DR. PORTER ON EGYPT. 19 



hopelessly barren. The entire superficial area of the country 

 which could at present be reached by the waters of the Nile, 

 and thus made productive, scarcely exceeds 10,000 square 

 miles, and, probably, not more than one-half of this is now 

 under cultivation. The arable land of Egypt is about equal 

 in extent to Yorkshire. 



Such is Egypt proper, — the country extending along the 

 Nile from the Mediterranean to the First Cataract at Syene. 

 At the latter place the river bursts from the uplands of Nubia 

 through a ridge of granite and a series of rugged cliflTs and 

 islets, the island of Philse, with its stately temples, lying in 

 the centre of the torrent at the top of the rapids. The 

 quarries which supplied the architects of Egypt with that 

 beautiful rose-coloured granite so largely employed in temples 

 and monuments are situated in the adjoining cliffs, and the 

 stone takes its familiar name, Syenite, from the adjacent town, 

 Syene. 



Above Syene the Nile Valley runs south a little more than 

 100 miles to Korosko, where it turns westward, and then 

 makes a wide sweep south-west to Dongola, about 300 miles 

 from Korosko. Here it curves to the east and north-east 

 about 300 miles more to Abu Hamed, which, by the direct 

 desert route, is only 230 miles from Korosko. From Abu 

 Hamed to Berber is 140 miles, and from Berber to Khartoum 

 210, the general direction being south. The entire distance 

 from Cairo to Khartoum in a straight line is 1,000 miles, while, 

 by following the tortuous river, the distance is well-nigh 

 doubled. When the water is low, as it is always between 

 December and July, the passage of boats is extremely 

 difficult, and, in places where there are rocks and rapids, 

 next to impossible. When the river is high, boats pass up 

 and down with comparative ease and safety. 



The Inundation. 



The annual inundation of the Nile is most remarkable, and 

 upon it depends the fertility, indeed the very existence, of 

 Egypt. I shall, therefore, try to explain its nature and causes. 

 At Khartoum the two main tributaries of the Nile unite, having 

 the town in the fork between them. The name of the western 

 tributary is Bahr-el-Ahiad, " The White Eiver,^' so called 

 from the prevailing tint of its water. Its sources are in the 

 great lakes of Central Africa, the Albert and Victoria Nianza, 

 and in the surrounding basins and uplands, comprising an 

 area of nearly 200,000 square miles. The lakes are about 

 3,000 feet above the sea. The White Nile is broad and deep, 



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