of the Deposits of the Nile Delta, obtained by Boring, 33 



inittee have received the most valuable aid from the Secretary of 

 State for War, the Inspector-General of Fortifications, and the 

 officers of the detachment of the Royal Engineers attached to the 

 Army of Occupation in Egypt ; and their thanks are especially due to 

 Colonel Turner, R.E., Captain Dickenson, R.E., Lieutenant Godly, 

 E.E., and Corporal Bellinger, R.E. To the Egyptian Railway Admini- 

 stration the Committee is indebted for permission to choose a site for 

 boring on their land, and for much assistance given from time to 

 time. 



Zagazig having been chosen by the Royal Society Committee as a 

 suitable site for the next attempt to penetrate the delta deposits, a 

 Legrand-and-Sutcliffe boring apparatus, which had already been set 

 up and tested at Kasr-el-Nil, was brought to the selected locality, and 

 arrangements were made for carrying the boring to the depth of 

 100 feet with a 5-inch lining tube, and to another 100 feet with a 

 4-inch tube. It was considered certain at that time — and many 

 published statements supported the belief — that the solid rock of the 

 Nile Valley could, not fail to be met with at a depth of less than 

 200 feet. The spot where the boring commenced had an elevation of 

 26 feet 1 inch above the sea-level at Alexandria, as determined by 

 the Egyptian Public Works Department. 



A pit having been dug to the depth of 8 feet, and a platform 

 erected over it, the 5-inch pipes w^ere driven in and carried without 

 any great difficulty to a depth of 97 feet from the surface. At this 

 depth a 4-inch pipe was driven within the other, and the boring 

 operations were proceeded with. When, however, a depth of 

 190 feet 6 inches had been reached, it was found impossible to drive 

 the pipe farther, its bottom being still in a quicksand. Thus the 

 work, which had been commenced on May 7, 1886, had to be discon- 

 tinued on August 14 of the same year. 



On the recommendation of Captain Dickenson, R.E., who had so 

 ably and successfully directed these operations, it was decided by the 

 Delta Committee to resume the work at this borehole in the follow* 

 ing year, with a 3-inch pipe. The necessary apparatus having been 

 sent out, the work was resumed on April 21, 1887, and by vigorous 

 and skilful efforts carried to a depth of 339 feet 6 inches. 



At that point, however, it was found impossible to drive the 3-inch 

 pipe farther, but a rod was pushed down 5 feet 6 inches without 

 reaching solid rock : the exploration thus attained a total depth from 

 the surface of 345 feet, or 319 feet below the sea-level. 



From the surface to a depth of 115 feet the strata passed through 

 in the Zagazig boring closely resembled those already reported 

 upon as occurring in the three earlier borings of Kasr-el-Nil, 

 Kafr-ez-Zayat and Tantah, and consisted of alternations of desert- 

 sand and Nile-mud. All the samples sent home have been carefully 



VOL. LXI. D 



