THE NILOMETER.
‘ On the point of the island Rhoda, between Geeza and Cairo,
near the middle of the river, but nearer to Geeza, is a round
tower, and in that an apartment, in the middle of which is a very
neat well, or cistern, lined with marble, to which the N ile has free
access, through a large opening like an embrasure, the bottom of
the well being on the same level with the bottom of the river.
In the middle of this well rises a thin column, as far as I can remember,
of eight faces of blue and white marble, to the foot of
which if you are permitted to descend, you are then on the same
plane with the foot of the column and bottom of the river. This
pillar is divided into twenty peeks, called Araa el belledy, of
twenty-two inches each. The two lowermost peeks are not divided
at all, but are left absolutely without mark, to stand for the
quantity of sludge the water deposites there, and which occupies
the place of water. Two peeks are then divided on the right
hand into twenty-four digits each; then, on the left, four peeks
are divided each into twenty-four digits; then, on the right, four;
and, on the left, another four; again, four on the right, which
complete the number of eighteen peeks from the first division
marked on the pillar, each of twenty-two inches. The whole,
marked and unmarked, amounts to thirty-six feet eight inches
english.’
When this country was conquered by the turks, a tribute was
imposed upon it. All it’s wealth, however, consisting in it’s proTurar
of th e f f a o M T M