The Portland daily press., 1870-01-27
DAILY PRESS.
CORTLAND.
Thursday Morning, January 27, 1870.
CORTLAND ,
Letter from Egypt-NO. ).


well to Cairo, and took the cars for this city.
Between Cairo and Calioub is one OF the
most fertile districts of Egypt, abounding in
nxuriant groves, gardens and fields, the
charming scenery being diversified with occa-
sional glimpses of the Moketem hills I'D the
| lore SUBMITS Of the pyramids.
| There has been no rain here for months
indeed it very rarely rains in this section Of
Egypt---but the verdure, nourished by the re-
cent overflow of the Nile, is as green as in
| New England during the showery June. The
river has now betaken itself to its customary
channel, but there are sill traces of the in.
undation left in many reedy stream and
| shallow lakelet.
Without this annual visitation of waters, a
| large portion of the country now so fertile,
| would doubtless soon become as arid as the
| sands of the adjacent deserts. But 1t is al
ways certain to come, and generally begins to
| be perceived at Cairo on or about the 18th of
June, on which day is celebrated the time
| honored fete of Nocta with special reference
| thereto. To have what is termed a good in
| undation, it is requisite that the water should
mark height of % coudees (about SO feet)
on the nilometer at the Island of Rhoda. If
1t rises higher, she overflow will prove dsas-
trous to certain portions Of the country; if
if to less height, portions more or lesss ex-
tensive, will be left sterile.
The causes Of this inundation, so certain
as to the time of its appearance, so maguif-
noyt in, itS op1 leo IN,
its results--never fully comprehended until
after the discovery of the great lake Victoria
Nyanza in Central Africa, are now principal
ly found to be the heavy rains that fall in
that vicinity during the months of Decem-
Der and January. These rains combined with
the floods from the melting SHOWS of the out
lying mountains, cause the lake to extend its
boundaries through the vast surrounding
marshy regions, until the whole centre basin
of Africa is submerged, and the superabund-
ant waters find an outlet in the channel of
the White Nile. The freshet thus produced
reaches Gondoloro toward the end of Feb
| ruary. Here the rains which fall during the
succeeding six months, increase it in volume,
and it arrives at Khartoun never earlier than
the 18th nor later than the goth of May.
In the Khartoun country, the Blue Nile,
from Abyssinia, swollen by the rains that
have prevailed in the region of its head wat
ers during May and June, joins its relative
from under the equator, and the twain thus
become one, roll their irresistible flood over
all obstacles towards the Mediterranean, the
first indications of its advance being perceiv-
ed, as have before intimated, at Cairo about
the 18th of June. Slowly but surely the
broad river here increases its volume; and
from the 1st of July, at sunrise every morn
ing, there are criers who communicate its
height, as indicated by the nilometer, to ev-
cry quarter of Cairo!
Not only do the deposits from these inun-
dations fertilize the country, but. they have
gradually raised its surface, and at the same
time the bed of the river. The extent of this
elevation is indicated by the statue Of Rame-
ses the Great (known as Memuon) erected
at Thebes four thousand years ago, whose
base is covered thereby to the depth of seven
| feet.
The watery highway that has worked such
wonders, and that has made Egypt, from the
earliest ages, an inexhaustible granary fol
less favored MISUNDERSTANDING its winding:
from Victoria Nyanza lake to the Medterra
mean, is found to be 4,S00 miles in length
Possibly its communication with Victori;
Nyanza is simply by branch stream, and ii
source is to be looked for in still more re.
mote quarter, so that it may iyet prove to b,
the largest river in the world
Many portions of the regions through
which it passes, possess almost unlimited ca
| pabiities as to agriculture and manufactures.
These, at no very distant day, will be occu-
pied by population capable of developing
their resources; and hence Egypt may realize
an increase of wealth and power far greater
than the Suez Canal can ever bring to her,
even if that grand work prove entirely sue
cessful
But it is time that we should be exploring
our way to Alexandra.
Leaving Cali CUB, the next station reached
is Bennah, 2S miles from Cairo. From this
place there is branch railway over the de-
sert, via Zagazig ard Ismialiah, to Suez.
Here we cross the Nile, by handsome
bridge, and proceed on through level coun-
try, whose rich soil, with the exception of
here and there spot occupied by cluster OF
date-palms, orange, banana or other fruit
trees, is entirely devoted to agrlcult ure; and
the eye is gladdened by the hrifty fields of
cotton, cane, doura, and vegetables, which in
some cases are only bounded by the horizon
These in turn give place to less fertile dis
colored cattle of the country and of the lop-
cared native goats are pastured.
And, by way of variety to these alterations
now and then native village succeeds. A
sketch of one of these villages will suffice for
all. 1t is situated on rising ground which ap-
pears as if thrown up for its special accommo-
patton. The houses, generally built of mud
and one story in height, have fiat roofs which
| are warted over with little dome-like protub
erances for the accommodation of the numer-
GUS pigeons which are always fluttering
round. Every tenement has what answers
for a doorway, and openings of various shapes
| to admit the light, but no doors or windows
are to be seen; and in the doorways and op.
enings, and perambulating about the premises
as though the real lords and ladies of the
manors, are scores of those stately barn-yard
fowls, which the Egyptians have, from time
inmannnrial- baked into l;Gs-;v,-o~er- thus
| relieving their natural mothers of a weishty
responsibility. Add to these combinations a
| few poorly clad old men sitting cross-leg ged
| in the sun against tho walls half dozen
donkeys, more or less, standing around asleep,
with their heads indicating the cardinal, and
as many more, points of the compass, as the
nature of the case will admit; throw in the
usual accompaniment of ill-looking canine
vermin curled up adrowse in the sun, or en-
gagged in the amusement of knocking feas of
their ears,-and surmount the whole by two
or three plume-caps in the shape of enor.
mously tall palms, and you have as true a
picture of an Egyptian village as l can paint
from hasty observation. 1 have to add that
very near approach to one would not be adj
visable.
\ But we are checking up at the important
station of Teutah. Here there is popula-
ton of twenty thousand d,-Cattle fairs are
held at certain seasons of the year, and the