xi。p。299。—M。]
[Footnote127:Ontheseobscurecanals，thereadermaytrytosatisfyhimselffromD\'Anville，Mem。surl\'Egypte，p。108—110，124，132，andalearnedthesis，maintainedandprintedatStrasburgintheyear1770，Jungendorummariumfluviorumquemolimina，p。39—47，68—70。EventhesupineTurkshaveagitatedtheoldprojectofjoiningthetwoseas。MemoiresduBarondeTott，tom。iv。]
Ofhisnewconquest，thecaliphOmarhadanimperfectknowledgefromthevoiceoffameandthelegendsoftheKoran。
HerequestedthathislieutenantwouldplacebeforehiseyestherealmofPharaohandtheAmalekites；andtheanswerofAmrouexhibitsalivelyandnotunfaithfulpictureofthatsingularcountry。^128\"Ocommanderofthefaithful，Egyptisacompoundofblackearthandgreenplants，betweenapulverizedmountainandaredsand。ThedistancefromSyenetotheseaisamonth\'sjourneyforahorseman。Alongthevalleydescendsariver，onwhichtheblessingoftheMostHighreposesbothintheeveningandmorning，andwhichrisesandfallswiththerevolutionsofthesunandmoon。WhentheannualdispensationofProvidenceunlocksthespringsandfountainsthatnourishtheearth，theNilerollshisswellingandsoundingwatersthroughtherealmofEgypt:thefieldsareoverspreadbythesalutaryflood；andthevillagescommunicatewitheachotherintheirpaintedbarks。Theretreatoftheinundationdepositsafertilizingmudforthereceptionofthevariousseeds:thecrowdsofhusbandmenwhoblackenthelandmaybecomparedtoaswarmofindustriousants；
andtheirnativeindolenceisquickenedbythelashofthetask—master，andthepromiseoftheflowersandfruitsofaplentifulincrease。Theirhopeisseldomdeceived；butthericheswhichtheyextractfromthewheat，thebarley，andtherice，thelegumes，thefruit—trees，andthecattle，areunequallysharedbetweenthosewholaborandthosewhopossess。Accordingtothevicissitudesoftheseasons，thefaceofthecountryisadornedwithasilverwave，averdantemerald，andthedeepyellowofagoldenharvest。\"^129Yetthisbeneficialorderissometimesinterrupted；andthelongdelayandsuddenswelloftheriverinthefirstyearoftheconquestmightaffordsomecolortoanedifyingfable。Itissaid，thattheannualsacrificeofavirgin^130hadbeeninterdictedbythepietyofOmar；andthattheNilelaysullenandinactiveinhisshallowbed，tillthemandateofthecaliphwascastintotheobedientstream，whichroseinasinglenighttotheheightofsixteencubits。TheadmirationoftheArabsfortheirnewconquestencouragedthelicenseoftheirromanticspirit。Wemayread，inthegravestauthors，thatEgyptwascrowdedwithtwentythousandcitiesorvillages:^131that，exclusiveoftheGreeksandArabs，theCoptsalonewerefound，ontheassessment，sixmillionsoftributarysubjects，^132ortwentymillionsofeithersex，andofeveryage:thatthreehundredmillionsofgoldorsilverwereannuallypaidtothetreasuryofthecaliphs。^133Ourreasonmustbestartledbytheseextravagantassertions；andtheywillbecomemorepalpable，ifweassumethecompassandmeasuretheextentofhabitableground:avalleyfromthetropictoMemphisseldombroaderthantwelvemiles，andthetriangleoftheDelta，aflatsurfaceoftwothousandonehundredsquareleagues，composeatwelfthpartofthemagnitudeofFrance。^134Amoreaccurateresearchwilljustifyamorereasonableestimate。Thethreehundredmillions，createdbytheerrorofascribe，arereducedtothedecentrevenueoffourmillionsthreehundredthousandpiecesofgold，ofwhichninehundredthousandwereconsumedbythepayofthesoldiers。^135Twoauthenticlists，ofthepresentandofthetwelfthcentury，arecircumscribedwithintherespectablenumberoftwothousandsevenhundredvillagesandtowns。^136AfteralongresidenceatCairo，aFrenchconsulhasventuredtoassignaboutfourmillionsofMahometans，Christians，andJews，fortheample，thoughnotincredible，scopeofthepopulationofEgypt。^137