The Sun.
London, England, 1864-08-03 00:00:00

EGYPT.

ALEXANDRIA, July 23.
A letter from a correspondent says the rising of
the Nile has progressed so rapidly as to cause some
fear among a portion of the population. It will be
remembered the two preceding years were marked
by inundations; yet the rise up to the present date
has been more rapid than during the corresponding
time in either of the past years. The river has now
reached to a height above low water mark of up-
wards of 12 pies (about 25 feet), showing an in.
crease of two pica upon its height at the corre-
sponding period in 1863, and of one pie on 1862.
This ought not, however, to be looked upon as a
sure sign of its rising to any extraordinary height
eventually. On the contrary, it has been found that
such rapid rises at the commencement of the season
have not unfrsquently been folloNied by periods of
sudden stagnation,while inundations have often fol-
lowed upon slow rises at the commencement, and
sudden rapid increases later on in the season. The
Government is unceasingly employed in improving
the dykes, and in taking all possible precautions,
and when .1 add that the Nile must rise to a height
of 26 pies above low water mark before any actual
danger is to be apprehended, I may be warranted
in stating that there exists as yet no real cause for
alarm.

The Viceroy hes just returned to Cairo from a
tour to Rosetta and Mansourah, whither his High-
ness proceeded for the special purpose of inspecting
the works on the canals, and to satisfy himself that
all his orders are being punctually carried out with
regard to these works, upon the Efficiency of which
a great portion of this year's crops may depend.
The intelligence from Upper Egypt is highly satis.-
factory. The cutton planted in comparatively ele-
vated parts of the country has had the benefit of
irrigation at an unusually early season, in noose-
quence of the unexpected rise of the Nile, and it is
in excellent condition,

From intelligence lately received from the Hedjaz
it appears that Mecca and its environs are being
ravaged by typhus fever, which is attributed in a
great measure to the unusual influx of pilgrims to
the Hadgis this year. Their number is estimated
at 200,000. The city has already been abandoned
by a great number of the inhabitants, among whom
is the Governor General, who has retired to Saref
with his entire staff.

A quarrel has ensued between his Highness's Go.
vernment and the Consulate of the United States.
It appears that an American subject., a Mr. Kin-
dineco, i❑ erecting a steam engine (which, according
to a Government regulation, he has no right to do
without the permission of the authorities) has partly
destroyed an aqueduct by which a portion of the
town is supplied with water. The Consul of the
United States, on being applied to by the authori-
ties, stopped the works, but subsequently allowed
them to be proceeded with. The consequence of
this was that the Government sent a party of
Cawasses to the spot, who forcibly ejected the
workmen. The United States' Consul hereupon
demanded satisfactio❑ for the insult thus offered to
the banner of the stars and stripes. He refused to
accede to a proposal on the part of the Egyptian
Government that each party should send an engi-
neer to inspect the alleged damage, agreeing to
abide by their joint decision, and threatened to
strike his colours unless satisfaction were given by
the Egyptian Government within 24 hours, Accord-
ingly, after that time had elapsed, tue colours of the
United States were hauled down, and a despatch,
which arrived almost immediately afterwards from
Cherif Pasha, was returned unopened. The United
States' Consul is said to have telegraphed to Con.
stantinople, and there the matter now rests.

AN EPICURE IN THE MATTER OF PIGS AND
BACON !"—Mr. William Menzies, in his " History
of Windsor Great Park and Windsor Forest," relates (ac-
cording to a happy account of it given in the Times of this
morning) how he, the author, once attempted to cure some
hams in the old foreoter's way, which had died out. One
day when he had a ham cooked he heel one of the com-
moners, reputed to bo an excellent judge in these matters,
to taste it and give his opinion as to the success of the
curie g. " Well, that be pretty like the thing,' said the
commoner. "I han't tasted the like o' that this many
a day. It is eo meller, when you gets your teeth on
it, you thinks you has it, but afore ycu knows where
you is, ain't it wanished ?" " Well," said Mr Menzies,
" I am sorry I have something so good in the house, and
nobody to dinner to share it with me." "It's a werry
different opinion as I would be on that matter," was the
sapient reply of the old man. "If that ere ham was in
my house, it's werry small company as I would ask to the
'ating on it." He has evidently meditated long and deeply
on the subject of pigs and bacon, and one day ho
gave the result of his cogitation to .I,lenzies in
the following terms :—" They," ho said, meanilig
the pigs, "are like us, for they will ate a'most any-
thing; but yet they are different too, for if you put a lot o'
things afore a pig, he'll always take the best o' them first;
but when I gets my dinner o' Sundays, I likes my beef and
taturs first, and my puddin' afterwards. There ain't a bit
o' a pig as isn't good to ate as I knows on; but the sweetest
morsel is the werry pinto' his nose, which you scrapes and
salts and hangs a fortnight, and then you biles it with
greens and taturs. There's ne'er a pictur ever hangs in a
man's cottage as aiquals a gammon o' bacon hung up agin
the chimney."

HOP IN Aug. I.—The
hot weather of the past fornight has been very favourable
for the growth of the hops, and as we have now got by
St. James's-day, up to which period old authorities tell us
" there may bo hoppes and there may be none," some con-
clusions may be formed as to the prospects of the planters,
although, from the very precarious nature of this crop, it
is too early even now to predict with any great certainty
what the ultimate yield will be. Owing to the cold
nights which wero experienced for so long a period
and the protracted drought, there are many grounds
which show a great slackness of bine, and these can
now do but little towarde a crop, as, although some showers
fell during the last week, a good soaking ground rain was
needed to give the weak bine a fresh start. But taking
the plantations generally, appearances may be regarded as
satisfactory. In most districts the hops this year have been
very free from vermin, and where the bine is strong the
burr is coming out most promi6ingly. Should we now get
suitable weather till picking time, and the hops not be
affected by th" mould or other disease, a good average crop
may be reckoned upon.
Four men Were killed by an explosion of fire
damp at the Briton Coalpit, Calder Ironworks, near Gla; •
gow, on Monday, while several other miners were seriously
injured,