300 



building of those cities, was brought from the Lybian 

 mountains, and from those of the Arabian side, in the 

 vicinity of Cosier, on the Red Sea. The granite 

 from the former, and the porphyry, jasper, and verd 

 antique from the latter. 



Who then can possibly conceive the quantity of 

 materials and rubbish supplied by the city of Mem- 

 phis alone, which was one hundred and fifty furlongs 

 in circumference ; almost equal to nineteen miles, or a 

 little less than five miles square ? All must admit that 

 it was enormous ; and when we consider that, accord- 

 ing to Baron De Tott's account, there were nine thou- 

 sand villages, and twelve hundred towns, in Egypt,* 

 we shall not hesitate to say, that the direct and indi- 

 rect labours of man, have had a great and powerful 

 agency in this stupendous work. 



From this imperfect view, we may form a pretty 

 correct idea, how new districts were formed and eleva- 

 ted, and the land extended, until the Nile was divided 

 into two branches, and the formation of the delta com- 

 menced, which, as it increased, was cultivated and ex- 

 tensively improved by the building of large cities. 

 Since that time, the same course has been pursued, 

 as at the commencement ; the same operations conti- 

 nued, and the same rules and regulations observed, in 

 relation to draining, djking, cutting canals, raising 

 mounds and keeping them in repair; and that too, 



* Baron De Tott, p. 2 p 63. 



