The history of imbanking and drayning of divers fenns and marshes, both in forein parts and in this kingdom, and of the improvements thereby extracted from records, manuscripts, and other authentick testimonies / by William Dugdale.

CAP I.

THAT works of Drayn∣ing are most antient, and of divine institution, we have the testimony of holy Scripture. a 1.1 In the beginning God said, let the waters be gathered together, and let the dry land appear; and it was so: b 1.2 And the Earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed, & the fruit-tree yielding fruit after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

Again, after the Deluge, it was through the divine goodness, that c 1.3 the waters were dryed up from off the Earth, and the face of the ground was dry.

And that those Nations, which be of greatest antiquity, and in chief renown for Arts and Civility, are also famous for their works of this nature, is evident from the practice of the AEgyptians, the Babylonians, the Graecians, the Romans, and several other, of which I shall give instance.

* 1.4First therefore of Egypt; because d 1.5 that Countrey is more mervailous than any other; and that the works there, are more remarka∣ble than the Countrey. This lyeth in a great length from South to North, between Arabia and Lybia, and is watered with the River Nilus: a stream that all the Winter keepeth e 1.6 within his banks; but at the Summer Solstice beginneth to exceed; and swelling an hundred dayes, is almost as long a time in retreating. Which con∣stant inundation is so commodious; that those surrounded parts, as an eminent Hi∣storian f 1.7 testifieth, are only habitable; and that whatsoever place on either side the Ri∣ver, riseth in such a manner, that it cannot receive the floud, remaineth desert and un∣inhabited through want of water.

We may therefore esteem the AEgyp∣tians to have been the first Masters in this Art of Drayning, whom necessity and profit induced to imploy their wit and labour, to the improvement of their Countrey, and making the best advan∣tage of that exorbitant River; wherein they became most excellent; their work∣man-ship about the River Nilus, being such (as the same learned Author g 1.8 ma∣nifesteth) that Industry surpassed nature: for Egypt (saith he) though naturally fruitfull, being watered is more fruitfull: And though, according to the course of na∣ture, the greatest increase of the River, wa∣tereth the most land; yet, through industry, it was so brought to pass, that oftentimes, when nature was defective, there was by the help of Trenches and Banks, as much ground watered with the smaller flouds, as with the greater: h 1.9 so that at high floud the Coun∣trey is all a Sea, except the Cities and Vil∣lages;

which, being situate, either on Natu∣ral hills, or Artificial banks, at distance seem to be Islands.

The i 1.10 just increase (of this flowing) ap∣peareth to be xvi. Cubits: Lesse watereth not all; more is too slow in retreating: too much water keeping the ground wet too long, loseth the season of sowing: too little affor∣deth no season, through drougth. The Coun∣try reckon upon both. At xii Cubits they foresee famine; at xiii hunger; xiv bring mirth; xv security; xvi plenty.

The AEgyptian Trenches therefore were of two sorts; either for avoidance of superfluous water, or disposing of what might be useful; there being no∣table examples of both kinds. Of the first sort are those many out-lets made by hand, for the Rivers more current passage into the Mid-land Sea; the na∣tural mouths of Nile being insufficient: for the septem ostia were not all natural. Nilus k 1.11 having run through Egypt in one stream, to the City Cercasorus, thence di∣videth it self into three Chanels; one run∣neth Eastward towards Pelusium; th•• o∣ther Westward towards Canobus, from whence they are denominate; the third, di∣viding Delta, runneth straight forward to Sebennitus, from whence it hath it's name; and there is divided into two other streams, the one passing by Sais, the other by Mendes, receive their names from those Cities: But the Bolbitique & Bucolique Chanels, are not natural, but made by dig∣ging.

This Island of Egypt towards the Sea, between the Pelusia{que} and Canobi{que} Chanels, is l 1.12 called Delta, from the form of the letter Δ. Between these two mouths, besides the five before named, there are many smaller: For from the for∣mer, there are divers subdivisions, through∣out the whole Island, which make sundry Water-courses and Islands; so as one Chanel being cut into another, it is navigable every way. The reason why these lower parts were cut and Drayned in such extraor∣dinary manner, may be supposed to be (besides the convenience of navigation) for that they were more apt to silting; whereof the AEgytian Priests had good experience: For m 1.13 in the Reign of King Myris, when the River rose not above eight Cubits, it watered all Egypt below Mem∣phis: But now (in Herodotus his time,) unlesse it rose xvi or at least xv. cubits, it o∣verflowed not that part of the Country:* 1.14 Nor was there nine hundred years passed from the death of King Myris, to the time that Herodotus heard this from the Priests.

