6&> TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 



fion has thereupon followed. Dr Arbuthnot * fays, that 

 there are two cubits in fcripture, the one, i foot 9 inches, 

 and to— parts of an inch, according to our meafure, being 

 the 4th part of a fathom, twice the fpan, and fix times the 

 palm. The other is equal to 1 foot AW parts of a foo't, 

 or the 4oodth part of a ftadium. I mall not inquire in- 

 to the- grounds he goes on ; I believe, however, that neither 

 are precifely the ancient cubit of the eaft, but both are too 

 large ; at lead the Egyptian I found to be very exactly 

 i foot 5} inches, which is 2 inches more than father Mer- 

 fenne f has made his Hebrew cubit. But this is of lefs 

 confequence to us now, becaufe Herodotus J informs us, 

 that in his time, and probably at the firft inftitution of a Ni- 

 lometer, the meafure was the Samian cubit, which is about 

 1 8 inches Englifh, or half an inch lefs than the ancient cubit. 



The reader will then confider, that the divifions of this 

 Nilometer were a reprefentation of certain facts : That the 

 Nile's reaching to fuch a divifion correfponded to a certain 

 quantity of corn that was fown, a proportion of the produce 

 of which was to be paid to the king, the reft to go to the 

 landlord and the labourer. 



The Nilometer then afcertained the contract between 

 king and people on thefe terms, That, in the event of fo 

 much corn being produced by the land of Egypt, fuch a 

 tribute was to be paid : But, in cafe a certain quantity of 

 ground, lefs than that, was overflowed, or, which is the fame 

 thing, a lefler quantity of grain was produced, then the 



4 kin S 



* £ncyclop. voce Cubit, f Vide Encyclop. voce Cubit. % Herod, lib. ii. fe&. 168. p. 149. 



