The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-09-02
THE FIRST HISTORIAN OF THE NILE.

At this time when every one is study
ing Egyptian geography. and the Nile is
to newspaper readers the most interest
ing river in the world, it is worth while
to turn back twenty-five centuries and
see what the first observer who recorded
what he saw, and whose observations
have come down to our time, thought of
that great river.
In the second book of his history, Eu-
terpe. Herodotus records his observations
on Egypt. lie noticed the great deposit
of detritus which was every year made by
the river in and below the delta. and
came TO the conclusion that the whole
delta. and probably much of the country
above, had been filled up by the mater
/ ials washed down by the river. In his
opinion it was serious question wheth-
CT the Nile would not so pile up debris
i'll front OF itself as to altar its course.
He says that in his time there were seven
mouths, five of which We're natural, and
wo owing to the industry of man. Oh
these the greatest were the eastern aud
western months. and one lii the middle
= iii no way inferior To the other two in
fame II III quantity OF water
lie noticed the remarkable fAt that
tie river. instead of overflow ing i'll the
spring. rises after the summer soist ce
/ To account for this regularity. he says
tncre were three theorleS-one, that it
was caused by the Etesian Winds which
repel the stream at the time 1t would na-
turally overflow, and prevent it from
dls3harg ing into the sea. This opinion
he dlSmlsseS as entirely untenablc. The
|,
groundlcss than the former though more
wonderful, affirming that the Nile, flow
Ing from the ocean, performs these things
and that the ocean surrounds the whole
earth The third opinion he considers
the most probable, and yet the most un-
true. For by saying that the waters
of the Nile are produced by melting
snow they (the holders of this opinionl
say nothing, because this river descen,l>
froH Llbya through the midst of Ethiopia
into Egypt, that Is to say, from a very
hot into ii very cold region; and therefore.
c,.nnot owe its being to snow. Many
/ reasons Will readily occur to men OF good
understanding to show the improba bllity
of this opinion. First and principally
because the winds which blow from
Ethiopia are always hot. In the second
pinCt. Ititlitl lIUI ice uIt SteIl Ill llOSc
countries: aud Yet rain always follows
within tie short space OF live days after
SNOW: 50 t!lat il snow falls III those
regions, rain must. iseai&u>, the inhabl-
tants are Gsu,sied black by the excessive
heat swallows and kites continue there
all the Year: aud the cranes, to avoid the
cold OF Scythia, pass the winter in thai
country: all OF which could not be if any
snow should fall i'll the parts adjacent To
the course and passage ot' the Nile.
All pt which IS very Ingenious, certain
ly, though disproved by modern science
A to the source Of the Nile. he says
that lie coult! get no satisfactory account
One sage told him that it rose in an
ably IS and divided into two parts. one
flowing north ward to the Mediterranean
and the other southwark into Ethiopia,
Thirty years ago our own knowledge on
this llolut was scarcely more accurate.
y; Now about Roots-we have made ell
gasements with manufacturers tor u good
lnany-some have arrived GO casesl and
there are 30 cases to come. That looks like
il good many Boots. but its only 6nO pairs,
and We have probably Il hundred pairs on
hand amounting i'll all to 100 pairs.-but
there are several tli1es seven hundred pairs
III .pet in This part of tie world that wear
Boots and we propose to furnish only one.
Ii we do that We'll be benefited and every
man or boy who t,IIyS a mir will b.. I,.u,.-