THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 679 



It is fcarcely necefTary to obferve, that, in every ftate or 

 fociety, the product or revenue fhould be known, as well as 

 what will be wanted for the fupply of the neceffities of the 

 people. Now, it was only the ground overflowed by the 

 Nile that could produce grain for the fubfiftence of the in- 

 habitants and revenue of the ftate. 



The firft confideration, then, was, to know how much of 

 the land of i ( gypt was overflowed in a given term of years, 

 and how much grain was produced upon that average. 

 This could only be afcertained by meafuring, and they, 

 therefore, fettled with precifion the land that was overflow- 

 ed from the earlieft times, and do fo to this day. Thefe 

 actual meafurements gave them a ?naximum and a mini- 

 mum, which furnifhed them with a mean, and thus they 

 were in pofTeflion of all the principles necefTary for making 

 aNilometer, by dividing a pillar into correfponding cubits, 

 and divifions of cubits called digits, placing it alfo firm and 

 perpendicular, fo as to be liable to no alteration or injury, , 

 though in the middle of the ftream. 



The firft ftated meafure was certainly that mentioned 

 in fcripture, the cubit, fecundum cubitum vlrilis mantis, meafur- 

 ing from the center of the round bone in the elbow to the 

 point of the middle finger*. This is Hill the meafure of all 

 unpolifhed nations, but no medium or term, expreffive of 

 its exact contents, having been applied, writers have dif- 

 fered as to the length of this cubit, and no flandard exifting 

 to which it might be referred, a great deal of confu- 



fion 



f Deut. chap. ili. tm. II. 



