V>~ • On a Juncllon of the Red Sea 



and of feeding it abundantly by the waters of the Nile, In- 

 going up the river beyond Cairo as far as the fpot where its 

 general height is greater than the level already fixed, and 

 from which it will be neccflary to draw off on the right bank 

 a large ltream or branch of water, defended by ftrong gates 

 againil muddy water or extraordinary inundations, and to 

 conduit it gradually in an inclination of fifteen or eighteen 

 lines in a hundred fathoms, and to make it end by the 

 morteft paflage towards the weftern extremity of the point 

 of departure. This, however, fuppofes that the mountains 

 fituated to the cart cannot fupply water in fufficient abund- 

 ance and by a fhortcr paflage, which would be extremely de- 

 finable, and which ought to be carefully examined ; for it 

 appears certain that the Nile has very little inclination below 

 its cataracts, which are nearly two hundred leagues from 

 Cairo ; and consequently the place where the water is drawn 

 off ought to be taken at a fufficient diftance to be higher 

 than the point of departure of the canal, however little it 

 may have been eftablifhed above the level of the higheft 

 tides and inundation.-. 



7. According to the beft and lateft defcriptions of that 

 country, we may however believe that this point of departure 

 will neither require deep excavation below the furface of the 

 ground, nor a great elevation above the mouths of the canal, 

 cither at the Nile or the Red Sea ; for it appears certain On 

 the one hand, that the laft of all the ancient canals, that 

 afcribed to .Amron the Arabian, was dug in a perfect level, 

 mid even open from one end to the other, proceeding from 

 the Nileto'Foftat ; and on the other, that an ordinary rife of 

 t6 cubits will be fufficient that the river may enter there at 

 prefent, for a length of [bur leagues, traverfing Grand 

 Cairo. There is no reafon then to doubt that this rife 

 would proceed to the Red Sea, and would there make fome 

 fall, if the remains of the canal had not been filled up either' 

 by the hand of time, or by wars between thofe nations Tepa- 

 rated.by the Adriatic. 



8. It 



