THE SOURCE OF THE NILE 697 
that the inundation fhould retire in time to leave the far- 
mer the ground firm enough for plowing and fowing. 
Let any one read what I have already quoted from Stra- 
‘bo; it is juft what I have here repeated, but in fewer 
words. Let him confider how fair an experiment this of 
Petronius was, that by re-eftablifhing the works of Mezris, 
and putting the inundation to the fame profit that Maris 
did, he found the fame quantity of water overflow the fame 
quantity of ground, and confequently, that the land of 
Egypt had not been raifed an inch from Meris’s time to 
that of Petronius, above 1400 years. bales 
Now the fecond part of the queftion comes, what differ- 
ence of meafure was made by the Saracens, and how does 
it now ftand, after that period, as to the fuppofed rife of a 
foot in a hundred years? It is now above 1100 years fince 
the + firft of the Hegira, and near goo years fince the erec- 
tion of the prefent Mikeas, which being equal to the period 
between Meris and Herodotus, and again to that between 
Herodotus and Julian, we thould begin to be certain if any 
fuch increafe in the land has ever, from-Mzris to the pre- 
fent time, been indicated by the Nilometer. 
Tue reader will perhaps be furprifed, at whatI am going 
to advance, That thofe writers, as well as their fupporters 
who have pronounced fo pofitively on this fibje@t, have not 
furnifhed themfelves with the data which are abfolutely 
neceffary to folve this queftion, Quantity is only to be af- 
Voit. .i+., 4.T Five Moe Cerrained 
7 A.C. 622. 
