Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-07-25
FLOOD OF THE NILE.
fHE eReATEsr EVENT or ALL The
YEAR At CAIRO.

Impressive Ceremonies Al the Cutting Of
tho Bank to Allow the Water to Flow
Into tho canai-The Ancient NiIometer
on the Island OF I;oda-
The tourist who only comes to Egypt 70
dun winter and foul weather" knows
nothing Of the majestic glories Of the
Nile food The ancient Nilometer at
the south end of the island of Roda, Just
above Cairo, is one of the most interest
ing sights of the place The water en-
ters from the river by culvert into
well about Is feet square. with gradu-
ated stone pillar in the center. On each
side Of the well is recess about feet
wide and 8 feet deep, surmounted by
pointed arch, over which is carved in
relief Kufic inscription, and similar
inscription is carried all around the
well, consisting of verses Of the Koran.
A staircase goes down the well, from
the steps Of which the initiated may
read the height Of the water ON the pill
lar, but they are few in number, and the
hereditary sheikh of the Nilometer,
whose duty it is to keep the record, is
a person of some importance The Nil
ometer dates from A. D, SOL, and l be-
heve in the archives of Cairo may be
found the daily record for 1000 years
Ineed hardly tell you that when our
English engineers took the river in hand
we established number of gauges at
Wadi-Halia, Assuan, Cairo and many
other points ON more scientific principles
than the venerable Nilometer of the
Roda island.
After the river has begun to rise its
height is daily chanted through the
Cairo streets until it reaches l6 cubits
on the gauge. At this point the Khalig
ell Masri, the old canal that flows through
the heart Of Cairo, is opened-up to this
point it is dry, and full or empty it is
little more than sanitary abomination
at present, but in former days it occu-
pied an important place, and when the
Nile water was high enough to flow
down its bed it was looked on that the
flood had fairly set in, and that the kind
ly fruits Of the earth might be duly ex
pected.
The head of this canal is on the right
bank Of the river, just south of Cairo.
The water enters channel some 80 feet
wide, with high wall on its left and
sloping bank ON its right or southern
flank. The water then flows under the
pointed arch of an old stone bridge. The
bed of the canal is cleared so that it
would flow in at gauge of about IA 4
cubits, but an earthen bank is thrown
across it about four feet higher.
There is no more interesting ceremony
in Egypt than the annual cutting of the
khalig, as the opening ceremony is
called 1t takes place between Aug
and 15. Days before preparations are
made for the festival Tents with innu-
merable lamps are placed along the wall
on the one side Frames for all manner
of fireworks are erected on the sand bank
on the other side. All the notables are
there in full uniform or in canonicals.
The khedive himself or his representa-
tive, the SheiLh u1 Islam, the highest
dignitary of the Mohammedan faith;
the Sheikh el Bekri, the Sheikh el Sadat,
all the learned scribes of the great uni
versity of the Azhar, the cabinet minis
ters and under secretaries, the sirder Of
the army and his staff, the judges and
the ffnanciers
The Egyptian troops are turned out
salutes are fired, and about O'Clock in
the warm summer night the classes all
assemble under the gayly lighted tents,
the masses crowd round the frames for
the fireworks, the street is lined with
harem carriages full of closely veiled
figures, though it is not much that they
can sec from their broughams Out in
the river just opposite the canals mouth
is moored an old hulk Of certain sea-
going outline, which has been towed up
from Bulak during the day and is an
emblem of the time when the great re-
public of Venice sent an envoy to wit
ness the ceremony. This boat is full Of
lamps, and fireworks too. AS the night
6eepens the excitement increases. The
populace on the bridge and opposite
bank are shouting, yelling and dancing
wildly round the fireworks.
On the other side are the gay uniforms
and lighted tents, from which we can
look over the wall down on the dark wa
ter, where you see brown figures plung-
ing in and, waist deep, digging with
their hoes at the embankment that
blocks the canals mouth. Long before
midnight the fireworks have gone out
and left the splendid stars to themselves;
the grandees have all gone to bed, but
the people keep up the revelry, and in
the morning, by q 80, eyezy one has
come back Then but little of the bank
is left uncut, and few more strokes Of
the big hoes will do it, and the brown
skins and brown water reflect the bright
sunlight from above. Then the Sheik hui
Islam solemnly thanks the Almighty,
Allah the all powerful, the all merciful
He implores his blessing ON the food,
and at signal the bank is cut, the wa
ters rush in, and with them a crowd of
swimmers. A bag Of silver piasters is
scattered among them, and the ceremony
ss., 49, i hIaSx,