iiiming, which Savary fays, is reported by 

 Herodotus and Strabo, to be 75 leagues in 

 circumference, and 300 feet deep. This al- 

 moft incredible lake, faid to be dug by the 

 hand of man, mows what mighty works can 

 be done by a great army of men. 



However ftrange this may appear upon the 

 firft view, yet if we only confider the fitua- 

 tion of the ground where this lake was, in a 

 defart of fand, the attempt will not feem dif- 

 ficult; for the run of the river Nile was confi- 

 derably above it, which, we are informed was 

 brought by a canal, named Jofeph's, forty 

 leagues in length, to lakeMoeris. 



And thus, having the command of the ri- 

 ver Nile by this canal, we may iuppofe that 

 the moft probable means of effecting the 

 work was, to dig feveral deep canals the 

 whole length of the lake, and to let in the 

 water into one at a time, which would both 

 deepen, and carry off a confiderable quantity 

 of the fand, and then by mifting the water 

 to another canal. Some thoufands of men 

 that ^rere employed, would be always deep- 

 ening one of thefe canals. Thus, by this 

 means, letting the water only run in one ca- 

 nal at a time, and {hitting it to another, 



would 



