THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 687 



in common ufe, and this, too, I conceive to be Strabo's mean- 

 ing. But let us compute from Herodotus, who fays that 

 16, or at lead 15, were neceffary in his time, whilft Strabo 

 informs us, that, before Petronms exerted himfelf as to the 

 banks and califiies juft mentioned, the extreme abundance 

 mufl then have been at 12, and the minimum at 10. Now,, by 

 this paffage, beyond all exception, it is clear that there could 

 have been no increafe indicated by the Nilometer; for 10 

 cubits watered the whole land of Egypt fufficiently in Stra- 

 bo's time, whereas 16 and 15 were neceflary in the days 

 of Herodotus: and I muft likewife obferve* that if we mould 

 fuppofe the fame induftry and attention ufed in Mxris's time 

 that was in Petronius's, (and there is every reafon to induce 

 us to think there was) then the proof is pofitive, that there 

 was no difference in the foil of Egypt indicated by the Ni- 

 lometer for thefirft 1400 years. 



From this let us defcend to Hadrian, about 100 years after- 

 wards. We know from Pliny*, and from an infenpdon 

 upon a medal of great brafs of Hadrian's, who was himfelf 

 in Egypt, that 16 cubits were then the fifcal term or rife of 

 the Nile, by which the Egyptians paid their rent ; and this 

 is precifely what Herodotus fays, in his time, was no more 

 than fufficient. 



Aboi;t the beginning of the 4th century, in the emperor 

 Julian's reignf, 15 cubits were a fufficient minimum to in- 

 cur the payment of the tribute, and this is one of the terms 



v ' iH - 4 * that 



* Plin. Jib. xxxvi. cap. *r. PhHoft. d: Icon. Nili. 

 t Julian. Epift. egdicio prefeflo Egypti. 