Amongst this sort of works, against the inconvenience of the River, may be reckoned the inbanking n 1.15 of Cities, which Sesostris first performed: But those works, especially at Bubastis, were after height∣ned by Sabacon the AEthiopian, who im∣ployed therein all persons condemned to death. The other kind of Trenches, extending the benefit of the inundation beyond nature, is more commendable, having lesse of necessity, but more for imitation. The first of these was made by King Maeris, into a Lake on the Lybi∣an side, which bears his name: which Lake (saith Herodotus o 1.16) is three thousand & six hundred furlongs in compass (being the measure of Egypt along the Sea coast) and lyeth in length North and South; the grea∣test depth being ••ifty paces. Almost in the middle thereof, stand two Pyramids, each fif∣ty paces above water, and as much below; in all an hundred paces; there being upon each a Colossus sitting in a Chair. The wa∣ter of this lake is not esteemed to spring in the place (the soil being very dry) but cometh out of Nilus by a Trench; flowing six moneths into the lake, and ebbing as many into the Nile; yielding into the Kings trea∣sury, for the Fish taken therein, a talent of silver, for every day of the six moneths ebb; and twenty minae when it floweth. The AEgyptians would have it believed, that this lake was made by hand, and dugg, by reason of the Island and Pyramids in it: and when it is objected, that there is no sign of earth cast out, they say that it was thrown into the River Nile.

After him also King Sesostris, return∣ing victorious out of Asia, and bringing p 1.17 with him a multitude of people out of the subdued Countries, enforced them to digg sundry Water-courses, which are still in E∣gypt; improvidently making the Countrey, which before was passable with Horse and Waggon, to want that conveniencie: for from that time, though Egypt be all plain, yet can neither Horse nor Waggon passe, by reason of the Cuts, which are many and va∣rious: But the reason why he so trenched the Country, was, that the Cities more remote from the River, might not want water to drink, upon the recess of the stream.

There were also very remarkable Trenches on the Arabian side of Egypt. As that at q 1.18 Pelusium, which filleth the two Lakes, that have their names from the Fenns there; besides other Lakes and Trenches into them, in those parts, without Delta; and two others which meet in a Lake in the Sethroitique division: For Egypt was by Sesostris divided into xxxvi parts, in Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in En∣glish you may call them Shires: but that is the most famous Trench, which was drawn into the Red Sea.

It was first r 1.19 undertaken by King Ne∣cos, the Sonne of Psamnitichus, (This is that Pharaoh Nechoh, King of Egypt, who slew s 1.20 Iosias King of Iuda, in battel at Megiddo) being seconded by Darius King of Persia. The length of t 1.21 this trench was four dayes sail: the bredth such as two Gallies might row together. The water of Nile entred into it a little above the Ci∣ty Bubastis, and passing by Patumos (a City of Arabia) entred the Red Sea. They began to digge in the plain of E∣gypt, towards Arabia, running a great way from West to East, by the foot of that Hill, neer Memphis, in which is the stone quarry: Then turning South, through the parting of the Hill, into the Arabian gulf. The passage from Mount Cassius, and the North Sea, unto the Red Sea, is a thousand furlongs: But by this Trench, the way was longer, being not so straight. In the digging hereof, there perished an hundred & twenty thousand AEgyptians. Necos, having half done, desisted, being discouraged by an Ora∣cle; which said, he wrought for the Barba∣rians: So the AEgyptians call all that use not their language.

Strabo (who lived under Tiberius) saith u 1.22 that this Water-course issued into the Red Sea, or Arabian gulf, at the City Arcinoe, which some call Cleopatris; and that it passed through those Lakes, which are cal∣led Bitter. (They had the name of w 1.23 Ma∣rah; because the children of Israel, at their departure out of Egypt, could not drink of those waters.) But the water of those Lakes, though in old time bitter, was chang'd x 1.24 upon the making of this new River, and mingling with fresh water; and now bred good Fish and abundance of water∣foul. He saith, that this Trench was first made by Sesostris, before the Trojan war; or (as others relate) it was only begun by the Sonne of Psamnitichus, who soon died. Af∣terwards it was again undertaken by Darius the first; who having almost finished the work; gave it over, out of a fond conceipt, that the Red Sea was higher than Egypt; and that if the whole isthmus were cut, Egypt would be drowned with the Sea. But the Ptole∣maies, Kings of Egypt, cut it through and set a Sluce upon the Chanel, that they might sail out into the Sea, and in again, as they pleased. It was y 1.25 an hundred Cubits in bredth, and deep enough for a great Ship.

