THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 683 



juft high enough not to pay the meery*, for then he has 

 all the harvefl to himfelf, and pays nothing, though he has 

 very near the fame quantity as if he was fubjedt to the tax. 

 The other is, when near the whole of thefe 12,000 feet is 

 overflowed by the Nile, but before the water is in contact 

 with the current of the river; for then, though he is liable 

 to pay the meery, he has fown the greateft part of his land 

 pomble, without additional labour or expence ; more than 

 this is lofs, for then the water of the inundation is put like- 

 wife in motion, and all the floating pulverifed earth that 

 has been troae into an impalpable powder, during March, 

 April, and May, is fwept away by the current into the fea, 

 and nothing left but a bare, cold, hard till, which produces 

 little, and is not eafily pulverifed by the poor inftruments of 

 hufbandry there in ufe, when neither farmer nor landhold- 

 er pays any thing, becaufe, indeed, there is not any re- 

 ceipt. 



However, from this uncertainty one thing arifes which 

 does not feem to have been underttood ; for the tenant, not 

 knowing precifely the quantity of feed that he may want, 

 comes to his farm unprovided, and, being uncertain of its 

 produce, takes his land only from year to year ; the land- 

 lord furnifhes him with feed f, and even with all labour- 

 ing utenfils. 



And here I am to explain what I have before advanced, 

 what to fome will feem a paradox, That the fubftituting 



4 R 2 falfe 



* The king's yearly land-tax, orient. 

 I Gen. chap, xlvii. ver. zo & 23. 



