Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1877-03-21
Caprices of The Nile,

The Nile, as is well known. annually
overflowes its banks, and deluges con-
siderable part of Lower Egypt, such
overfiowing giving periodical fertility to
the soil. These floodings, however, are
by no means uniform in character.
Sometimes the ioodings are large,
sometimes disappointingly small. Nor
do they always take place at the same
period of the year. Occasionally they
are late and tardy in their rising and
falling. When the river rises well it
is called "a good Nile;" when insuffi-
cient in volume, il is called ga bad
Nile;" just as we speak of a good and
bad season. These caprices in the rise
of the Nile have appeared TO be so mys-
terious that certain astronomers are in
clined 10 trace some connection between
them and the absence or return of solar
spots. But on this theory there are
difference Of opinion. While one as
tronomer thinks that spots in the sun
lead to heavy rainfall, others think
just the reverse. Obviously, the sun
spot theory is somewhat visionary. The
rise of the Nile depends on meteorolog-
ical conditions near the source of the
river in Central Africa, of which we
possess but imperfect information. a
correspondent of the Times, Oct. 81,
writing from Alexandria, gives
variety of curious particulars regarding
the Nile, comes to the conclusion that
the solar-spOt theory is untenable. He
says that, $50 far as can be seen in
Egypt, there does not appear to be any
periodicity of high Niles agreeing ab-
solutely with the acknowledged period
icity of sun-spots, and the cause or
causes of maximum rainfalls must be
sought for nearer home" A bad Nile,
followed by the heat and desiccation of
an early Summer, such as occurred in
1899, is productive of that terrible re-
suit, want of fresh water, either for
domestic purposes, or for the low ami
mails. But this is not all. In conse-
quence of the dryness of the ground in
the region adjoining Alexandria, the
salt water of the sea percOlates inland, |
and gives saline quality to the Nile |
and water works for distance of seven /
miles. The writer whom we have
quoted, speaking of the drought of 1869, /
says: AT Rosetta the water was unfit 1
for man or beast, the cattle died from 1
II, the vegetation languished; people /
gave famine prices for goats skin of .
muddy water from such bitches in the .
country as the sun had not evaporated. /
There were just the elements for a
plague or an epidemic. At every low
Nile period, the fresh water in Alexan-
dria is bad, more or less; it was so this
year; but after a very low Nile, it is
very bad, and may be the cause of an
epidemic some day." The Romans,
by means of gigantic tanks, of which
remains are now visible near Alexan-
dria, did much to assuage the evil
effects of low Nile; but in the present
day, though Egypt is in various ways
advancing in a knowledge of the useful
arts, We cannot expect TO see anything
like revival of the energy demon
strated in the occupancy by the Romans.
The miserably backward condition in
almost every country that had the mis-
fortune to fall into the hands of the
Turks eyOkes most painful emotions.