The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1896-05-02
THE NILE FLOOD.
Interesting Ceremony of the .Cuttinr q
the Khalig."

the hnhHg.
From the time 50 far back that Me.
tory is lost in myth, the River Nile Ia,
enriched the land, therefore the annual
Nile flood is the most important han
pening in Egypt.
The ancient Nilometer. at the soua
end of the island of Roda, Just abon
Cairo, is one of the most interestin,
sights of the place. The water enter,
from the river by q culvert into well
10 feet square, with graduated stone
pillar in the center. On each side Of
the well is n recess six feet wide and
three feet deep, surmounted by point
ed arch, over which is carved in relief
Cutie inscription, and a similar in.
scription is carried all around the vel!
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 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 4. ID. sci,
and In the archives of Cairo NAV b.
found the daily record for 1000 years.
After the river has begun to rise its
height Is daily chanted through the
Cairo streets until IL reaches l6 cubits
on the gauge. At this point the KhaLy
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 csr-
mony in Egypt than the annual "cu:-
ting of the Khalig," as the openingCer.
emony 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 CT
in canonicals. The khedive himself, or
his representative, the Sheikh III Islam
the highest dignitary of the Moham'
medan faith-all the learned scribes
Of the great university of the Azhar,
the cabinet ministers and under secr-
taries, the general of the army and bis
staff, the judges and the financiers
The Egyptian troops are turned ou-
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
the frames for the fireworks, the .stree'
is lined with harem carriages full OF
closely-yeiled figures, though it is no.
much that they can see from then
brouGiams.
Out in the river, just opposite tne
canals mouth, is moored an old hulk
which has been lowed up from BulaA
during the day, and is an emblem OF tn'
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 excitemen'
increases. The populace on the bridge
and the opposite banks are shouting
yelling and dancing wildly around inc
fireworks. On the other side are tne
gay uniforms and lighted tents, from
which we can look over the wal
down on the dark water. where
you see brown figures plungins
waist deep, and digging with tnel,
hoes the embankment that BLOCKS
the canals mouth. Long before m'u'
night the fireworks have gone ou'
and left the splendid stars to them
selves; the grandees have all gone "
bed, but the people keep up the reVeny'
and in the morning, by half-past se'e"
o'clock, everyone has come back.
Then but little of the bank is left un.
cut and few more strokes OF the u,
hoes will do 1t, and the brown skins anu
the brown water reflect the bright sun,
light from above. Then the Sheikn :"
Islam solemnly thanks Allah, the alI
powerful, the all-merciful. He imploi''
His blessing on the flood, and, at se
ral, the bank is cut, the waters rush ln'
and with then a crowd of swimmer,
A bag of silver piastres is scat,e's.
among them, and the ceremony is ~
an end.-Golden Days.