331 



a few palm trees, which adds still more to the dreary 

 aspect of destruction."* 



To this amount of evidence in favour of the opera- 

 tion of the winds, in forming the plains of Egypt and 

 its delta, who, when he considers that they have been 

 the same, perhaps, from the beginning of time, will at- 

 tempt to oppose the opinion, or pretend that the allu- 

 vion only of the Nile, has been the cause of this great 

 and wonderful change ? 



As well, almost, might we contend that the mould- 

 ering remains of the millions of inhabitants, whose bo- 

 dies have served to fatten the soil of Egypt for ages 

 past, have been equally accessary to its formation. 

 For it is not even necessary, under existing circum- 

 stances, that the alluvion of the Nile should be taken 

 into view, or that a river should flow, to produce a si- 

 milar change. 



If we examine the borders of the Red Sea, and 

 their relation with the deserts of Arabia, we shall 

 find sufficient proof of this fact. 



The Arabian gulf or Red Sea, is bounded on the 

 west, almost from one extremity to the other, by a range 

 of mountains, from which, strange as it may appear, 

 not a river is discharged into this sea, from the straits 

 of Babel Maudel to the Isthmus of Suez.f On the 

 western side of this sea, the water is in general deep 



* Denon, vol. i. p. 256. 



t See Bruce's Travels, vol. II. page 115. 



