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Memoirs of the History of France During the Reign of Napoleon, Dictated to Gen. Gourgaud (to the Count De Montholon).
Memoirs of the History of France During the Reign of Napoleon Dictated to Gen Gourgaud - to the Count De Montholon Author:Napoleon I General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1823 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: EGYPT. I. The Nile and its inundations. -- II. Ancient and modern population. -- III. Division and productions of Egypt. -- IV. Commerce. -- V. Alexandria. -- VI. Of the different races by which Egypt is inhabited; -- VII. The Desert and its inhabitants. -- VIII. Government and importance of Egypt. -- IX. Policy of Napoleon. The Nile rises in the mountains of Abyssinia, flows from South to North, and falls into the Mediterranean, after passing through Abyssinia, the deserts of Nubia, and Egypt. It runs eight hundred leagues; of which extent its course through the Egyptian territory forms two hundred. It enters Egypt at the isle of Elfilah or Elephantina, and fertilizes the arid deserts through which it runs. Its inundations are regular and productive; regular, because they are caused by the tropical rains ; productive, because these rains, falling in torrents on the mountains of Abyssinia, covered Memoirs. -- Vol. n. 08 with wood, carry with them a fertilizing slime, which the Nile deposits on the lands. The North winds prevail during the rise of the river, and promote its productive effects by keeping back the waters. It never rains in Egypt. The earth, in that country, is only rendered fertile by the regular inundation of the Nile. When it is high, the year is abundant; when it is low, the harvest is ordinary. It is a hundred and fifty leagues from the Isle of Elephantina to Cairo, and this valley, watered by the Nile, is on an average five leagues in width. Beyond Cairo the stream separates into two branches, and forms a sort of triangle which it covers by overflowing. The base of this triangl...« less