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waters of the Nile were let into it. From this time, 

 we may date the commencement of the filling up of the 

 great basin, in which that city stood ; but which, how- 

 ever, could not, it is presumed, have depended on the 

 alluvion of the Nile, and for the following reasons : 



When the waters of the Nile rested upon the plains 

 of Egypt, (and.it was only during an inundation, that 

 this could happen, and the waters flow into the city.) 

 the elevation of the plains, by the deposites of alluvion, 

 would increase nearly as fast as that of the basin of 

 Bubastis. 



Consequently, it must have still remained an exca- 

 vation or depression, below the plains of Egypt, which 

 is not the case. On the contrary, it presents a level 

 plain of sand, beneath the surface of which, perhaps, 

 every vestige of the city is buried so deep, that who- 

 ever wishes to contemplate or examine its ruins, and 

 in particular its temple, will probably have to dig to 

 the depth of thirty or forty feet below the present sur- 

 face of the earth. 



Could we be made acquainted with the regular gra- 

 dation and succession of events, from the building of 

 Thebes, to the downfall of Egypt ; numerous other in- 

 stances, and much more in point, would probably pre- 

 sent themselves, to prove that the winds, by transport- 

 ing the sands from the deserts, have been the principal 

 agents in filling up, and extending the plains in the 

 valley of Egypt. But enough still remains on the 

 faithful pages of history, to convince the most scep- 

 tical, of the truth of this fact. 



