The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1859-05-26

retaln and use the blessings Of this inundation,
Preparations were made and works executed a.
ready by the ancients, that are wonderful, and
yet the admiration Of the age. The Nile. at that
time, ran in its course far to the west, through
the Lybian Deserts, and another channel was
dug, in which this river was compelled to flow
more 10 the east aud through the delta--that
well known part Of Egypt Extensive dams
were erected to protect cities and fields against
destruction caused by inundation-costiy aque.
ducts were built to carry fertility even to those
p,rts Of the country which nature appeared TO
have condemned to eternal deserts; large reser-
voirs were dug out, in extent size and depth
like lakes to hold water sufficieat, in time Of
need, to irrigate those parts Of the country re-
quiring such; also great number of canals
were built for the purpose ofirrigating the high
er and more distant parts of the country; in
short, hydraulic architecture, In oil its ramifca
tions. could here be found, But alas for the
works erected by human hands--wsrks of great
intelligence. showing the,industry of the anteri.
or world---what has become of them The
most Of these grand works are In ruins One
by one they have crumbled to the dust during
the past centuries. SOME few canals are ali that
remains Of the grandeur and magnitude Of those
works that challenged the admiration OF the
world Without counting tho minor canals, there
are still ninety principal canals yet existing Of
which Upper Egypt has forty. the eastern pro.
vinces thirteen, the western eleven. and the del
ia twenty-eight At,the time the river begins
to rise, all these canals are thoroughly cleaned
and provided with. dam, towards the river,
which nohodv has n m N, .;,tt b, ,>;o,o. =, ~. .
pleasure; .eyen in ancient times, laws existed
prohibiting this. To every canal is appointed
certain time of opening, measured according to
the height of the river, and there are public reg.
isters in which the time. even to the day and
hour, is prescribed, on which n dam can be
pierced During moderate or insignifica mt over.
flows the inhabitants of neighboring hamlets
watch each other closely, and bloody conflicts
frequently take place, in consequence Of opening
a canal before the time prescribed by law. In
years when the river reaches lie greatest height,
which generally takes place on the 24th Of Sep.
tember, transgressions of this kind are not much
needed. Without this river, Egypt would not be
ns in the most regions Of II it never
or hardly eyer-rains; nearly all the water used
comes out of the Nile. There are only n few
springs Of sweet water, as all the wells contain
saline and bitter water which is scarcely fit for
irrigation and watering of stock. In Alexan-
dria the rain water is collected in cisterns, and
used there for all culinary purposes, as well as
for quenching the thirst the cannl leading from,
tn, Nile to this city frequently dries up But
this rain water is not so good In quality as the
water from the river, which is said 10 be not on
ly very healthy, but also particularly agreeable
in taste The travelling Egyptians miss, there
fore, the water Of their country very much,
the goodness of which has been acknowledged
by all European travellers 1t Is Kept in large
earthern vessels. wherein it remains cool and
fresh for a long time. 1t is purified by putting
palvsrized bitter almonds in the vessels, or rub
bing with the same the interior Of such, and af.
ter well shaking the water. all noxious ingredi-
ents settle at tho bottom,
This river Is no. only blessing to Egypt in
fertzing its fields, but also ip favoring aud pro-
noting its commerce. In one half Of the year
the Nile and canals are literally covered with
vessels of every description, and persons are en-.
ablsa TO reach, by means of these, the most dis.
tant parts Of the country.