CHAP. XI. SOWING THE LAND. 39 



fish collected in them afforded an abundant supply 

 to the neighbouring villages ; and, as already ob- 

 served*, the advantages arising from these fisheries 

 were of the greatest importance both to the people 

 and the revenue. 



The land being cleared of the water, and })re- 

 senting in some places a surface of liquid mud, in 

 others nearly dried by the sun and the strong N.W. 

 winds (that continue at intervals to the end of au- 

 tumn and the commencement of winter), the hus- 

 bandman prepared the ground to receive tlie seed ; 

 which was either done by the plough and hoe, or by 

 more simple means, according to the nature of the 

 soil, the quality of the produce they intended to 

 cultivate, or the time the land had remained under 

 water. When the levels were low, and the water 

 had continued long upon the land, they often dis- 

 pensed with the plough t, and probably, like their 

 successors, broke up the ground with hoes, or 

 simply dragged the moist mud with bushes t after 

 the seed had been thrown npon the surface ; and 

 then merely drove a number of cattle, asses, pigs, 

 sheep, or goats into the field to tread in the grain. § 



"In no country," says Herodotus ||, '* do they 

 gather their seed with so little labour. They are 

 not obliged to trace deep furrows with the plough, 



* Vol. III. p. G.'i. 



-j- To this, perhaps, the 10th verse of Deut. xi. refers, where mention 

 is made of tlie simple process of sowing the seed in Egypt " as a garden 

 of herbs." 



J A sort of harrow seems to have been used as early as the time of 

 Job (ch. xxxix. 10.). 



§ Diodor. i. 36. Plin. xviii. 18. /'«/r woodcut, No. li^ I. 



II Herodot. ii. 14. 



n 4. 



