158 matured Miracles, 



upon the rainfall. There is scarcely ever a 

 rainfall in lower Egypt except about once a 

 year on the coast of the Mediterranean. 

 After ascending the river for a short distance 

 we come into an area of no rain for a distance 

 of 1500 miles along the river. Egypt has a 

 superficial area of about 115,200 square miles, 

 and only about one-twelfth of this area is in a 

 position to be cultivated. 



As there is no rainfall in this region, the 

 sole dependence for agricultural purposes is 

 from the River Nile when it rises to a suffi- 

 cient height to admit of irrigation. The river 

 brings down quantities of rich earth which 

 during the overflow is deposited, and thus the 

 agricultural regions are refertilized annually. 



The River Nile is what is called a tropical 

 river and is fed by the rains in upper Egypt 

 caused by the monsoon winds that prevail in 

 that section of Africa during the summer sea- 

 son, as they do in India. As has been ex- 

 plained in a former chapter, the monsoon 

 winds blow steadily for about six months from 

 off the southern ocean. These winds are 

 highly charged with moisture, which is not 

 precipitated till it strikes the mountainous 

 regions of the interior. Here the high moun- 

 tains, which are often snow-capped, cause a 

 profuse precipitation, which runs off into the 

 various feeders of the Nile, causing a gradual 

 rise in the river that reaches the highest point 



