File:A second series of the Manners and customs of the ancient Egyptians, including their religion, agriculture, &c. Derived from a comparison of the paintings, sculptures, and monuments still existing, (14782316962).jpg

Identifier: secondseriesofma01wilk (find matches)
Title: A second series of the Manners and customs of the ancient Egyptians, including their religion, agriculture, &c. Derived from a comparison of the paintings, sculptures, and monuments still existing, with the accounts of ancient authors
Year: 1841 (1840s)
Authors: Wilkinson, John Gardner, Sir, 1797-1875
Subjects: Agriculture
Publisher: London, John Murray
Contributing Library: Getty Research Institute
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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om the lowlands; and when a sudden irruption ofthe water, owing to the bursting of a dyke, or anunexpected and unusual increase of the river, over-flowed the flelds and pastures, they were seen hur-rying to the spot, on foot, or in boats, to rescue theanimals t, and to remove them to the high groundsabov^e the reach of the inundation. Some, tyingtheir clothes upon their heads, dragged the sheepand goats from the water, and put them into boats ;others swam the oxen to the nearest high ground ;and if any corn or other produce could be cut ortorn up by the roots, in time to save it from theflood, it was conveyed on rafts or boats to the nextvillage. Guards were placed to watch the dykes, whichprotected the lowlands, and the utmost care was * Vide infra, Pantheon, on the God Nilus. ■f Diodor. i. 86. Vide the following woodcut, and Vignette B. Vol. I.p. 40. H 3 102 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. taken to prevent any sudden influx of water,which might endanger the produce still growing*
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there, the cattle, or the villages. And of suchimportance was the preservation of the dykes, * Fide Strabo, xv. p. 487.; and sii2)rd. Vol. I. p. 242. CHAP. XI. HEIGHT Ol THE INUNDATION. 103 that a strong guard of cavalry and inflintry wasalways in attendance for their protection ; certainofficers of responsibiUty were appointed to super-intend them; large sums of money were annuallyexpended for their maintenance and repairs ; andin the time of the Romans, any person founddestroying a dyke was condemned to hard labourin the public works or in the mines, or to bebranded and transj)orted to the Oasis. Accordingto Strabo *, the system was so admirably managed,*that art contrived sometimes to supply whatnature denied, and, by means of canals and em-bankments, there was little difference in the quantityof land irrigated, whether the inundation was defi-cient or abundant. If, continues the geographer,it rose only to the height of 8 cubits, the usual ideawas that a famine would ensue; 14 bein

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