690 TRAVELS TO DISCOVER 
Arabian Gulf, and thence to Yambo, the port of Medina on 
that gulf. | 3 
Tue traitor Greeks, who had delivered the country to the 
Saracens. had probably informed him of the great plenty 
which conftantly reigned in Egypt, and which every body 
had an opportunity of knowing by the cheapnefs of grain. 
at the market. 
Omar thought that a larger tribute was due to put the 
conquerors a little more upon a footing with the conquered ; 
for Egypt, which had once 20,000 cities, had not then the 
tenth part of them. Having therefore a larger extent to culti- 
vate, with the fame quantity of water,it produced more grain,. 
and at the fame time having fewer people to. eat it, nothing 
was lefs oppreffive than that.a part of the furplus of the pro- 
duce fhould go in augmentation of the tribute. For this 
purpofe, following the very weak lights of his own judg- 
ment, he. introduced a different meafure on the Nilometer, | 
and the confequence of that meafure, impofed by a conquer- 
or, affected the people (not reflecting upon their decreafe in 
population) fo much, that they.prepared to fly the country; 
from which it immediately would have followed, that all 
Egypt would have lain defolate and uncultivated, and all 
Arabia been ftarved.. 
Tury were perfectly acquainted with their ancient mea- 
{ure, and it is probable that Omar made an exceffive addi- 
tion by the new Nilometers which he had erected; fo that 
faith being thereby broken between the government and peo- 
-ple, the Egyptians fet about watching the Nile upon the Nilo- 
meter with iis new meafure, as the only way of being inform- 
ed when poverty or famine was to overtake them. This being 
cer a | se told. 
