From the parlour-window thrown; When the woodman shelter seeketh, Doth the traveller assail; Thou art seen, thou art seen, Like a pearl-drop sprigged with green, A rare and costly gem, From winter's diadem Torn by the passing gale. Thou art a type of meekness That to its mother's breast, Scripture Bistaries. JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN; OR, THE GOOD [CONTINUED FROM PAGE 62.] THE RIVER NILE: E purpose saying a few words about the river Nile, the annual overflow of which has such an influence in producing the usual plenty of the land of Egypt, where Joseph, in our last chapter, you will remember, was selling corn to the people, in consequence of the famine. This river takes its rise from two springs in Abyssinia, it is increased by a number of rivulets running into it, and after passing through Ethiopia and Egypt northward, finally empties itself in the Mediterranean Sea. It seldom rains in Egypt, and this river which waters the whole country by its regular overflow, supplies that want, by bringing a regular yearly quantity of the rains of other countries. In order to make proper use of so wise a provision of nature, the country has been cut up into a number of canals, so as to send the water over different parts of the land, according as it was required. The river thus carried fertility everywhere with its streams; the fields were delivered up to its influence,and cities that were raised with immense labour, stood like islands in the midst of the waters,-they looked down with joy on the plains which were overflowed; and, at the same time, enriched by the Nile. We will now say a word or two about the inundations of this wonderful river, which is the source of Egypt's fertility now, and the stoppage of which was, in Joseph's time, the cause of such deep distress and famine. The cause of the inundations is attributable to the heavy rains which fall in Abyssinia and Ethiopia, from whence this river flows; these rains swell the river to such a degree, that Ethiopia first, and then Egypt, is overflowed; and that which was at first but a large river, rises like a sea, and overspreads the whole country. The rains begin to fall in the month of April, and continue during five months, until the end of August or the beginning of September. The increase of the Nile's waters in Egypt begins three weeks or a month after the rains have fallen in Abyssinia, so that the overflowing takes place regularly from about the 15th June, to the 17th September, when it begins to decrease. The ordinary height of the inundation is 13 cubits (a cubit is about 18 inches); when the waters do not reach this height, they cannot overflow the whole of the land; nor is that which is overflowed sufficiently saturated. If the waters exceed 16 cubits, they are detained so long on the land that the seed time is in danger of being lost. If the water rise only 12 cubits, famine is the consequence; at 13 cubits, hunger prevails; 14, produces general rejoicing; 15, perfect security; and 16, all the luxuries of life. Now the Nile could not, of itself, cover the whole country, great labour has been used to facilitate the overflowing of the lands; the large number of canals before alluded to convey the water to all parts. The villages which stand very thick on the banks of the Nile, on eminences, have each their canals; which are opened at proper times, to let the water into the country. The more distant villages have theirs also, even to the extremities of the kingdom. Persons are not permitted to cut trenches to receive the waters, until the river rises to a certain height; nor to open them all together; if they did, some lands would be too much overflowed, others not enough; they begin by opening them in Upper Egypt, first, and afterwards, in Lower Egypt, according to the rules prescribed in a book,—in which all the measures are exactly set down. The countries overflowed by the Nile are so extensive, and lie so low, and the number of canals are so great, that, of all the waters which flow into Egypt during June, July, and August, not a tenth part reaches ths sea. There are, however, very high lands, that cannot be watered in the above way; this want is supplied by spiral, (or screw) pumps, turned by oxen, to bring the water into pipes, which convey it into these high lands. The soil of Egypt is as fruitful as any in the world: other rivers, when they overflow lands, wash away, or extract their life-giving moisture: the Nile, on the contrary, by the excellent slime it brings along with it, fattens and enriches the lands in such a manner, as to make up for what the foregoing harvest had impaired. The husbandman does not need the plough; as soon as the Nile returns, he has nothing to do but turn up the earth, and mix it with a little sand, in order to lessen its rankness; after which he sows it with great ease, and with little or no expense; two months after, it is covered with all sorts of corn. The Egyptians generally sow in October and November, according as the waters draw off; their harvest is in March and April. The same land bears, in one year, three or four different kinds of crops; lettuces and cucumbers are sown first, then corn; and after harvest, several sorts of grain peculiar to Egypt. The Nile contributes no less to the nourishment of cattle, which is a source of wealth to Egypt; the people turn them out to grass in November, and they graze until the end of March; on account of the mildness of the air, they are out day and night; during the inundations, they are |