The World's most Useful River.

Feilding Star, Volume XVI, Issue 24, 28 July 1894, Page 4

The World's most Useful River.

The Nile, probably, is the most wonderful river in the world. It has made Egypt possible by turning an arid wilderness into the richest land in the world. It has provided at tbe same time an admirable commercial highway, and made easy the transportations of building materials. The ancient Egyptians were thus enabled to utilise the granite of Assnan tor the splendid structures of hundredgate Thebes and of Memphis and even ior thobe of Tanis, on the Mediterranean coast. At a time when the people of the British Isles were clad in skins of wild beasts, and offered human sacrifices upon the stone alcras of the Druids, Egypt was the centre of a rich and refined civilisation, ftl ost ot the development ot Egypt was due to tile Wile, which not only watered and fertilised the soil annually, but wa«, and is, one of the greatest and best natural highway! in the world. From the beginning of winter to the end ot spring— that is, while the Mile is navigable — the wind blows steadily up stream with sufficient force to drive sailing boats against the current at a tair pace, while, on the other hand, the current is strong enough to carry a boat without sails down against the wind, except when it blows a gale. This is why ancient Egypt did not need steam-power nor electric motors tor the immense commerce that covered the iNile, or for the bargas carrying building material ior hundreds of miles.