EGYPT

proper reaches southwards from the Mediterranean up the Nile Valley as far as Wady Halfa, near the second cataract, and is bounded by the Red Sea on the east, and descrt on the west. Eouth of A ouan and Egypt pecuee lies the Soudanca Province witb its capital at Khartoum. Egypt is enters an agricultural country, and ita cultivable land is narrowly confined to the irrigated tracts along the Nile that are affected b the annual Good. The floods occur with t “ogee | exch June, and last anti Sptenber. © rain falls in Bgypt, the floods being entirely brought about in the upper «aters of the river. The width of fertile sou varies from 120 miles to 12 or 15, and much bas been done of late years to reguiste and utilise the water by the erection of dams, the greatest of which is at A ouan (see A ouan). The population of Egypt proper i about 10 millions. The history of Beypt reaches back to B.c. 5000, Between that date and B.C_.332 were 31 dynasties, of which the Ptolemaic was the last. The great ca were built in the fourth vp hogce f B.C. The 19th dynasty was 21 sen Meal Frame Rameses LL, its grea representative, was the builder of the wonderful temples at Laxor, Karnak, and Abydos. He has been identified with the Pharsob of the: oppre ion, but thero Is little monumental ‘evidence that bears pi Israclitiah history at all, Under Alexander, B.c 332, Egypt came under Greek influence, and Alexandria becamo a famous seat o! learning. The country pa ed into the hands of the Saracens in the 7th centary 4.D., and Cairo was founded in 969. Ix 1250, the Mamelukes usurped supreme power, and wielded it in a creditable manner. The Turks succeeded them by conquest in 1517, and three centuries o! weak misrule resulted. In 1798 the country was invaded by the French unde | Bonaparte, but they were expelled witt ‘the aid of the res ea in 1801. An erac |tyrannous activ i Scena unde Mehemet Ali, who became Pasha in 1806 M. de Leaseps completed, 1869, the Sue Canal under Is mail Pasha, the grand sox of Mehemet Ali, and first po e or of th title of Khedive. Is mail began a series o _— internal improvements, and met bi: nancial difficulties by selling 177,00 In 880" ten a comets. placec was under international control, and in 188: @ national rebellion against European began with a ma acre at Alexandria The British bombarded Alexandria anc defeated the rebels at Tel-el-Kebir. Fron that time British influence has bee: [ahsagemer in Egypt, and wonders hav: worked in economical, admin i str a tive, and social reform. The treaty signed in April, 1904, by France anc Eogiand bas given to England the right & administer the surplus of £5,000,00 accumulated by the International Oai e d la Dette, and has given a frank recogaitior }of the predominance of Britizh interests | in Egypt. [s. 131]