DAMIETTA, 
137 
its lofty stalk above the waters, like the king of 
aquatic plants, and expands its large calyx of an 
azure blue or brilliant white colour. The Nile 
of Damietta, at its greatest breadth, seldom ex- 
ceeds seven hundred yards, and sometimes con- 
tracts itself to one hundred, while its depth varies 
from three to twenty-four feet. Though situated 
on one of the chief branches of the Nile, Damietta 
is not mentioned by any writer of high antiquity. 
Tamiathis is indeed mentioned by Stephanus 
Byzantinus, as the name of a city of Egypt ; but 
it is conjectured that he applied this denomina- 
tion to the district of Tamieh in Upper Egypt. 
It is, however, certain, that the modern town is 
built at a greater distance from the mouth of 
the river than the ancient city, which was the 
scene of so many obstinate conflicts between the 
crusaders and the Arabs. After the departure of 
St Louis, the Arabs being menaced with a new 
invasion, apprehensive that the city was fated to 
be the constant scene of war, razed it to the 
ground. A new city arose at some distance, and 
was at first termed Manchie, but afterwards ac- 
quired the ancient appellation. The mouth of 
this branch of the Nile is rendered dangerous to 
mariners by sand-banks or bars, which are deno- 
minated bogas. The Phatmetic mouth of the 
Nile is distant from the Sebennitic about thirty- 
two G. miles. 
