THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 673 



die Nile, being a torrent falling from very high ground in 

 Ethiopia, were this valley concave, the violent rapidity, or 

 motion, would be much likelier to carry away mud and foil, 

 than to leave it behind in a ftate to accumulate. 



The land of Egypt Hopes gently from the middle of the 

 •valley to the foot of the mountains on each fide, fo that 

 the center is really the highell part of the valley, and in 

 the middle of this runs the Nile * At right angles with 

 the ftream large trenches are cut to the foot of the moun- 

 tains, in which canals the water enters, and infenfibly flows 

 down to the end of thefe trenches, where it diffufes itfelf 

 over the level ground. 



As the river fwells, thefe canals fill with water, which 

 goes feeking a level to the foot of the mountains ; fo that 

 now the flood, which begins to reftagnate towards the bank 

 of the river, acquires no motion, as the califhes are formed 

 at right angles to the ftream. Sometimes, indeed, the ri- 

 ver is fo high, when the rains in Ethiopia are exceflive, that 

 the back-water joins the current of die Nile, when imme- 

 diately it communicates its motion to the flagnant water, 

 and fweeps away every thing that is planted into the fea. 

 It is a miftake then to aflert,— the fuller the Nile, the bet- 

 ter for Egypt. 



It has been faid by various authors, that it was necef- 

 fary Egypt mould be meafured every year, on account of 



Vol. III. 4 0^ 



the 



* See this figure in Dr SL^v, chap, ii.fetf. 3- p- 385. 



