680 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
fion has thereupon followed. Dr Arbuthnot * fays, that 
there are two cubits in fcripture, the one, 1 foot g inches, 
and +4‘. parts of an inch, according to our meafure, being 
the 4th part of a fathom, twice the {pan, and fix times the 
palm. The other is equal to 1 foot “4+; parts of a foot, 
or the goodth part of a ftadium. I fhall not inquire in- 
to the grounds he goes on; I believe, however, that neither 
are precifely the ancient cubit of the eaft, but both are too 
large; at leaft the Fgyptian I found to be very exadly 
1 foot 52 inches, which is 2 inches more than father Mer- 
fenne + has made his Hebrew cubit. But this is of lefs 
confequence to us now, becaufe Herodotus { informs us, 
that in his time, and probably at the firft inftitution of a Ni- 
lometer, the meafure was the Samian cubit, which is about 
18 inches Englifh, or half an inch lefs than the ancient cubit. 
Tue reader will then confider, that the divifions of this 
Nilometer were a reprefentation of certain facts: That the 
Nile’s reaching to fuch a divifion correfponded to a certain 
quantity of corn that was fown, a proportion of the produce 
of which was to be paid to the king, the reft to go to the 
landlord and the labourer. 
Tue Nilometer then afcertained the contract between 
king and people on thefe terms, That, in the event of fo 
much corn being produced by the land of Fgypt, fucha 
tribute was to be paid: But, in cafe a certain quantity of 
‘ground, lefs than that, was overflowed, or, which is the fame 
thing, a lIefler quantity of grain was produced, then the 
4 king: 
© Encyclop. voce Cubit. + Vide Encyclop. yoce Cubit. { Herod. lib. ii. fet, 168. p. IAS: 
