FOE EMBANKING THE WATERS OF THE NILE. 197 



broken by islets laid nearly dry in the winter season. The 

 site itself is situated about a mile below Phila3 at Bab-esh- 

 Shellal, where the eastern bank of the river approaches the 

 western, reducing the breadth to about one kilometre.* As 

 originally intended the level of the upper surface of the 

 water was to have been 114 metres above Low Nile, 

 requiring a structure of enormous dimensions, and one 

 which would have submerged the Temples of Philee as well 

 as Several important monuments in Nubia.f 



On the promulgation of this project, it is not to be 

 wondered at that a storm of indignation arose, not only 

 from Egyptologists, but from the educated public of all 

 countries. Philas, the gem of Egyptian islands, decorated 

 with the most picturesque, if not the largest or most ancient 

 of the temples, and containing many works of art and 

 inscriptions of great historical interest, was to be submerged 

 in order to benefit the agricultural population and to bring 

 fresh revenue to the Government ! Protests and petitions 

 against such an act of vandalism poured in on all sides ; tlie 

 Society for the Preservation of Ancient Monuments taking 

 a leading part in the movement. But it is only due to the 

 Egyptian Government to recognise the fact that it was 

 not slow to admit the reasonableness of these protests. A 

 general reconsideration of the whole question was under- 

 taken, and the merits of the various suggested sites were 

 carefully weighed ; with the result that the First Cataract 

 was found beyond all question to be the best for the supply 

 of Middle and Lower Egypt. In order, therefore, to retain 

 this site and to meet the wishes of those who deprecated the 

 submersion of Philse, a compromise was determined on, by 

 which the advantages of such a reservoir would be largely 

 secured and injury to the monuments averted. This com- 

 promise consists in the simple plan of diminishing the height 

 to which the water is to be carried by 8 metres, or 26"24 

 feet. J As the projeqt now stands the highest level of the 

 water will be 106 metres (347'7 feet) above Lowest Nile 

 surface. At this level the surface of the water will only reac}\ 



* 1,094 yards. 



t Note cm Conseil cles Ministres (1894J ; Willcocks in liis Report states, 

 " 105 or 106 metres," p. 22, para. 51. 



X Note cm Conseil, p. 5. The Illustrated London News lately con- 

 tained some viewb of PhiUe, with others showing the limit to which the 

 water will rise when the reservoir has been completed. 



