^2 Egypt is gradually augmented 



the very Foundation, of what he was contending for, th^t Egypf 

 was the Gift of the Nile,) he never could, from fuch a long 

 Detail and Indu6tion of Particulars, as are there enumerated, 

 have, at length, concluded, that Egyp, hy being raifed, in this 

 Manner, too high to he overflowed, and no Rain falling upon 

 it, the Inhabitants mufi Jiarve and periJJj with Hunger. 

 The eight But this Gentleman obferves, (p. lyi-) that the eight Cubits, 

 \ltn 'cubits above-mentioned, are to be under flood of the Addition only that 

 °o beunckr-^ to he made to the Rile, at the Time ofifs Overflow ; hut 

 AWbh^e "" ^/j^/ the fixteen or fifteen Cubits are to be taken for the whole 

 ine N/L.° T)epth of the River, from the Top to the Bottom. Whereas 

 Herodotii-ss Words will bear no fuch Interpretation. Becaufe, 

 in the firft Part of the above-cited Quotation, it is oy^i eA3o( o 

 OTTtt/^05 'Qa o-/cT<i) •7ni;^'a4 ri «Aa;y5^v, when the River (arifes or) comes 

 to eight Cubits at leaft \ and, in the latter, ^ pi e^r' hota\^-Ka. 'a mm- 

 xoui^zcL m^-^icii a.ia.Q~/i rov\rl^7:i o EroTa/.«$, tmlefs the River afcends to 

 fixteen or fifteen Cubits at leaft; where the fame Meaning is 

 conveyed in them both ; •s-orct^is eA^oi and sjorct^os ava^M meaning, 

 one and the other, the whole and the abfolute, not the par- 

 tial or relative Depth or Rifmg of the River. Nay, if either 

 of the Words could be interpreted to mean the Quantity of the 

 periodical Rifmg, or the Addition that is made to the ordi- 

 nary Height of the River, at the Time of the Overflow, it 

 would be ^-vctG; which may indeed feem to convey fome Idea 

 or Hint of this Kind. Had avaS^ therefore, inftead of ja^oi, been 

 joyned to the eight Cubits, as it is, unfortunately for this Ar- 

 gument, to the fifteen, it would have been anObjetlion, Ipe- 

 cious enough indeed, though, by no means reconcilable to the 

 whole Scope and Tenour of the Context. 

 Eight Cubits Yixxx, it is further objefted, {ibid^j that HerodotJi-s"?, Account of 



of Water in . 



.vjwsTimeyT^^^^ ^^^ ^Igrjjf Cubits cannot be well accounted for on any 



i'uthcient to/ o J y 



overflow the Suppofition, unkfs we fuppofe that the Canals were cut after 

 gy{t. Myris'.y Time, andfo made a greater Rife of the Nile neceffary : 



i. e. from eight to fixteen Cubits. But furely, as fuch an ex- 

 traordinary Increafe, from eight to fixteen Cubits of Water, 

 could not be brought about at once, fo neither was it, at this 

 Time, neceflary. For in this Infant State, as we may call it, 

 of Egypt, when the main Channel was of a greater Breadth, 

 and the Inundations were, at once, both more extenfive and 



uninterrupted. 



