The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-05-21
FLOODS OF THE NILE.
Ceremonies Attending the Event In
the Cifics on the Shore.

u . SsA
The tourist who only ZONES to Egypt
ito shun 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 interesting
sights of the place. oThe water emptles
from the river by a. eulvert into a well
about eighteen feet square, with a gradu-
ated stone pillar in the centre. On each
side of the well is a recess about six rect
wide and three feet deep, surmounted py
a pointed arch, over which is carved IN
relief a Cutie inscription. and a similar
inscription is carried all around the Wei,
consisting of verses of the Koran "A
staircase goes down the wells, from the
steps of which the initiated may Teau -
heighth of the water on the pillar; bat
they are few in number. ana the neaeui-
tary sheikh of the Nilometer,w whose auty
some inheritance. The Nilometer dates
from A. d. S61. n l beheye N the
archieves of Cairo may be tound the
daily record for 1000 years.
need hardly tell you that when our
English engineers took the river IN hana,
we established a number OF gauges a.
Wadi Halia, ASsuan CAIRO ana Inaily
other points, on more ~enti pFlHil,
nles than the venerable Nilometer OF the
Roda Island. it, sc
height is daily chanted through the caro-
streets until it reaches sixteen cuplts on
the u At this point h hhaaS 81
me heart of Cairo, is opened-up. 20 lhls
point it is dry, and full or empty " IS ny
present; but in former days It occuplea
an Important place, and wnen 5he ME
water was high enough to now aoMWh b y
fairly set in, and the kindly fruits OF
the earth might be duly. expected.
The head of this canal Is on dfe c rlgne
Tha var enters a channel some thirty
feet wide, with a high wall on It's aeft anu
2 slopinng bank nsts On t It's rl gows or un9er the
pointed arch of an old stone brldSe; tn T.
he'd of the canal is cleared so that II
would ld flow 0n IN at a cggb bage but 9i a an earthen
bank is thrown across II ABOUT louf ree'
higher. aromo nv-
i'm Ggypt than the annual cutting OF the
Khalig. as the opening ceremony IS
called. 1t takes place between August .
a ing made ma for the festival. Tents, with in
Vulnerable lamps are PLACED along lns
vail on the one SIDE. All the 5f5aG ao
| The Khedive himself, or his representa.
| five. the Sheikh vi Islam Cthe hlShesS
dignitary, Of the Moh asI,1tb q fssi adat. t af
the learned scribes of the great unlverslls
| Of the Azhar. the Cabinet Ministers ane
Under,secretaries' the s 5,qdra o. a and thSe
l dIlt He NoAI
The Egvptian troops are turned out, sa
| lutes are fired, and about eight O'Clock II
| the warm summer night the classes AZ
| assemble under the gaily nsFra9 oas -,
bbarem carriages, full of closely veilet
sgures. though it is not much that tne9
can see from their b~roughams. OUT N tne
river, Just opposite the eanals loutH :
going outline, which has been towed ~
from Bulak during the day, and is an EN-
blem of the time when the sreat repup-
mony. This boat is full of lamps. ahc
frewroks, too. AS the night deenens thS
the bridge and the opposite. bank ar
| shutting yelling and dancing Wildly
around the fireworks.
ON the other side are the. gay uniforms
and lighted tents. from whence we eal
look over the wall down on the ,dart
water where you see brown figures pilng
ing in and waist deep, digging with tnel
| hoes at the e~mbankment that blocks IN
canals mouth. Long before midnaght N
fireworks have gone out ana le1t TN
dees have all III to bed, but the PEG
ple keep I'm the revelry, and in the morn
ING nv 7:30 every one has come pack
TEen but little of the bank is left uncut
and a few more strokes OF the pig noe
will do it, and the brown, skins n n
brown water reflect the bright suniiSh
Then the Sheikh I'll islam solemnll
thanks the Almighty. Allah, the All-po'w
erful. the all-merciful. He, impiiores n
blessing on the food, and at a signal y,
hank is cut. the waters rush in. and Wit
them a crowd of swimmers. A bag OF sill
Yer p~iasters is scattered among them an'
tbe ceremony is at an end.-Exchange.