.as the'Nile'has in different ages worn its way, and are fown with vari-
ous efculent vegetables. The agriculture Is of the fimpleft kind, the
.chief article being wheat with barley for the horfes j oats being fcarcely
known in AhayOr Africa, In the delta rice % the chief grainy with
marxe and lentils j nor are feme kinds of clover unknown. The lands
chiefly belong to the government or to the mofks, • The tenants are not
reftri&edto the foil; but are at liberty to move on the expiration of a
k M of
The only river of Egypt is the Nile, already defcribed-in the general
view-of Africa. Its greateft breadth, even here, is aboutone-third’ of
a mile ; and the depth about twelve feet: for receiving •
Egypt or the Nubian deferts, it bears .little *of the ufaabcharafteE: -of
.rivers that pervade fo e.xtenfive a courfb.. The. water is muddy, when
it overflows ojf a dirty red; and’doudy even in April and May. The
-river begins to. rife about thexqth of June, the Ab-yffinianrains
having begun in April j and it ceafes in OSobjEv ; It ahotpd^
filh, particularly kinds of fabnon and eels. The hippopotamus1 is
%unknown in Egypt; and even the crocodile reftrifted to the lojith -of
AflBut.
There are feverat extenfive lakes in the northern parts of Egypt, the
largeft being .that of Menzala which communicates with the foa by.pae
e»r two outlets. Next is that of Berelqs, followed ’by* that of r Blko.
Thefe ftagnant -waters at the mouths of the .hKle Team .unknown to
Ttolemy, and to have been produced, or enlarged, by the landy depo-
fitions of the river having raifed the bed of the fea, To lhat thefieka
is diminifhing, inftead of being increafed as dome recent theories affirm
Tbe lake of Mareotis, on the fouth of Alexandria, has however become
.nlmoft dry; though occafionafly, as would feera, moifteoed by inlets
from the fea.* The lake called Kerun, in a curious diftri<3: .of Egypt
forming an excrefcenceto the weft, feems tp be about thirty miles in
length and fix miles in breadth; and has no appearance of being artificial
as fojne fuppofe, the Moeris of antiquity being probably the Bathen, a
long deep canal to the S. E. The Natron lakes muft not be forgotten,
* Mr. Baldwin, Recolle&ions, 1801, izmo..p. 185. mentions the haze and vapour always floating
over this exhaling lake : but p. ,2.03 He fays the lake of .Mareotis is dry.
1 .being
being fb .cadled" front ■ their /produdibn. of .'that kali,, which fnpplies the,
ufe' ofiharilla... ;-Tb'e:k aFe fttuated1 itt- the- defiërt near a remarkable óban-
ftèh foppofëd4o-bW^bfeck.’B^tedtly- atbfâfa^cf thé i Wié; 'aLd ftill
called the Bahr-Belatoe,* osrriv^witB'Put Water'^bfiit. k was- pfofoïly
anjoutlet-- of the lake of KerUn,/i$firófioté a#é$ -before the? debris' had?
become fc extenfive ; fojtth^foems-littJ'è doubt-fhat theydidotcafe ; and’
k is -probable that when Egypt bsaftëd freïrearfy power, th^foouint-ri'ns
wsfet clda|tb^d with vegetation, äüd thé'JSKle ai fas fophriär ftrfeum -
;.:The mountains have been already defcribed as ranging alongffhe
banks o f the Nile,- but chiefly -bfetwcen^tfeat river andifhe^Rred^éa? ' In,
Lower Egypt, and m the weftem-fide ofr tbefijpte^ they feem. to be>
ehâeflyof calcareous fand-ftone, ortwhad^f called'free-ftöhe; feme:per--
kafi® ate ©f aÉ-^llkceoss ànd friiceeus fand-ftone. tThe pyramids are |§g$
neraily ccmftruöfod ©f afoft calcareous* fose^ftonei foil ofihdlsplike that-
ufed at Barh^.and tbe rock on which théy ftand is^öf¥he famé-M'J’
ftanee5. In Upper Egyptthe mountains towards the Red Sea. are por-
Bbfteous and granitic. ©n._gaffirig towards' Goffeir the. rugged and
Ipfty rocks-have a grand and terrific appearance, cpnfifting. chiefly çfi
red granite, and,porphyry red and-green^riie latter being the'pphite or
foake^-ftone of.the* ancients, by a for, more prefer apgdlario^* ag*the
word QorQh^implies xtd or purplec Here; is » alfa found the- celebrated *
ver-de-antico, or green marble with white and dark^fg^ it. arifes in
the neig^bpurbpqdrqf ferpèntine, under a- blue fchiftus. Tke^ej a}f© ’
red and other marbles. Near Syene Boeoeke obferved the quanqès of red'
grämte, whence the ancient obelifks were dug j . their great length being ,
hollowed out from.the rock, in the form offteps, for the-convenience of-
working, and eafy carriage to the Nile^
The,rich valiey.of the Nile has been for fo many, ages under the*dômi-i
nion of man, and can boaft the proud fucceffiomof fo -m-any hundred
harvefts, that it is by no means eafy to diftinguifli its native vegetables
from thofe-which.have been introduced at various -periods for profit or
pleafure,-and have gradually naturalized themfelves in the-foil of Egypt.,-
Wherever the annual inundations extend, a number of- feeds* .brought.
* Brswne, 1 73.,'?
Laites.
Mountains.-
Botany.-
down.