Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-07-10
FLOOD OF THE NILE.
THE GREATEST EVENT OF ALL THE
YEAR AT CAIRO.
Impressive Ceremonies ut the Cutting Of
the Eark to Allow the Water to Flow
Into ths Canai-The Ancient Nilomcter
on the Island Of Roda.

The tourist who only comes to Egypt to
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 interest
ing sights Of the place. The water en-
tiers from the river by culvert into a
well about IS feet square, with q gradu-
ated stone pillar in the center. On each
side OF the well is recess about 6 feet
wide and 3 feet deep, surmCunted by a
pointed arch, over which is carved in
relief q Kufic inscription, and a 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 tho water on the pill
lar, but they are few in number, and the
hereditary shcikh of the Nilometer,
whose duty it is to keep the record, is
= person of some Importance. The Nil
onctor date; from \. d. SCI, and be-
Iieve IN the archives of Cairo may be
found the daily record for 200 years.
Ineed hardly tell you that when our
we established a number Of gauges at
Wadl-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 1G cubirs
on the gauge. At this point the KEalig
cl MasIi, the old canal that flows through
the heart cf Cairo, is opened-Up to this
point it is dry, and full or empty it is
little more than sanitary denomination
az present, but i'll 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 III, and that the kind
y fruits CT the earth might be duly eX-
pectod.
The head OF this canal is on the right
bank Ct the river, just south Of Cairo.
The water enters a channel some so feet
wide, with high wall on its left and q
slopins banl, 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 i'll at gauge Of about II =
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
khaiig, as the opening ceremony is
called. 1t takes place between Aug. .
and 10. Days before preparations are
made for the festival. Tents with innu-
merable lamps are placed along the wall
Oh the one side. Frames for all manner
OF fireworks are erected on the sand bank
on the other side. All the notables are
there III full uniform or in canollicals.
The l.hedive himself or his representa-
tive, the Sheikh III Islam, the highest
dignitary of the Mohammetlan faith;
the Sheilih el Bekri. the SheikI, cl Sat!at,
ali the learned scribcs of the great uni
ve-sity IF the AZhar, the cabinet minis
tiers and under secretaries. the sirder Cf
the army and his staff, the Judges and
the finaGc:ers.
The Egyptian troops are turned ont,
salutes are fred, and about o'clock il
the warm summer night Ike 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 yelled
figures, though it is not much that they
can see from their broughams. Out in
theriver just opposite the canals mouth
is moored an old hulk Of certain sea-
going outline, which has been toved up
from Bulal. during the day and is an
emblem of the time when the great re-
public cf Venice sent an envoy TO wit
ness the ceremony. This boat is full Of
lamps, and fireworks too. As the night
lcepens the excitement increases. The
populace on the bridge and opposite
bank are shouting, yelling and dancing
wildly round the fireworks
Or 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 pIung-
ing in and, waist deep. digging with
their hoes ut the embankmcnt that
blocks the canals mouth. Long before
midnight the fireworks have gone out
and left the splendid stars to themselves;
the grandces have all gone to bed, bat
the people keep up the revelry. and in
the morning, by $50, every ore has
come back. Then but little of the bank
is left uncut, and a 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 implcres his blessing on the food,
and at q signal the bank is cut, the wa
tiers rush in, and with them 4 crowd of
swimmers. y bag of silver pastors is
scattered among them. and the ceremony
is q an end. Mature
Always on Time,