Ch. viii. different Parts of Africa. 161 



The same may be said of the once flourishing 

 %nd populous country of Egypt. Its present de- 

 pressed state has not been caused by the weaken- 

 ing of the principle of increase, but by the weak- 

 ening of the principle of industry and foresight, 

 from the insecurity of property consequent on 

 a most tyrannical and oppressive government. 

 The principle of increase in Egypt at present 

 does all that is possible for it to do. It keeps 

 the population fully up to the level of the means 

 of subsistence ; and, were its power ten times 

 greater than it really is, it could do no more. 



The remains of ancient works, the vast lakes, 

 canals and large conduits for water destined to 

 keep the Nile under control, serving as reservoirs 

 to supply a dry year, and as drains and outlets 

 to prevent the superabundance of water in wet 

 years, sufficiently indicate to us that the former 

 inhabitants of Egypt by art and industry contrived 

 to fertilize a much greater quantity of land from 

 the overflowings of their river, than is done at pre- 

 sent ; and to prevent, in some measure, the dis- 

 tresses which are now so frequently experienced 

 from a redundant or insufficient inundation.* It 

 is said of the, governor Petronius, that, effecting 

 by art what was denied by nature, he caused abun- 

 dance to prevail in Egypt under the disadvantages 

 of such a deficient inundation, as had always be- 

 fore been accompanied by dearth.f A flood too 



* Bruce, vol. iii. c. xvii. p. 710. 



+ Voyage de Volney, torn, i. c. iii. p. 33. Svo. 



VOL. I. M 



