— 98 — 
To enable one to compare these figures which are in metres and 
referred to mean low water level, with the gauges as recorded at 
present, I add the following table : — 
ASSUAN 
CAIRO 
Real 
gauge 
in metres. 
Gauge 
as recorded 
in cubits 
and 24ths. 
Real 
gauge 
in metres. 
Gauge 
as recorded 
in cubits 
and 24ths. 
Real 
gauge 
in metres. 
Gauge 
as recorded 
in cubits 
and 24ths. 
Real 
gauge 
in metres. 
Gauge 
as recorded 
in cubits 
and 24ths. 
Cubits. 
24ths. 
Cubits. 
24ths. 
Cubits. 
24ths. 
Cubits. 
24 ths. 
0.0 
1 
13 
5.0 
10 
20 
0.0 
6 
9 
5.0 
15 
19 
.5 
2 
12 
.5 
11 
18 
.5 
7 
7 
.5 
17 
12 
1.0 
3 
10 
6.0 
12 
16 
1.0 
8 
5 
6.0 
19 
8 
.5 
4 
8 
.5 
13 
14 
.5 
9 
4 
.5 
21 
4 
2.0 
5 
6 
7.0 
14 
12 
2.0 
10 
2 
7.0 
22 
12 
.5 
6 
4 
.5 
15 
11 
.5 
11 
0 
.5 
23 
10 
3.0 
7 
3 
8.0 
16 
9 
3.0 
12 
0 
8.0 
24 
9 
.5 
8 
1 
.5 
17 
7 
.5 
13 
0 
.5 
25 
7 
4.0 
8 
23 
9.0 
18 
5 
4.0 
13 
23 
9.0 
26 
5 
.5 
9 
21 
.5 
14 
21 
16 cubits at Assuan corresponds to 7.8 metres. 
16 cubits at Cairo corresponds to 5.1 
metres. 
17 „ 
99 : 
i) 
99 : 
„ 8.3 
99 
22 „ 
99 
99 
99 
„ 6.7 
•9 
18 „ 
jji 9 
99 9 
„ 8.9 
99 
23 „ 
99 
99 
99 
„ 7.3 
99 
24 „ 
99 
„ 
99 
„ 7.8 
99 
25 „ 
99 
99 
„ 8.3 
A cubit is known in E 
gypt as a 
pic. 
25* „ 
99 
” 
99 
„ 8.6 
99 
The flood of 1874 was an early one and the basins were discharged 
on a falling Nile, still they raised the Cairo gauge to 8*7 metres on the 
5th October while it would have risen to 8*5 on the 15th September 
with perennial irrigation. The flood of 1878 was an exceedingly late 
one and the basins had to be discharged while the river was still very 
high. By the 10th October, the river had risen to 8*7 metres at Cairo 
when the banks were breached and all future rise stopped. With 
perennial irrigation, the maximum gauge of 8*6 metres would have 
been reached on the 10th October. The flood of 1892 was at Assuan 
10 centimetres below that of 1874 and 20 centimetres below that of 
1878, and midway between them in point of time. It was also under 
complete control owing to the new regulating works on the basins. It 
rose to 8*4 metres at Cairo on the 5th October and fell exceedingly 
slowly. With perennial irrigation, it would have risen to 8 '4 at Cairo 
on the 30th September and then fallen rapidly. 
Speaking generally, we may say that with perennial irrigation the 
very high floods at Cairo will be 15 days in advance of what they are 
