394 OWING TO THE ANNUAL DEPOSIT OF NILE MUD. 



be confessed that there are several reasons which render the 

 calculations somewhat doubtful. For instance, it is impossible 

 to ascertain how far the pedestal of the statue was inserted 

 into the ground ; Mr. Homer has allowed 14f inches, but if 

 it was much deeper, the rate of deposition would be dimi- 

 nished and the age increased. On the other hand, if the 

 statue was on raised ground, of course the reverse would be 

 the case. 



It has also been argued that the ancient Egyptians were in 

 the habit of making embankments round the areas on which 

 they erected temples, statues, etc., so as to keep out the waters 

 of the Nile. 



" Whenever, then," says Sir Charles Lyell, " the waters at 

 length break into such depressions, they must at first carry 

 with them into the enclosure much mud washed from the 

 steep surrounding banks, so that a greater quantity would be 

 deposited in a few years than, perhaps, in as many centuries 

 on the great plain outside the depressed area, where no such 

 disturbing causes intervened." This objection is, however, 

 untenable, because the rapidity of depression will be in pro- 

 portion to the previous retardation, and will only tend to 

 bring the depressed area up to the general level. Supposing, 

 for instance, that the monument of Barneses, erected on the 

 flat plain of Memphis 3200 years ago, was protected by em- 

 bankments for the first 2000 years, and that during that time 

 the plain outside was gradually raised 5 feet 10 inches, being 

 at the rate of 3^ inches in a century : when the embankment 

 gave way the space enclosed would soon be filled up to the 

 general level, and a thickness of 5 feet 10 inches might be 

 deposited in a few years : still this exceptionally rapid accu- 

 mulation would only be the complement of the exceptional 

 want of deposit which had preceded it; and, consequently, 

 when the level of the surrounding plain had been attained, 

 then, although the mud covering the base of the statue may 



