Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-18
THE RIVER NILE.
Some Interesting Facts Concerning This
Mysterious Stream.

Some Interesting Facts Concerning This
Mysterious Stream.
The Nile may well be called the mystic
rious river. That the sources of river, at
whose mouth one of the earliest and most
civilized people was established, should
have so long been vailed in obscurity is I'M.
paralleled IN geographical research. 1t is
now said to take its rise in the Victoria Ny
ANA, but the conclusion is still disputed by
some explorers.
The want of success in exploring the
upper basin of the Nile is due to the great
length of the river-one of the longest in
the world-to the physical nature of the
country, the climate and the jealousy. ig-
norance and barbarlsm of the natives.
That even one white man should have sur.
mounted these obstacles is most miraculous
Strange to say the ancient Egyptians do
not seem to have taken any interest in this
problem. Yet the Nile was their god, and
they worshiped it with good cause. Egypt
depended for it's very life on the rise and
fall of the great river, and it is SO to the
present day.
When the inundation approaches the cap
ital-usually at the end of June or the be-
ginning of July-the Nile criers begin their
work.
These criers are men whose business it is
to call out, or rather to recite, before the
houses Of those who wish it how much the
Nile has risen during the last tWenty-four
hours.
The Oriental does every thing, no matter
what it is, gravely, slowly, with much dig
nifty and verbosity, and is never chary of
his time or breath. Even the form OF his
greeting in the street, is complicated cere-
mony of words and motions, which usually
takes some minutes to perform. And in
the same way this announcement of the
rivers rise, which seems to US such
simple matter, is most serious affair.
The day before the crier begins his talk,
he goes through the streets accompanied
by boy, whose part it is 20 act IS chorus.
and TO sing the responses at the proper
moment The crier slugs:
God has looked grsciously upon our fields"
Response: 'Oh, day OF glad tdings!
Tomorrow begins the announcement
Response: May II be followed by success"
Before the crier proceeds TO give the in
formation so much desired ne intones with
the boy a lengthy, alternating chant, in
which he praises God implorng blessings
on the prophet and all believers, and on the
master of the house and all his children.
Not until this has been carefully gone
through does he proceed to say the Nile has
risen so many inches.
This ceremony is carried on until the
month of September. when the river has
reached its eliminating point, and the crier,
as brlnger of such good news, never fails to
claim his ''baksheesh," or drink money
sometimes humbly and sometimes, too, very
imperiously.-Goiden Days.
Age of Parents anu Vitality of Children
Mr. J. Korosi, director of the Hungarian
Bureau of Statistics, recently read mem
Or before the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences upon the Influence of the Age OF
Parents upon the Vitality of Children, " and
in which, taking $1,000 cases as basis, he
reaches the following conclusions:
Children whose father is less than %
years of age have weak constitution.
The issue OF fathers Of between IS and 10
years are the strongest, while the descend
ants of fathers of ever 70 years are weak
The heaIthiest children are those whose
mother has not yet reached So years.
Those born of mothers of between SIS and
40 years of age are per cent weaker, and
those of mothers of over 40 are 10 per cent.
weaker. The children of aged fathers and
younger mothers have, as G general thing,
strong constitution; but if the parents are
Of the same age, the children are less ro-
bust-Reyue Scientlfoue.