102 DE. GRANT BEY^ 



was 125 miles in circumference, and more anciently was much 

 larger. It is said to have even engulfed a whole wing of 

 the army of Ochus king of Persia (340 B.C.). It is now an 

 insignificant lake having little or no perceptible effect on 

 the climate in its neighbourhood. 



Lake Aboukir has recently been drained and its bed is 

 now being cultivated. This will do away with the malarious 

 swamps in its vicinity, and render this part of the country 

 once more healthy. 



I cannot close this paper without saying something about 

 the influence of the condition of the Isthmus of ISuez on the 

 climate of Lower Egypt. 



In even late geological times Ave have seen that Africa was 

 an island, so that the Isthmus of Suez is of recent formation. 

 While " the tongue " of the Red Sea still came as far north 

 as El Gisr it increased the rainfall in Lower Egypt and 

 modified the climate in its vicinity. AVhen it dried up, 

 naturally the rainfall depending on it, ceased. 



This is proved by the fact that since the refilling of the 

 Bitter Lakes, and opening of the Suez Maritime Canal in 

 1869, we are having a greater rainfall in Lower Egypt. 

 No doubt this is also influenced by a more extensive irriga- 

 tion and planting of trees which the Government is wisely 

 encouraging. This however brings me to speak of the climate 

 of Modern Egypt, which 1 have discussed elsewhere.^^ 



NOTES. 



' All areas of great deposition tend to be areas of subsidence, hence the 

 highland of El Gisr has in modern geological time been the axis on which 

 the isthmus has oscillated ; the south side rising, the north side sinking. 



■^ These two races had not amalgamated at the beginning of the 

 IVth Dynasty (4034 n.c.) as in the tombs of this period, Professor Dr. 

 Flinders Peirie noticed that the bodies of those he judged were the 

 subservient race, were desiccated in a doubled up form, like the ancient 

 Inca Indians, lying with their heads to the north, and their faces to the 

 east — while those he judged were the ruling race were buried full length. 

 The skeletons of these two primitive divergent human tyiies are now 

 being studied at the museum of the Royal C'ollege of Surgeons, London, 

 and before long we may hope to have more light thrown on the subject. 



' Poun, according to Brugsch, means " East," but, according to othei-s, 

 it means " Red." The name was applied in later times to the southern 

 part of Arabia, and the Somali country, and no doubt, as the ancient 

 Egyptian tradition was that their forefathers came in tliis way to settle 

 in K£ry])t, Arabia was always referred to in the hieroglypliic text, as the 

 Ta-N liter (the Holy Land). For there is no doubt now that IMena and 

 his followers brought with them a purer worship of the Sun than they 



