Page:Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile - In the Years 1768, 1769, 1770, 1771, 1772, and 1773 volume 3.djvu/704

 6&> TRAVELS TO DISCOVER

fion has thereupon followed. Dr Arbuthnot * fays, that there are two cubits in fcripture, the one, i foot 9 inches, and to— parts of an inch, according to our meafure, being the 4th part of a fathom, twice the fpan, and fix times the palm. The other is equal to 1 foot AW parts of a foo't, or the 4oodth part of a ftadium. I mall not inquire in- to the- grounds he goes on ; I believe, however, that neither are precifely the ancient cubit of the eaft, but both are too large ; at lead the Egyptian I found to be very exactly i foot 5} inches, which is 2 inches more than father Mer- fenne f has made his Hebrew cubit. But this is of lefs confequence to us now, becaufe Herodotus J informs us, that in his time, and probably at the firft inftitution of a Ni- lometer, the meafure was the Samian cubit, which is about 1 8 inches Englifh, or half an inch lefs than the ancient cubit.

The reader will then confider, that the divifions of this Nilometer were a reprefentation of certain facts : That the Nile's reaching to fuch a divifion correfponded to a certain quantity of corn that was fown, a proportion of the produce of which was to be paid to the king, the reft to go to the landlord and the labourer.

The Nilometer then afcertained the contract between king and people on thefe terms, That, in the event of fo much corn being produced by the land of Egypt, fuch a tribute was to be paid : But, in cafe a certain quantity of ground, lefs than that, was overflowed, or, which is the fame thing, a lefler quantity of grain was produced, then the

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 * £ncyclop. voce Cubit, f Vide Encyclop. voce Cubit. % Herod, lib. ii. fe&. 168. p. 149.