Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-10-11
me RisLng Of the Nile.
London TaIevrnrb v n

Egypt, there are about 600 miles Of
country, the settled population Of
which is peculiarly dependent upon
the great river for very existence, aud
every year swayed by hopes or by fears
as the waters of the stream are sufi.
cient or scarce or too abundant. The
welfare of the Egyptians is, in truth,
intimately bound up with the annual
recurrence of a natural phenomenon
known as the rising Of the Nile"
which has to DO taken9into account in
all matters affecting them, and more
especially to be considered in view OF
any military operations to be carried
out within the limits OF the land OF
the Pharaohs. ef adt - lsl1 A
The delta. or lower Egypt, is that
part of the country most likely to be
affected by the events Of the immedi.
ate future, and, therefore. any de-
scription OF what is termed ''the valley
Of the Nile may be dispensed with.
The river, issuing from the valley a
few miles north of Cairo, enters the
low. wide plain which, from It's resem
blance TO the fourt letter Of the Greek
alphabet, received from that people.
the name of the delta, The stream
divides itself into two branches, hat
Of Rosetta, or old CanOpic, and that
of Damiat, or Phatnitic. Between
these two are numerous canals, large
and small, intersecting the country IN
every direction. Along the sea coast
are the salt lakes or marshes, called
Burlos, Communicating with the sea
by an outlet, which is probably the
same as the Sebennytio mouth OF the
ancient biographies and Menzalah.
Proceeding westward the Rosetta or
Aoibitine mouth is reached which,
with that of the Damiat, are now the
only two entrances from the sea into
the Nile-accessible only to small
vessels.
Theriver at Rosetta is about 1900 feet
wide, and at Damiat nearly 500 feet.
West of Rosetta asalt marsh, called
Lake Etko, has been formed, which
communicates on one side with the
Nile, and on the other with the sea, or
Aboukir bay, by an outlet which cor!
responds to the old Canopie mouth.
West Of Lake Etko is the lake, OF
Aboukir, which communicates with
the sea, and is divided from Lake
Mareotis 20 the southwestof it by an
isthmus, along which passes the canal
Of Alexandria, known as the Nah.
moudieh canal. This was used for
the conveyance Of passengers by the
overland route to India. From Its
mouth at Atfeh travellers proceeded
along the Nile to Boulak, the port Of
Cailo, in steamboats, constructed for
the service, and thence across the
desert in caravans to Suez, sag
The greatest breadth ofthe delta OF
cultivated plain Of lower Egypt is
about eighty miles from east to west,
its length from the b~iforeation of the
river to the sea is estimated at ninety
miles, The interior ofthe country is
covered with fields, orchards and
plantations chiefly Of cotton. The
rise Of the Nile, o~ccasiOnedby the pc
riodical rains of Central Africa, begins
in June, about the summer solstice,
and continues TO increase until Sep,
TENDER, OVERLOOKING the low land
along It's course. The delta then look
like an immense marsh; intersperseo
with numerous islands, with villages
towns, and trees just above the water,
Should the Nile rise a few feet above
the customary elevation, the inunda,
ton sweeps away the mud built cot
tages Of the fallaheen. browns the cat
tie and involves the whole population
in ruin. Again, should it fall short Of
the ordinary hight, bad crops anG
dearth are the consequences. The in,
undations having remained stationary
for a few days, begin to subside, and
about the end of November most q
the fields are left dry a%ndcovered with
a fresh layer ofrich, brown slime, thii
is the time the lands are put under
cultivation.
During the winter Ia England,
! which is the spring. in Egypt, the delta
as well as the Nile, looks like a de.
lightful garden, smiling with verduft
and blossom. Later in the year The
soil becomes parched and dusty, and
/ in May the suffocating Khanisin be-
gins to blow frequently from the south
sweeping along the fine sand and
causing various diseases until the
. rising of the river comes again To
refresh the land. Showers are very
rare in Egypt except on the seacoast
it rains occasionally at Cairo, and
sometimes In Upper Egypt. The
nights, however, are cool, and the
: dews heavy. Strong winds blow from
the north during the summer, at the
period ofthe inundation, aud are use
+, full in propelling vessels up the Mix
against the current.
! An extremely low Nile is aptltC
produce disease both 10 man ahd
beast. The humidity Of the atmo.
) sphere is principally by the rise ant
, tall OF the stream. Fogs prevail dur.
ing the first two months of the reced
J ing Of the waters. During May and
June the Nile remains at its lowest
! In the middle OF September at III
l hight, all the canals are filed and The
water is admitted into the fields
I Such a surface materially alters tb,
= temperature, and light dews oceuI
about sunset all through the love-
I country. AS the river falls, %leavint
the land wet aud exposed TO the actor
5 Of the sun, e~xhalations arise which
! render the delta somewhat unhealthy
the prevailing diseases then bein,
ophthalmia, dysentery, diarrhea anC
aeue. by the middle Of NovembeI
D the river has retired within lis banks
The Nilometer used for the purpos,
| Of measuring the hight of the Nile 4
situated on the island Of Roda, oppo
/ site old Cairo IT consists Of asquhr,
we'll or chamber, in the eontet o.
which Is a graduated pillar diviHeC
into seventeen cubits, each abDuI
81 TIC inches long Owing 10 tbi
| elevation OF the bed Of the Nile III,
. rel tive proportion Of the. rise oil
gater has been altered, and it nov
: passes about one cubit and two.third
/. above the highest part OF the column
The state Of the stream is proclaimed
in the streets of Cairo during the in
undatioD every day by several criers
TO each OF whom a particular distric
Is allotted. From "a feet 10 26 fee
4 may ha taken AZ the ordinary mavi