44 



THE NATALI. 



In the delta a great deal of water is raised by means of another 

 curious device, known as a natali. Two men operate a bucket to 

 which is attached four cords. These cords arc held by the men and 

 the bucket is alternately tilled and emptied with remarkable dexterit}^ 

 PI, XV shows this device in use. But little prcliminar}- construction 

 is needed before the work of raising- water can be commenced. A 

 channel is generally dug from the water into the bank of the canal 

 and platforms are made for the men to stand on. Where the water is 

 poured into the ditch leading to the fields the bank is protected, as in 

 the case of shadufs, by a matting of vegetable fiber. Two men can 

 raise about 1(»0 cubic feet of water per hour to a height of 3 or 4 feet. 

 The accompanying table gives some information relative to the 

 efficienc}" of this contrivance: 



Efficien<-;i nftlu' iiata/i <is a irdter-ndsiny (Jecice. 



Height of lift. 



0. 7 foot 

 0. 8 foot 



1.0 foot 



1.5 feet 



1.6 feet 

 1.9 feet 



2. 1 feet 

 2. 3 feet 



2. 7 feet 



2.8 feet 



Number 

 of men 



working 

 periods 

 of two 

 hours. 



Cost of 

 operation 

 per day of 

 ten hours. 



Area ir- 

 rigated 

 in ten 

 hours. 



Cost per 

 acre each 

 irriga- 

 tion. 



.30 

 .31 

 .32 

 .45 

 .60 

 .60 

 .48 

 .90 

 .91 

 .77 



Discharge 

 per day. 



Acre-foot. 

 0.27 

 .26 

 .26 

 .21 

 .21 

 .24 

 .20 

 .22 

 .20 

 .20 



Area of 

 field irri- 

 gated. 



Cost per 



acre for 



each foot 



of lift. 



Acrei^. 

 6 



6 



7.2 



6.6 



5.1 



5.4 



6.3 



5.1 



5 



4.6 



80.43 

 .39 

 .32 

 .30 

 .38 

 .32 

 .23 

 .40 

 .34 

 .27 



PUMPING. 



Small pumping plants are becoming common and some expensive 

 and W' ell-equipped pumping stations have been erected in various parts 

 of Egypt. The design most eommonly met with is an 8-inch centrif- 

 ugal pump propelled ])y an 8-horsepower steam engine. Coal is 

 usually burned in these engines, although cornstalks and straw are 

 substituted for it in Upper Egypt. Coal costs $7 per ton at Alexan- 

 dria, the price increasing with the distance from that port. 



As early as 1882 there were 2,645 pumps and engines lifting water 

 from the Nile and from canals. The engines had a total horsepower 

 of 29,453. Of the plants 2,226 were movable and 419 were stationary. 

 The stationary engines had a total horsepower of 9,382, while the 

 movable engines had a horsepower of 20,071. Nearly all of these 

 pumping plants were located in the delta, although there were a num- 

 ber between Cairo and Assiut. Above that there were no movable 

 plants and only 17 stationary engines and pumps. The number has 

 not increased appreciably since that time, but modern pumps have, 



