202 PROF. E, HULL, LL.D.j P.R.S., ON THffi PROPOSED SCHEME 



sluices still keep open, so there is no liability of tlie sluices them- 

 selves ever silting up. But what is intended by this impounding 

 reservoir is to continue irrigation over the present area during 

 the whole year, instead of part of the year, so as to give increased 

 fertility to the land. From the fact that water is dammed up on 

 this high ridge, it does not follow that you can irrigate it at this 

 high level. It is simply to irrigate on the same area now irrigated, 

 only for a longer period. And it is a simple matter, and easy to 

 understand by those who are acquainted with irrigation woi'ks. 

 I regret one thing being omitted from the paper, and that is an 

 estimate of the cost of these works. We should then have been 

 able to judge better whether the thing is likely to be a success or 

 not. With reference to the Nile I may tell you this also, that it 

 varies immensely fi'om year to year in its floods, and that even 

 Egypt often suffers from an excess of water. An impounding 

 reservoir would therefore cure that evil by regulating the supply 

 where many of the inhabitants of the plain run great risks of 

 being sacrificed by an over-bountiful flow of the Nile. 



The Author. — I am gratified to hear the remarks of so eminent 

 an engineer as the last speaker, who has himself had so much 

 experience in engineering work in Cairo. I think his words alone 

 will help to dispel any such doubts as those expressed by the first 

 speaker. 



There are some tracts which at " high Nile " are flooded, 

 but which are unirrigated when the waters fail to come up 

 to that level by 4 feet or 5 feet. Some of these terraces are 

 very flat, and their perennial irrigation will add considerably 

 to the extent of ground that it will be possible to keep under 

 cultivation, and so add enormously to the value of the often 

 isolated lands along the valley of the Nile. 



As regards the estimates, I have not thought it part of my 

 subject to go into the question ; the documents ai"e public, and the 

 reports and the representations to the Egyptian Government are 

 accessible and exceedingly interesting to anyone who has had to 

 do with works of this kind. 



The Khedive himself, I understand, warmly approves of tlie 

 pi'oject, and trusts that it will in due time be carried out. 



The Chairman. — We are very much obliged to Professor Hull 

 for his interesting paper. As an archteologist I should like to say 



