E G Y P T. 



393 



PART II. STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF EGYPT. 



Situation 

 nd extent 



Fart of the 



country. 



Statistics. PROPERLY speaking, Egypt is a part of Africa, being 

 ' included within the same natural division of the globe ; 

 but, from its particular situation, and the importance 

 which it once held in the scale of nations, it is gene- 

 rally described in a more independent and particular 

 manner. It is bounded on the east by the isthmus of 

 Suez and the Red Sea, on the south by Nubia, on the 

 west by Lybia, and on the north by the Mediterranean 

 Sea. It commences on the south about 23 45' of 

 north latitude, and at Bosetta terminates at 31 27', be- 

 ing in length about 500 miles, from south to north ; 

 and some parts of it 250 in breadth, comprehending 

 the greater and lesser Oases. But this extent is merely 

 nominal in point of value : the principal parts of the 

 country being the Delta, or lower part of Egypt ; and the 

 valley of the Nile, in the higher parts of the country, 

 which is comparatively of a small breadth, being 

 bounded on both sides by high hills or abrupt banks. 



The mountains upon the east of the Nile extend to 

 the Arabian Gulf, and are only inhabited by Bedouins, 

 or travelling Arabs, who pitch their tents here and 

 there, as circumstances require ; for water is scarce, and 

 vegetation scanty. Across these mountains is a dreary 

 road to Cosseir, which is a sea port of the Arabian Gulf; 

 but the intercourse between that and the Nile is neither 

 ready nor frequent. The principal towns and villages 

 are upon the eastern side of the Nile; for, in going 

 westwards, you soon meet with a sandy desert, with 

 here and there occasional spots of verdure, which are 

 called Oases, or islands, among the sand, when they 

 amount to a size that deserves the appellation. Even 

 Alexandria is hemmed in by the burning sands of the 

 sterile desert ; while the Delta is a most luxurious tract 

 of land. The soil is rich, being of a pure black mould, 

 unctuous, and stands in need of little or no manure. It 

 is called the Delta, from the shape which it bears to 

 the letter in the Greek alphabet of the same name. 



It is evidently formed, at least in part, of an alluvial 

 soil ; but we cannot suppose, that the earth to any 

 depth was formed by the deposition of matter carried 

 down by the streams of the Nile. In the early state of 

 the earth's surface, more loese earth might be earned 

 down by the streams than there can be at present; 

 but we are not persuaded, that any accession of this 

 nature could be sufficient, in a given time, to convert a 

 bay of the sea into an expanse of land. We are rather 

 to suppose, that when this world was brought into 

 shape, it consisted of sea, dry land, and marshy dis- 

 tricts. When these swampy parts lay low, and bor- 

 dered upon the sea, they would be occasionally over- 

 flown ; and hence a comparatively small addition of al- 

 luvial matter might gradually raise them above high 

 water-mark, and permit them to become dry and ara- 

 ble land. 



It is not, however, unlikely that shallow places of 

 the sea have been forsaken by the water, which could 

 soon and easily be cultivated. We do not mean, that 

 the waters of the sea have been diminished in quantity ; 

 for if this were the place for such discussions, it might 

 be shewn, that the rains and the streams are sufficient- 

 ly adequate to supply the quantity which is lost by 

 evaporation and absorption. Chemical operations which 

 take place in the atmosphere, contribute more, perhaps, 

 than the rarefied fluids of evaporation, to produce those 

 .abundant rains, which supply the springs and streams 



VOL. VIII. PART II. 



Formation 

 rf the Del- 



of water that run into the sea, and maintain its bulk. Statistics. 

 While the quantity of water remains the same, certain v< -Y~~" / 

 portions of the sea may be converted into valleys, by 

 the water of the ocean being drawn off' to supply new 

 spaces; or, in other words, to form new branches or 

 arms of the sea. Convulsions of nature are supposed 

 to have opened up new vallies, or considerable expanses 

 of low lying lands, into which the waters of the ocean 

 ran, and converted them into seas. Such is supposed 

 to have been the case with the Red and Mediterranean 

 seas, and with several bays and inlets on the continent 

 of America. And this may account for such alluvial 

 flats as the Delta of Egypt, and many other districts 

 of the world, which have evidently been derived 

 from the sea, and still exhibit remains of marine pro- 

 ductions. 



The Delta of Egypt may be higher above sea water- 

 mark at present than it was in early times, from the 

 effects of the earth accumulated by the annual decay of 

 luxuriant vegetable productions ; but we believe, that 

 the progress in this respect is extremely slow, if at all 

 perceptible. As much earth may be washen off by the 

 streams which overflow it, as is deposited by these wa- 

 ters, or occasioned by vegetable products. The diffe- 

 rence of cubits in the rise of the Nile, which was ne- 

 cessary at different times to water the Delta, sufficient- 

 ly for producing luxuriant crops, are rather to be as- 

 cribed to different lengths of the cubit, than to any 

 visible difference of the height of the Delta above the 

 general channel of the Nile. 



This river requires particular notice, from its im- Origin of 

 portance to the fertility and general prosperity of the 

 Egypt. In times of ignorance, many absurd ideas 

 were entertained respecting the origin and source of 

 this celebrated river. About 7 south of the bounda- 

 ries of Egypt, two rivers unite their streams, to form 

 the copious waters of the Nile. One of these is cal-' 

 led the Bahir Alabiad, which rises in the district of 

 Donga, belonging to the Gebel Alcomri, or Mountains 

 of the Moon, in the 8th degree of north latitude. It is 

 also called the White River, from the tinge which its 

 waters acquire from the nature of the channel over 

 which they flow. The latter is the Bahir Alazrek, or 

 Blue River, whose waters are clear ; which has its ori- 

 gin from some springs in the province of Geesh, in the 

 1 1 of north latitude. The White River takes its rise 

 about 3 nearer the line than the Blue River ; and the 

 former is three times the size of the latter ; and yet Mr 

 Bruce ascribes the origin of the Nile to the province of 

 Geesh rather than the Mountains of the Moon. 



There have been more disputes and sarcastic humour 

 on this head, than the merits of the case deserve. One 

 jwrt of the waters of the Nile rolls its course from the 

 Mountains of the Moon, and another from the province 

 of Geesh ; and the question is merely this, which of 

 these places is to be esteemed the source of the Nile? 

 It is far from being uncommon for a river of note to 

 derive its name from the smaller of two branches which 

 compose its streams; and the argument would hold equal- 

 ly good, whether the difference be six or six hundred 

 miles. That the waters of the Nile have their original 

 source in the Gebel Alcomri, is certain ; but the ques- 

 tion is, how and when the Nile derived its name ? The 

 word Nile, in some of the Eastern languages, means 

 the Blue River ; and as the Bahir Alazrek, which rises 



3D 



