The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-07-19
FLOOD or THE NILE.
TIE GREATEST EVENT OF ALL THE
YEAR AT CAIRO.

tho Eanls to Allow the Water To Flow
Into the CanaI--The Ancient Niioneter
on the Island OF Eo.,u.
The tourist who only comes to Egypt to
shun winter and foul weather" knows
nothing Of the majestic glories of the
Nile flood The ancient NilOmeter Mt
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 q culvert into
we'll about Is feet square, with grsl1u-
ated stone pillar in the center. On each
side of the we'll is recess about 6 feet
wide and 8 feet deep, surmounted by
pointed arch, over which is carved in
relief q Kufio inscription, and similar
inscription Is carried all around the
well, consisting of verses of the Koran.
a staircase goes down tho we'll, from
the steps Of which the initiated may
read the height of tho water OH tho pill
Lar, but they arc few in number, and the
hereditary sheikh of the Nilometer,
whose duty it is to keep the record, is
person of some Importance The Nil
ometer dates from A. d. SCI, and I be-
lieve in the archives Of Cairo may be
found the daily record for 900 years.
need hardly tell you that when our
English engineers took the river In hand
we established number of gauges at
Wadi- Galia, Assunn, Cairo and many
other points on moro scientific principles
than the venerable Nilometer of the
Roda island
After the river has begun to riso its
height Is daily chanted through the
Cairo streets until it reaches 16 cubits
OH 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
httlo more than Il sanitary abOmination
at 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 i'll. and chat the kind
ly fruits of the earth might DO duly eX-
pected.
The head of this canal is OH tho right
bank of the river, Just south of Cairo.
The water enters u channel some 80 feet
wide. with high wall OH its left and ii
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 III at a gauge of about u
cubits. but an elrthen bank is thrown
across it about four feet higher
There is no moro interesting ceremony
i'll Egypt than the annual cutting OF the
khalig, as the opening ceremony is
called 1t takes place between Aug. >
and 10. Days before preparations are
made for the festival Tents with innu-
mcrable 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 notablcs are
there i'll full uniform or in canonicals
The llhedive himself or his representa-
tive, the Sheilh nj Islam, the highest
dignitary of the Mohammetlan faith
the Shcillh el Bekri, the Shcikh ell Sndat,
all the learned scribes of the great uni
versity of the Azhar, the cabinet minis
ters and under secretaries, the Sirtler Of
the army and his staff, tho Judges and
the financiers.
The Egyptian troops are turned out,
salutes are fired, and about s 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
harcm carriages full of closely yelled
figures, though it is not much that they
can see from their broughams. Out in
the river just opposite the canals mouth
is moorcd an old hulk Of a certain sea-
going outline, which has been towed ND
from Bulak during the day and is an
emblem of the time when the great re-
pubic OF Venice sent an envoy to wit
ness the ceremony. This boat Is full of
lamps, AMI fireworks too. AS the night
deepens 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 plunc
ing in and. waist deep, digging with
Their hoes at the embankment that
blocks the cnnal's 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 mp the rcvelry, and in
the morning, by I 80, every 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 bul
Islam solemnly thanks tho Almighty.
Allah the all powerful, the all meuiful
He ilnplores his blessing on the flood.
and at signal the bank is cut. the wa
tiers rush in. and with them a crowd Of
Swimmers A hn1r &C cil,.a- .,;.,..A.. l.