die Niter, which the Nile is ftored with, is the caufe of all thefc 
llraiige efFedts, andof many others, by him allcdged. For, 
(aith when the Nitre is heated by the heat of the Sun, it fer- 
ments, and mingling with the water, troubles it, and fwelis it, 
and n^akes it pafs beyond its banks 3 after the fame manner, as 
the Spirits in new Wine render it troubled, and make it boyle 
in the veffeh And it feems not likely to him, that the Mud, 
found in the N^7(?, 'fliould come a far off^ for then it would at 
lall foraife the banks of this River, thatit would not be able to 
over flow them any longer. Whereas 'tis more than 2000 years, 
that the banks thereof are not grown higher, there being now 
requifite but 16. cubits for overflowing the Land, no more 
than there was in the time of Herodotus. Which (hews, faith he^ 
that this Mud is nothing but a volatilN/^^r,which exhalingjdoth 
not increafe the Earth. As for the Egyptian Dew, and the in- 
creafe of the weight of the Mud, he adfcribes them to the fame 
Caufe. For, the fpirits of Nitre abounding in ih^Nzle^ when 
rsifed into the Air with the vapors, that exhale continually 
from this River, there is made out of their mixture, a Dew, 
that refreflies the Air, makes ficknefs to ceafe, and produces 
all thofe admirable efFedls, that make the jEgyptians wifhfor 
it fo paffionately. And the fame fpirits of Niter,bcingjoyn- 
ed to the Pafle, and to the Mud, raife the one, and augment 
the weight of the other. That, which Mr. Buratini ohkxwtSy 
that at the time of this inundation, the Niter-pits of the neigh- 
bouring places vomit out liquid Niter, and that one may fee 
iflue out of the Earth abundance of Chryfl:als of Nitre, is al- 
ledged to fortify this conjedure^* Which is yet more confirm'd 
by the Fertility, communicated to the Earth by the Mud of this 
River. For, plants do grow there in fuch abundance, that 
they would choak one another , if it were not remedied by 
throwing Sand upon the Fields i infomuch that the Egyptians 
mull take as much pains to fpread Sand to leflTen the fatnefs of 
their Land, as other Nations do, to fpread dung or other ma?, 
nure upon theirs to increafe the fatnefs. 
In the Vounh and fifth, the Author undertakes to prove, that 
allthofe ftrangsefFeits cannot be attributed to Rain or Snow, 
and 
