682 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
ted land. But the 8000 feet that ftill remained were 
not equally ufelefs, though not overflowed by the inunda- 
tion; for 4000 of the 8000, which lay by the bank of the ri- 
ver, could be overflowed by machines, and by the labour of 
man, when, for a certain time, the river was high enough 
to be within reach of machinery; fo that the value of this 
4000 feet to the farmer was equal to the firft, minus-the ex- 
pence and trouble it coft him for watering it by labour; for 
this, then, he paid one aa of the rent only te to the land- 
- dor. 
as ” 
Now, though it was known that the whole farm was: 
12,000 feet, yet, till it was meafured, no one could fay how 
much of that would be overflowed by the Nile alone, and 
fo manured without expence; how much was to be water- 
ed by labour, and fo pay half rent; and how much was to: 
be incapable of any fuch cultivation, and for that year e+ 
qually ufelefs to landlord and tenant. 1 {peak not of a fact 
that happened in antiquity, but one that is neceflary and. 
in practice at this very hour; and though a man, by this 
menfuration, attains to the knowledge of what his farm 
produe¢es this fame year, this is no general rule, as his cul- 
tivated land next year may be doubled, or perhaps reduced 
to one-fourth ; and his neighbour, on the other fide of the 
Nile, may in his farm make up the correfpondent deficien- 
cy, or excefs; and the average quantity produced by them. 
both being the fame, the degree of the pica will be 
the fame likewife. i 
From this it is obvious to infer, that there are two points- 
of great advantage to the tenant: The one is, when it is 
4 ‘eat. 
