74 



ever, are secondaiy to the needs of the irrig-ator, as is shown in the 

 inconvenience to which viver boatmen are subjected when the entire 

 discharofe of the Nile is turned into the larg-e canals in the delta. 



DRAINAGE. 



The most important drainage work in Egypt is prosecuted bj' the 

 government, A large part of the main drains and the largest of the 

 pumping plants are therefoi-c under its control. However, there are 

 a number of large holdings. lK)tli in the delta and in Upper Egypt, 

 where drainage is necessary. The government has also disposed of a 

 number of tracts under condition that the land be reclaimed and 

 improved so as to yield a revenue to the treasury. There are to-day 

 large areas in the delta which must be drained before as much of 

 Lower Egypt will be cultivated as was farmed before the invasion of 

 the Turks, who permitted the drainage system to deteriorate. The 

 Societe du Behera, owning- lands near Alexandria, has done nnich in 

 the line of reclamation through drainage. Water is first drawn oft" by 

 drains or b}- pumping, and large volumes of fresh water are applied. 

 The surface is kept well cultivated, and gradually the salts are I'emoved 

 to such an extent that rice can be grown. After a few 3'ears of rice 

 cultivation more vahiable crops can ])e substituted. 



In 18S0 there were about 438,000 acres of public land outside of 

 that which had recently l)een acquired from the khedival estates and 

 put in charge of the Daira Sanieh administration. In 1899 this area 

 had decreased to 210.000 acres, the remainder having been sold to 

 farmers. In 1880 the Daira Sanieh administration controlled about 

 520,000 acres. In 1899 they had but 302.000 acres remaining-. 



As a considerable portion of this land required drainage works, it 

 became necessarv for the government to enact laws which should 

 place the work partially under government control. It was essential 

 that the government engineers shoidd have authority to direct this 

 reclamation, so that the systems ])hinned and- constructed by private 

 parties should supplement rather tiian interfere with the work already 

 performed by the government. Two decrees have been rendered 

 relating to drainage. One was issued Eebruary 21, 1891, the other 

 not until April 26, 1900. The decrees in full are given in Appendix 

 III, p. 99. 



THE CORVEE. 



The sj^stem of forced and unpaid labor known as the corvee has 

 always been an important factor in all kinds of public construction in 

 Egypt. From building- the Pyramids to digging the Suez Canal or the 

 excavation of a small drain, the corvee has been called into service. 

 The labor of the corvee has made Eg-3'pt renowned for the products of 

 the soil. 



