Year: 1869

Incidents in the Overflow OF the Nile.


A correspondent of the London Times
writes:


On the night of the 10th of October,
owing to the extraordinarily sudden rise in
the Nile, an inundation occurred, which,
for the celebrity with which it rose, is, per-
haps, without parallel. On this night
happened to be staying in one of the
doomed villages. had therefore opportu-
mites which rarely fall to the lot of an
European of Witnessing intimately the i'm
mediate effect Of the calamity OF the poor
villagers, and [ am induced to send you
this brief account of what came under my
own experience and observation as tribute
to the remarkable patience and fortitude of
the Arabs under very trying and perilous
circumstances.


About o'clock in the morning our Be-
douin servant awoke US. saying that the
water was rising rapidly. Every inhabi-
tant of the village-man, woman or child
was working with an energy seldom wit
messed here, making banks to stem the en-
croaching water, or carrying their bread
and winter supply of grain to spots which
had hitherto proved sufficiently high for
safety. But it was of no avail. The banks
we're washed down and the bread foated
away. Now, indeed, the scene began to
get dismal enough-the darkness, the IN
certainty, the wailing of the Arab women
and then came the fall of the first house
This was an occasion for universal Shrek
ing and lamentation, but the water soon
had it all its own way, monopolizing even
the noise, and nothing was now heard but
house after house surging and coming
down with a dull souse into the water.


Our house being higher and stronger
than the others, we went to the top ard be-
gan to construct a raft there, intending to
launch it from the roof. We were soon
compelled to relinquish our task. and were
scarcely clear when the walls gave way, at
water level and the wkole came down. All
made their way, with the water breast high,
to the highest spot, fortunately still several
feet above the water level. Here was soon
collected every inhabitant of the village,
but how changed the women no longer
wailing, and the men no longer discomfort
ed, for the last house was gone; it was no
longer possible to save anything, and the
water was still rising. There was, therefore
nothing for them but to await their destiny
which they set about doing with every ap-
pearance of contentment. the village beau
ties never seen except at such time) even
seeming, as it seemed to me, to enjoy the
state of things as relief to the monotony





of their existence.


1t now became necessary to think of our
raft again, so, after making several eXcur-
sions from our present comfortable stand
ing place to the site of our late residence,
we had collected sufficient wood for the
purpose; over this we placed dried corn
stalks and bound the whole together with
ropes from the camel-packs. So quickly
did the water still rise that our raft, COM
menced on dry land, was finished floating
on over a foot Of water. We now joined
the villagers on the little mound and await
ed the sunrise. A conspicuous figure was
the dignifed old ''sheikh" of the village, as
he passed from one family group to another,
evidently imparting confidence to all. To
him we proposed to take off with us as
many women and children as our raft woEld
bear, but he replied that Allah was great
and would send boats in time if it was His
will to save His people; that our bark was
frall, our poles short, and the current
strong, and if any went with us he washed
his hands of any responsibility His ar
guments were backed by the sight of sail
in the distance, so we had to put off by
ourselves to the base Of the hills between
two ard three miles distant. Arrived
there, we sent the raft back by two
Bedouins, and made our way to where
some boats were employed in carryirg (
stone. One of these we procured for 5he
assistance of our late neighbors, and we
had the satisfaction before leaving of see
ing them all encamped under the hills"