in Egypt, Arabia Petrica &c. ^^p 



fcarce two Yards fquare, which, upon being touched with a Key, 

 gives a Sound Hke a Bell. Some of the broken Pieces of Marble are 

 inlcribed with Hieroglypbicks ; a Circumftance which may in- 

 duce us to fufpeft, that this Pillar was not ereded by the 

 Egyptians, but by the Greeks or Romans ; nay, later perhaps 

 than Strabo, who otherwife, it may be prefumed, would not 

 have omitted the Defcription of it. 



TJie Delta was computed to commence from the Canopic'^''^'^^^^^ 

 Branch of the Nile , which hath been fuppofed to fall in at/"'-^'^' 

 Me-dea. From hence to Rozetto, the Caravans are guided, BrS!'^ 

 for tJie fpace of four Leagues, by fuch a Range of Pofts, as 

 have been mentioned in defcribing the Shibkah El Lowdeah '- 

 The Channel which fupplyed Alexandria with Water, lyeth 

 all the Way upon the right Hand ; and, for Want of being em- 

 ployed as in former Time, difchargeth Itfelf chiefly into That 

 of Me-dea, There are few or no Tokens of the Nile^s Inun- 

 dation to be met with from Alexandria to Rozetto, the w hole 

 Tra6t appearing to have been originally either a Continuation 

 of the fandy Coaft of Ljbia, or elfe an Ifland. In Sailing SSf 

 like wife to the Eaft, we fee, befides other fmaller ones, ^'n-^Zfd7/.' 

 Hillock of fandy Ground, to the Eaftward of the Bolbutic 

 Mouth ' of the Nile, another at Cape Brullos, and a third to 

 the Weft ward of 2)^wz/3!/^. Thefe, may be prefumed, to have 

 been all of them originally Illands, ferving, from their Situ- 

 ation, to give the firft Check to the Stream, and to have 

 thereby gradually coUeded and retained the Mud, that might 

 lay the firft Foundation of the Delta. Before this was formed, 

 it is probable that all or the greateft Part at leaft of the Lower 

 Egypt, was nothing more than a large Gulph of the Sea : and 

 confequently, the Iftand of Tharos, according to an Obferva- 

 tion of Homers \ might lye at the Diftance of a good Day's 

 Sail from what was called Egypt at that Time. 



Except at the Time of the Inundation, when the whole Coun-n^ Ba,!ks of 

 try is covered with Water, no Navigation can be attended with [fv,ull£ 

 fo much Pleafure as that upon the Nile. There is, at every 



I Vid. p. 211. 2. This fecms to be the fame, that is taken Notice of by Strabo, under 

 the Name of APNOT KEPA2. Mt-m 5 "^ Bo\Cimov ^fAO. iiiTrf^ioy iUKftrcu TSTc/rJi j^ «,uf/iiJ)ts axfu- 

 tlg.K^Ttu Ji 'A>yS x«f«. 1. 17. p. II j^. 



Hvjdiy, n htyvf Sf©- I'ji-ryeiifaiy o-fri^v. Mom. Odyf. A. 1.35'4. 



Q^qqqx winding 



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