protector of idolatry, caufed this pillar to be replaced in the fame temple, out of which it was again removed by the command of Theodofius.

6. The Canals of the Nile and spiral Pumps.

Divine Providence, in giving fo beneficent a river to Egypt, did not thereby intend, that the inhabitants of it fhould be idle, and enjoy fo great a bleffing, without taking any pains. One may naturally fuppofe, that as the Nile could not of itself cover the whole country, great labour was to be ufed to facilitate the overflowing of the lands; and numberlefs canals cut, in order to convey the waters to all parts. The villages, which stood very thick on the banks of the Nile on eminences, had each their canals, which were opened at proper times, to let the water into the country. The more diftant villages had theirs alfo, even to the extremities of the kingdom. Thus the waters were fucceffively conveyed to the most remote places. Perfons are not permitted to cut the trenches to receive the waters, till the river is at fuch a height, nor to open them altogether; because otherwife fome lands would be too much overflowed, and others not covered enough. They begin with opening them in Upper, and afterwards in Lower Egypt, according

Socrat, 1. i. c. 18. Sozom. I. v. c. 3.

according to the rules prefcribed in a roll or book, in which all the measures are exactly fet down. By this means the water is difpofed with fuch care, that it fpreads it felf over all the lands. The countries overflowed by the Nile are fo extenfive, and lie fo low, and the number of canals fo great, that of all the waters which flow into Egypt during the months of June, July, and Auguft, it is believed that not a tenth part of them reaches the sea. But as, notwithstanding all these canals, there are abundance of high lands which cannot receive the benefit of the Nile's overflowing; this want is fupplied by spiral pumps, which are turned with oxen; in order to bring the water into pipes, which convey it to these lands. Diodorus fpeaks of fuch an engine (called Cochlea Egyptia) invented by Archimedes in his travels into Egypt.

e

7. The Fertility caufed by the Nile.

There is no country in the world where the foil is more fruitful than in Egypt; which is owing entirely to the Nile*. For whereas other rivers, when they overflow lands, wash away and exhauft their vivific moisture; the Nile, on the contrary, by the excellent flime it brings along with it, fattens and enriches them in fuch a manner, as fufficiently compenfates for what the foregoing harvest had impaired. The husbandman, in this country, never tires himself with holding the plough, or breaking the clods of earth. As foon as the Nile retires, he has nothing to do but to turn up the earth, and temper it with a little fand, in order to leffen its ranknefs; after which he fows it with great ease, and with little or no expence. Two months after it is covered with all forts of corn and pulfe. The Egyptians generally faw in October and November, according as the waters draw off, and their harvest is in March and April.,

Lib. i. p 30. & lib. v. p. 313.

*Cum cæteri amnes abluant terras et evifcerent; Nilus adeo nihil exedit nec abradit, ut contra adjiciat vires.—Ita juvat agros duabus ex caufis, et quod inundat, et quod oblimat. SENEC. Nat. Quæft, liv. c. a.

The

The fame land bears in one year, three or four dif ferent kinds of crops. Lettuces and cucumbers are fown first; then corn; and, after harvest, several forts of pulfe which are peculiar to Egypt. As the fun is extremely hot in this country, and rains fall very feldom in it, it is natural to fuppofe, that the earth would foon be parched, and the corn and pulfe burnt up by fo fcorching a heat, were it not for the canals and refervoirs with which Egypt abounds; and which, by the drains from thence, amply supply wherewith to water and refresh the fields and gardens.

The Nile contributes no less to the nourishment of cattle, which is another fource of wealth to Egypt. The Egyptians begin to turn them out to grafs in November, and they graze till the end of March. Words could never exprefs how rich their paftures are; and how fat the flocks and herds (which, by reason of the mildness of the air, are out night and day) grow in a very little time. During the inundation of the Nile, they are fed with hay and cut straw, barley and beans, which are their common food.

A man cannot, fays f Corneille le Bruyn in his Travels, help obferving the admirable providence of God to this country, who fends at a fixed feafon such great quantities of rains in Ethiopia, in order to water Egypt, where a fhower of rain fcarce ever falls; and who, by that means, caufes the driest and most fandy foil, to become the richest and most fruitful country in the universe.

Another thing to be obferved here, is that, (as the inhabitants fay) in the beginning of June and the fourfollowing months, the north-eaft winds blow conftantly, in order to keep back the waters which otherwise would flow too fast; and to hinder them from discharging themselves into the fea, the entrance to which thefe winds bar up, as it were, from them. The an cients have not omitted this circumftance.

The fame providence, whofe ways are wonderful and infinitely various, difplayed itself after a quite diffe◄. Multiformis fapientia. Eph. iii, 10.

Vol. ii.

rent

rent manner in Paleftine, in rendering it exceeding fruitful; not by rains, which fell during the courfe of the year, as is ufual in other places; nor by a peculiar inundation like that of the Nile in Egypt; but by fending fixed rains at two feafons, when the people were obedient to God, to make them more fenfible of their continual dependence upon him. God himfelf commands them by his fervant Mofes, to make this reflection ". "The land whither thou goest in to poflefs it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou fowedft thy feed, and wateredit it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs: but the land whither ye go to poffefs it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven." After this, God promifes to give his people, fo long as they fhall continue obedient to him, "the former" and "the latter rain:" the firft in autumn, to bring up the corn; and the fecond in the spring and fummer, to make it grow and ripen.

8. Two different Profpects exhibited by the Nile.

There cannot be a finer fight than Egypt at two feafons of the year*. For if a man afcends fome mountain, or one of the largest pyramids of grand Cairo, in the months of July and Auguft, he beholds a vast sea, in which numberlefs towns and villages appear, with feveral caufeys leading from place to place; the whole interspersed with groves and fruit-trees, whofe tops are only vifible, all which forms a delightful profpe&t. This view is bounded by mountains and woods, which terminate, at the utmost diftance the eye can discover, the most beautiful horizon that can be imagined. On the contrary, in winter, that is to fay, in the months of January and February, the whole country is like one continued fcene of beautiful meadows, whofe verdure, h Deut. xi. 10-13.

Illa facies pulcherrima eft, cum jam fe in agros Nilus ingeffit. Latent campi, operte que funt valles; oppida infulamur modo extant. Nullum in mediterraneis, nifi per navigia, commercium eft: majorque eft lætitia in gentibus, quo minus terrarum fuarum vident. SENEČ. Nat. Quest. l. iv. c. 2.

enamelled