THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. 685 
m the land of Zoan*, and his obfervations fhould have reach- 
ed no further, becaufe they are not fact, but fanciful imagi- 
nations of his own; not from any bad intention, but becaufe 
he never was in the way of being better informed, but de- 
termined not to-abandon afyftem he had once formed.. 
Heroporus+t mentions, that in the time of Maris, whem 
the minimum came to be 8 Samian cubits, all Egypt below 
Memphis was overflowed, but that m his days it took. 16 
cubits, or at leaft 15, to put the fame land in like condition 
for cultivation;;or, in other words, the minimum, when they 
paid their meery, was 16, or at leaft 15 cubits in his time; 
and the uncertainty of thefe two terms fhews, that there 
were unaccountable inequalities, even in his days, as we. 
fhall find there have been ever fince. But I muft here beg’ 
leave to afk, why. we fhould: believe Herodotus knew the: 
management of the Nilometer more than: travellers. have 
done fince, as he tells us conftantly throughout this part of: 
his hiftory, that. when he inquired of the priefts concerning: 
the Nile, they would tell him nothing about itt? 
In Meris’s'time there were great lakes dug; as Herodo-- 
tus fays ||, to carry off the fuperfluous water, to what place: 
is not faid, but furely into the defert for the ufe of the Arabs. 
Now, unlefs we knew’ what time thefe lakes were opened 
to receive the ftream, we do not know whether it was the: 
evacuation by the lake, or fcarcity of the water that impe- 
ded the rife of: the. Nile. upon the Nilometer. We have no 
account. 
* Pfaln luxviii. ver. 12. ++ Herod. eut. fed. 13. { Herod. lib. ii. fect. 19, 
|| Herod, lib, ii, fe&. 4. 104. and.149, 
