Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1856-04-30

and in another place the women of the village
preparing the ripe seed for the mill. In
immediate proximity are fields of barley, rice,
millet, maize, wheat, sugar-cane, anG cotton
the last with blooming boil floating ON the sur
thirst. Such variety and prodigality of vege-
table production, nature presents in no other
region of the earth. The soil is black mould
of spontaneous, redundant, and exhaustless
fertility. Man has but to break its surface,
scatter seed, and reap an abundant harvest.
No severity Of season limits him to single
crop in the year. As he expends but little Ia
Dor, SO is he exposed to no disappointment
As he is not condemned to await the success
sion of seasons, neither is he dependent on
the uncertainties of weather. The science
and researches of the present day confirm the
figurative declaration of Herodotus, that ssE-
gypt is the gift of the Nile.'' 1t is the re-
ceived theory that the original soil of the val
ley is barren sand, which, in the succession
of ages, the river has covered over with an in
exhaustible deposit of aluyial. But this is
not the limit of the beneicence of the Nile.
The deserts which encircle Egypt absorb all
the moisture of the atmosphere, and rain rare
ly falls. In the intense heat of the climate
the earth would parch if the Nile did not re-
fresh it with periodical supply of WATER
The river begins to rise in May. The people
watch its progress with intense anxiety, for
the extent of its overflow distinguishes be-
tween year of plenty and year of famine.
1t subsidies in October, leaving an abundant
blessing behind. Before it returns to the chan
mel it recruits the energies of the soil, and dis
tributes supply of water over the land. This
water is carefully collected in artificial ponds,
and is dispersed in thousand channels as the
exigencies of agriculture require. No where
IS the system of irrigation SO complete; no
where arc its means so clumsy and imperfect.
It's instruments are still the same that were
employed in the time of the Pharaohs, and no
Improvement has facilitated the use Of the
wheel and hand bucket. Throughout course
of twelve hundred miles the Nile receives no
accession OF water; yet neither the drain of
evaporation, nor the Unsuitable thirst of the
desert lessons its volume or impairs the majes-
ty of its march. 1t flows now as it did four
thousand years ago, distributing its bounty
with lavish hand, yet sustaining no reduction
of its regal resources. There is no parallel to
this phenomenon in the physical world only
in the extravaganza of Eastern fable do we
read that the prodigal generosity of an Abdal-
lah of the land could abate nothing of the ex-
haustless wealth Of an Abdallah of the sea.
The current of the Nile is sluggish. It's
waters are not less muddy than our Mississip-
pi, but after filtration they deliciously pure
that the eye ranges over the valley without in
terruption.
Steam made US independent of adverse cir
cumstances, and watched the laborious move
ments of innumerable lateen sail with selfish
complacency. Some were laden with corn and
fruit; others betokened by the gay flag float
ing from the mast that they carried party of
voyagers to Thebcs and the Cataracts. Nude
Arabs pulled these slowly against wind and
current; others skinned lightly OF with IA
Yoripg breeze. We had full complement of
passengers, and our party was grotesque from
variety Of race and costume. Every tongue
from familiar English to harsh Arabic; every
color, from the fair Circassan to Nubian ne
gress; every rank, from an American commo-
dore to an Egyptian sheik; every creed, from
Protestant preacher to Mahommedan mufti !;
every dress, from Partisan pants to Turkish
trowsers-all were crowded together on the
diminutive deck of our steamer. A corpulent
Turk, smoking his chiboque, presented per-
feet image of indolent repose. A party of
young officers from the s'Saranac," scheming
to elude the vigilance of the eunuchs and pen
citrate into the presence of the Pasha's harem
sustained the national character for energy
and enterprise. An Egyptian soldier, fresh
frcm the Crimea, recounted his fabulous ex-
ploits and received the applause of an admi-
ring circle. A pious Mussulman mounted the
wheel-house and performed the ceremony of
evening prayer with elaborate devotion and
ostentatous humility.
The valley of the Nile extends so far in un-
broken surface on either side that the eye can
not trace the boundary of fertile fields and lux
uriant vegetation. A few scattering palm trees
and group of huts mark the site of an Egyp-
tian village. A diminutive donkey, camel
moving with meekness of mein that speaks
its sorrows and propitiates pity myriads of a
quatic birds, among which distinguish the
snow white ibis and pelican of brilliant plu-
mage; promiscuous flock of sheep, goats,
and COWS, with shepherd and driver, are the on
IL figures in the scene. The measured move
ments of man and the idle browning of beast
harmonize with the comparative vacancy of
the landscape, with the moionless shadow of
the turbaned palm, the soft glow of the sun,
and the Niles sluggish waters, produce an eff
feet of tranquil repose in the aspect OF nature
which cannot fail to Smoothe even the last
sympathetic spirit