DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4023#0103
AND NUBIA. $7
kingdom lias been asslicted, have caufed every thing to sall into such a decay,
that, is extreme necesllty did not oblige the Arabs to work, in less than a century
Egypt would be reduced to as sad a condition as Little Barbary, in the neigh-
bourhood os the Catarads, where they plough and cultivate no surther than twenty
or thirty paces os land, on the border os the river.
The methods I have mentioned confift in banks, and in califchs, or canals,
that they cut or dig in places where the border os the Nile is low. These ca-
nals they carry quite to the mountains, across whole provinces; so that, when
the Nile increafes, its water enters into thefe calischs, which convey it within the
country, in proportion to the height os the river. When the river has swoln
to its pitch, and diffused its waters on the sursace of the ground, they then
think of retaining them for fome time, in order that the earth may be sussici-
ently foaked. For this purpofe, they make banks, called gijfer, which hinder
the water from flowing oss, and confine it, as long as they judge proper. At
length, when the earth is fufficiently moiflened, they cut the gifer, to sacili-
tate the running off of the waters.
All thehappiness and prosperity os a province depends on the good direction
os the califchs; but as every one endeavours to get a profit by them, infomuch
that the bey of Gize gets actually more than five hundred purfes ' a year, the
califchs sall, here and there, into great decay; which is the reafon, that the
fertility of the ground diminishes in proportion.
The conqueft os Egypt S in one fingle campaign, by Selim I, emperor os Conquest os
the Turks, about the year 1517, made him entirely matter of this kingdom, ^M\
but did not give him an entire fecurity of the obedience of its inhabitants. The
tipper Egypt particularly, that had not felt the force of the conqueror's arm,
and that was governed by several Arab princes, had acknowledged him for maf-
ter only with the view of avoiding the defolation os the country. The conque-
ror was not ignorant of thisj and he judged rightly, that thofe, whom his pre-
sence kept under the yoke, would very foon efcape from it, when he was with-
drawn, unlefs he provided againft it, by eftablifliing there a sorm of govern-
ment capable of fecurihg to him the poffelTion of the country, and of desend-
lng it in cafe of need.
; F. Vansleb/^, " That a single purse is worth young and handsome •, who, in order to carry on a
sive hundred French crowns." love intrigue with one of the queen's attendants,
k Morjieur Maillet gives a long account os the had difguifed himfelf in the habit of a female flave.
c°nques? of Egypt by the Caliphs os Asrica, in the year The queen was fmitten with the female ssave in
97o, occafioned by a difappointment in love ; the fum of disguise, took her into the palace, and cauied all
^bat he has [aid, 1(loall contrail into as fmall a compafs the fame honours and respect to be paid ner as
as Ican. J ' J to herfels. This queen had the fame passion
. "At the time that Mees-ledin-allah reigned as Sappho is said to have had lor the _Lelbian
ln Africa, Egypt was governed by a young queen, maids. She grew fo defperately sond os this feem-
*ho was fo wonderful a beauty, that all were her ing female Have, that she committed the greateft
flaves that faw or heard os her. The report of her indecencies in publick, and disgusted her own sub-
?arms had captivated Mees-ledin-allah, who jects. Mees-ledin-allah when he heard of it,
fe™ a magnificent embafiy to offer her his heart and was fo enraged at her flight of him, and the injurious
emPire. °She reiecled both with fcorn. In the preference of a female Have that he sent^a power-
train of the ambaffador was a painter, a Frenchman, sul army and fubdued the whole country. ,
Q_
Ever
kingdom lias been asslicted, have caufed every thing to sall into such a decay,
that, is extreme necesllty did not oblige the Arabs to work, in less than a century
Egypt would be reduced to as sad a condition as Little Barbary, in the neigh-
bourhood os the Catarads, where they plough and cultivate no surther than twenty
or thirty paces os land, on the border os the river.
The methods I have mentioned confift in banks, and in califchs, or canals,
that they cut or dig in places where the border os the Nile is low. These ca-
nals they carry quite to the mountains, across whole provinces; so that, when
the Nile increafes, its water enters into thefe calischs, which convey it within the
country, in proportion to the height os the river. When the river has swoln
to its pitch, and diffused its waters on the sursace of the ground, they then
think of retaining them for fome time, in order that the earth may be sussici-
ently foaked. For this purpofe, they make banks, called gijfer, which hinder
the water from flowing oss, and confine it, as long as they judge proper. At
length, when the earth is fufficiently moiflened, they cut the gifer, to sacili-
tate the running off of the waters.
All thehappiness and prosperity os a province depends on the good direction
os the califchs; but as every one endeavours to get a profit by them, infomuch
that the bey of Gize gets actually more than five hundred purfes ' a year, the
califchs sall, here and there, into great decay; which is the reafon, that the
fertility of the ground diminishes in proportion.
The conqueft os Egypt S in one fingle campaign, by Selim I, emperor os Conquest os
the Turks, about the year 1517, made him entirely matter of this kingdom, ^M\
but did not give him an entire fecurity of the obedience of its inhabitants. The
tipper Egypt particularly, that had not felt the force of the conqueror's arm,
and that was governed by several Arab princes, had acknowledged him for maf-
ter only with the view of avoiding the defolation os the country. The conque-
ror was not ignorant of thisj and he judged rightly, that thofe, whom his pre-
sence kept under the yoke, would very foon efcape from it, when he was with-
drawn, unlefs he provided againft it, by eftablifliing there a sorm of govern-
ment capable of fecurihg to him the poffelTion of the country, and of desend-
lng it in cafe of need.
; F. Vansleb/^, " That a single purse is worth young and handsome •, who, in order to carry on a
sive hundred French crowns." love intrigue with one of the queen's attendants,
k Morjieur Maillet gives a long account os the had difguifed himfelf in the habit of a female flave.
c°nques? of Egypt by the Caliphs os Asrica, in the year The queen was fmitten with the female ssave in
97o, occafioned by a difappointment in love ; the fum of disguise, took her into the palace, and cauied all
^bat he has [aid, 1(loall contrail into as fmall a compafs the fame honours and respect to be paid ner as
as Ican. J ' J to herfels. This queen had the fame passion
. "At the time that Mees-ledin-allah reigned as Sappho is said to have had lor the _Lelbian
ln Africa, Egypt was governed by a young queen, maids. She grew fo defperately sond os this feem-
*ho was fo wonderful a beauty, that all were her ing female Have, that she committed the greateft
flaves that faw or heard os her. The report of her indecencies in publick, and disgusted her own sub-
?arms had captivated Mees-ledin-allah, who jects. Mees-ledin-allah when he heard of it,
fe™ a magnificent embafiy to offer her his heart and was fo enraged at her flight of him, and the injurious
emPire. °She reiecled both with fcorn. In the preference of a female Have that he sent^a power-
train of the ambaffador was a painter, a Frenchman, sul army and fubdued the whole country. ,
Q_
Ever