The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-05-09
n NILE FLOOD.
Interesting Ceremony of the "Cutting Of
the khalig."


the Khalig."
From the time so far back that his
tory is lost in myth, the River Nile has
enriched the land, therefore the annual
Nile flood is the most important hap
pening in Egypt.
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. The water enters
from the river by a culvert into a we'll
Is feet square. with n graduated stone
pillar in the center. On each side of
the well is a recess six feet wide and
three feet deep, s~urmounted by a point
ed arch, over which is carved in relief
Il Cutie inscription, and a similar in
scription is carried all around the well,
consisting of verses of the Koran. \
staircase goes down the well. from the
steps of which the initiated may read
the height of the water on the pillar
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 Nilometer dates from A. D. SCI,
and in the archives of Cairo may be
found the daily record for 1000 years.
After the river has begun to rise it's
height is daily chanted through the
Cairo streets until it reaches 16 cubitS
on the gauge. At this point the Khafig
Ell Masri, the old canal that flows
through the heart of Cairo, is opened
Up to this point it is dry.
There is no more interesting cers.
mony in Egypt than the annual cut
ting of the Khalig," as the opening cer-
emory is called. 1t takes place be.
tween August ) and August Is.
Days before, preparations are being
made for the festival. Tents, with in
Vulnerable 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
5is representative, the Sheikh vi ISLAM
the highest dignitary of the Moham-
medan faith-all the learned scribes
Of the great university of the Azhar,
lit bDlAAC IlAIlllotNAo iAlu uiitCl StNAS-
taries. the general of the army and his
staff. the judges and the financiers.
The Egyptian troops are turned out,
salutes are fired, and about eight
o'clock in the warm summer night, the
classes all assemble under the gayly-
lighted tents. the masses crowd around
che frames for the fireworks, the street
- ls,,nl x-t+h hnrar, orrin rraS full ~
slosely-veiled figures, though it is not
much that they can see from their
broughams.
Out in the river, just opposite the
canals mouth, is moored an old hulk,
which has been lowed up from Bulak
during the day, and is an emblem of the
time when the great republic of Venice
sent an envoy to witness the cere'
mony. This boat is full of lamps and
fireworks, too.
As the night deepens the excitement
increases. The populace on the bridge
and the opposite banks are shouting,
yelling and dancing wildly around the
fireworks. On the other side are the
gay uniforms and lighted tents, from
winch we can look over n wall
down on the dark water, where
you see brown figures plunging
waist deep, and digging with their
hoes the e~mbankment that blocks
the canals mouth. Long before mid
night the fireworks have gone out,
and left the splendid stars to them
selves; the grandees have all gone to
bed, but the people keep up the revelry.
and in the morning, by h~alf-past seven
o'clock, everyone has come back.
Then but little of the bank is left un>
cut and a few more strokes of the big
hoes will do it, and the brown skins and
the brown water reflect the bright sun
Eight from above. Then the Sheikh ul
Islam solemnly thanks Allah, the all
powerful. the all-merciful. He implores
His blessing on the flood, and, at a sig
nal, the bank is cut, the waters rush in,
and with them n crowd of swimmers.
A bag of silver piastres is scattered
among them, and the ceremony is az
M aDd Golden Da-S