ON THE CLIMATE OP EGYPT IN ANCIENT TIMES. 95 



C. The Climate of Egypt in Ancient Historic Time. 



9 



As we advauce to the liistoric period which has been 

 characterised by the deposition of much fluviatile sediment 

 especially in the Delta, and probably by a slight depression 

 of the Mediterranean coast, accompanied by a slight eleva- 

 tion from the latitude of El (lisr, southward/ we find that 

 the primitive prehistoric immigrant tribes that had come 

 from a northern region, and had settled as independent 

 colonies all along the valley of the Nile, were, in time 

 subjugated by another and stronger race,^ coming from the 

 East, or land of Poun-t.^ It is only now that we find any- 

 thing like a concentrated government, and the establishment 

 of a monarchy. The first historic dynasty began about 

 4<SU0 B.C., and ]\Ianetho gives the name of the first king as 

 Mena, the word itself meaning " the establisher." 



The name may have been given to him in recognition of 

 the power and ability he displayed by bringing all these 

 different colonies under the rule of a central government. 

 The exploits of Mena, as recorded by Manetho, throw 

 considerable light on the physical conditions and climate of 

 Egypt at this early date. 



The cataract at Siisilis had either broken through, or had 

 become gradually worn away, thus liberating the large 

 body of water which had been impounded above it, and so 

 diminishing the rainfall in the vicinity. Before this water 

 was liberated, a large amount of alluvium was deposited 

 for probably 1,000-1,400 years, and it may be mentioned as 

 an interesting fact, that these large tracts of land then left 

 high and dry, now only await the magic touch of irriga- 

 tion to become highly productive. The cataract (granitic) 

 at Assouan was still high (100 feet higher than now) and a 

 branch of the river swept round by the still existing 

 ancient quarries and re-entered the main channel a little to 

 the north of Assouan, making Assouan an island. The 

 cataract at Semneh was also intact, making Ethiopia an 

 extensive lake district. Many of the other cataracts how- 

 ever had given ^vay, and were now only I'apids. Notwith- 

 standing the emptying of many of these inland lakes and 

 consequent destruction of vegetation, the rainfall must still 

 have been considerable in those regions that are now rain- 

 less. Mena with his followers seems to have entered the 

 valley of the Nile by way of Arabia, and the Red Sea. 

 His first seat of government was at This or Abydos, 



