A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill].
- Aaron Hill
- Date:
- 1710
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: A full and just account of the present state of the Ottoman Empire in all its branches; with the government, and policy, religion, customs, and way of living of the Turks in general ... from a serious observation, taken in many years travesl thro' those countries / [Aaron Hill]. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![The Opinion BUT this is controverted by the Famous Diodorus Siculus, in his Firft jBook> who» t0 dlfProve the Argument of Thales, Nominates Tome other Rivers, equally expos’d to the Etefian Winds, which yet are never liable to fuch like Inundations ; he therefore in diflikeof this Opinion, has prefer’d his own, that Rain or Snow, diflolv’d from diftant iEthiopia, is the only Caufe of an Effeft fo Wonderfull, 7 The Opinion D I R E C T L Y Oppolite to thefe, is the Alfertion of the Learned He- Of Herodotus, rodotm, who imagines, that the Sun, exhaling moiflure in a great abundance from the River Nilus, as he forms his Journey in the Winter Tropick, caufesit to run in an unnatural narrownefs, but, when advancing towards the Northern Climates, the Recovering River lwells again with native Gran¬ deur, then polIeHing all its Streams, and Flowing uncontroul’d, with full Authority, till the returning Sun again demands the Tribute of its Waters. The moft re. AMONG all thefe, the moffc receiv’d and probable Opinion is, the probable(Opi. belief of Dioaorus Siculus, that the Encreafe of the Waters is occafioidd by nion. continual Rains, not Melting Snow, upon the Hills of JEthiopia; and the Rea- fons, which are given in defence oi this AlTertion, are as follow. its Reafon$/ FIR ST, for many Days before the Inundation happens, all the Skies are feen in Egypt, full ot Black and Treatning Clouds, incelfantly produc¬ ing rumbling Noifes, and by Northern Tempefis driven fiercely towards the Southern Parts, where always follows Rain in great abundance, frequently near Threefcore Days together. ANOTHER reafon for this laff opinion is, the Muddy thicknefs of the Waters, when they overflow the Country, for, Rufiling violently thro’ fo many I rafts of Fertil Land, they tear up great and hourly quantities of fa tiling foil,which, mixing thickly with the fwelling llreams, is left upon the fcorch’d and barren Sands of Egypt, of a very deep and fhmy fubffance. J ■ ' ■ -* - j MANY other reafons are by the Inhabitants produc’d, to prove the Juftice and Solidity of this accepted Modern Notion ; but as tedious Ob- fervations, and unneceffary Repetitions grow Prolix and Heavy on a Reader I will fay no more upon the Prefent Subjeft, than that all the Naturalifls, reputed Famous in the Eajlern Countries, agree among themfelves in full belief of this Alfertion. I muff inform my Reader now, that as this River boafls peculiar pro- The goodnefs Pertdes in Trustifying Nations to fo rich a Plenty, fo its Bleffings many other of the Water ways are equally particular; his Waters are obferv’d to be for ever free Ot the Nilus. from Mifts or Nfpours, Sweet to fuch an Admirable and uncommon relilli that tis difficult (if hoodwink’d) todifiinguifh it from Milk, ■ ■ tin >dio ■ '■ ] , « [ ■ ■ - 1 l S Faiti d for many Operative Virtues in Medicinal efjays, and has but one known Fault, which is a certain dusky thicknefs, clouding its appear- How Clari- ance with a kind of dark unpleafant Colour, which they Clarife however in an Hour or two, by calling into certain Earthen Pots ( wherein the Wa* tei is contain d) lmall quantities of bitter Almonds bruis’d on purpofe ; Fifh by reafon ot thejufi nam'd Muddmefs afford no delicate or plealant tail, and therefore is by Strangers feldom Eaten, and neglefted commonly bv even the Natives of that Country. A l v _ T H E breadth of Nilus, when within the Bounds of its own natural Couife, is, equal to the Thames, a Mile or two below’tlie Bridge at London, ind upon the Banks on either fide are built fmallj poor, and inconiidera-ble ViU](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30450895_0282.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
