ap their ancient ports, appears to me not only impro- 

 bable, but unpiiilosophical, nay, impossible, 



Lest it should be thought that I have misunderstood 

 this author's meaning, I shall transcribe his own 

 words on this subject. 



" This every one knows is the effect of that east- 

 erly current" (in the Mediterranean) " setting upon 

 the coast, which as it acts perpendicularly to the 

 course of the Nile, when discharging itself, at all, or 

 any of its mouths, into the Mediterranean, must hurry 

 what it is charged with on to the coast of Syria, and 

 hinder it settling opposite, or making those additions 

 to the land of Egypt which Herodotus has vainly 

 supposed."* 



If the reader will cast his eye over this part of the 

 map of the Mediterranean sea, he will at once be able 

 to judge how improbable such a conclusion must be : for 

 admitting that, during the prevalence of the Etesian 

 winds, a current sets up the Mediterranean, it can 

 only flow, (since there is no outlet at the eastern ex- 

 tremity of that sea,) round by the coast of Egypt and 

 Phoenicia, and return again by the northern coast of the 

 Mediterranean. 



Now let us examine the probable effect of this cur- 

 rent, on the two principal branches of the Nile. 



The course of the Canopic branch is almost in a 

 north west direction, and nearly opposed to the current 

 of the Mediterranean. But we will suppose, that the 



* Bruce's Travels, vol. II. page 85. 



