DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11637#0349
and lower egypt. $21
A large canal, opening a little above Old Cairo,
crosses the middle of the city from the west to the
north-east: over this are bridges in different places,
with a row of houses on each side of them. Ptolemy
ascribes the construction of this canal to Trajan :
but there can be no doubt, that it is of higher
antiquity than the time when the Roman Emperor
reigned, and that it is the work of the Pharaohs.
Its bed is cased with marble, according to the
Arabic historians: but at present this superb floor-
ing is covered thick with mud. The Nile no
longer flows through it, except during the months
of August, September, and October. With its
waters it fills large squares, which at this period
form lakes, surrounded by the houses of the great.
Boats richly decorated float on them by the light
of torches and illuminations, while artificial fire-
works seem to set both air and water in a blaze.
Bands of musicians row about, and a great con-
course of people, repairing to these places to re-
fresh themselves with the cool evening air, convert
these spacious basins into the delightful scats of
pleasure and festivity. But the canal half choked
up, does not allow this to be of long duration.
These inundated squares, so pleasing to the eye,
soon become stinking marshes, plains of mud and
slime,which in a short time appear to the astonished
spectator covered with golden harvests and the
verdure of culinary vegetables and forage.
vol. ii. y The
A large canal, opening a little above Old Cairo,
crosses the middle of the city from the west to the
north-east: over this are bridges in different places,
with a row of houses on each side of them. Ptolemy
ascribes the construction of this canal to Trajan :
but there can be no doubt, that it is of higher
antiquity than the time when the Roman Emperor
reigned, and that it is the work of the Pharaohs.
Its bed is cased with marble, according to the
Arabic historians: but at present this superb floor-
ing is covered thick with mud. The Nile no
longer flows through it, except during the months
of August, September, and October. With its
waters it fills large squares, which at this period
form lakes, surrounded by the houses of the great.
Boats richly decorated float on them by the light
of torches and illuminations, while artificial fire-
works seem to set both air and water in a blaze.
Bands of musicians row about, and a great con-
course of people, repairing to these places to re-
fresh themselves with the cool evening air, convert
these spacious basins into the delightful scats of
pleasure and festivity. But the canal half choked
up, does not allow this to be of long duration.
These inundated squares, so pleasing to the eye,
soon become stinking marshes, plains of mud and
slime,which in a short time appear to the astonished
spectator covered with golden harvests and the
verdure of culinary vegetables and forage.
vol. ii. y The