The intended benefit of this Chanel, seemeth to have been an intercourse be∣tween the Midland Sea, and the Atlan∣tique; and a communication of traffique, by water, between Europe and the East-Indies: but I do not find, that any great use was made thereof to that purpose: For in after-times, the way of trading in∣to those Eastern parts, was either from the Port of Gaza, to Aila, a Port-Town situate neer the bottom of the Arabian gulf, on the East side thereof; or from Coptus, a Town of Egypt, on this side Thebes, to Berinice a Port on the West side of the Red Sea.

This passage, from Gaza to Aila, is said z 1.26 to be 1260 furlongs. There are two ways, one through Arabia, the other through E∣gypt, by Heroopolis; to which the near∣er way is by Pelusium: the way through the Deserts and Sands, is going by Ca∣mels, and is obnoxious to Ser∣pents.

From this Elath, Solomon made a 1.27 his voyage to Ophir. The Town was lost b 1.28 in King Iorams reign, when the Edo∣mites revolted; but it was recovered c 1.29 by Azariah; and under Ahaz lost d 1.30 again to Rezin King of Syria. It was a frontier Town of the Roman Empire, and the Sta∣tion e 1.31 of the x Legion.

The other passage from Coptus to Berinice, is reckoned 258 miles, the particular stations whereof, you have in the Itinerary of Antoninus. They were setled, f 1.32 and Inns erected by Philadelphus; because the innermost part of the Red Sea was not so navigable This Coptus was a common Town, both to the AEgyptians and Arabians, and the mart for all Indian, A∣rabique and AEthiopique Commodities; from whence was a Chanel g 1.33 cut into the Nile, whereby the Merchandizes were transplanted to Alexandria. Which place being, from the Macedonian times,

the head of all Egypt, ought not sleight∣ly to be passed by; because none ever had the like advantage of artificial Wa∣ter-courses: By which in short time it became, for greatnesse, populacy, wealth, and pleasantnesse, one of the most re∣nowned Cities of the world.

The antient AEgyptians superstitiously abhorred the Sea, and had them in ab∣homination, who got their living by it. And albeit, according to the Chronolo∣gy ofh 1.34 Eusebius, they had the dominion of the Sea, in the Reigns of Psamnis, and Bocchoris, a little before the first Olympi∣ade, (which was not suitable to the di∣stracted condition of Egypt in those times:) Yet it is certain, that i 1.35 the AE∣gyptians never had any Sea-Port; that Psamnitichus was the first that k 1.36 admitted strangers to inhabit; that Naucratis (on the Chanel of Canopus) the on∣ly mart Town of Egypt, was opened by Amasis, who (took Cyprus and) dyed the same year that Egpyt was lost to the Persians.

Neither was the coast of Egypt fit for navigation, being l 1.37 harbourlesse, low, and full of flats and shelves, except where the Island P••arus, lying in length before a Bay, at a village called Rhacotis, a hun∣dred and thirty furlongs from Canopus, afforded the means of a Haven, whereof nei∣ther the AEgyptians nor the Persians made use; but held a guard there, to keep off stran∣gers: Howbeit, Alexander the great, see∣ing the opportunity of place, caused a City to be built there, which bore his name; the foun∣dation whereof was laid with Brann, instead of Chalk, which was taken for a good omen. Which City was seated as it were) between two Seas; having on the South the Lake Mareia, or Mareotis: But it had been an intolerable inconvenience to have dwelt in a dry Country, so far from the River Nilus, had not that discommodi∣ty been avoided by means of artificial Ri∣vers: Therefore that navigable Chanel was made from Canopus, which be∣came n 1.38 famous for the practise of Lux∣ury.

Another navigable River was also o 1.39 made from the Haven, on the Mid-land Sea, to the said lake Mareotis. This p 1.40 lake is filled from the River Nile, by many Tren∣ches, as well from above, (that is, out of the Lake Meris, whereof I have spoken) as on the sides of it, by Trenches cut im∣mediately from the Nile; and having eight Islands in it, containeth q 1.41 above an 150 furlongs in bredth, and neer 300 in length, being well inhabited round about, and affording good Corn. By which Water-passa∣ges r 1.42 much more Commodities were brought to Alexandria, than by Sea; so as the Ha∣ven on the Lake side, was richer than that on the Sea; and more goods carryed from Alexandria to Italy, than from Italy thi∣ther, as plainly appeareth by the Vessels, more or less fraughted, which pass to and again from thence and from Puteoli. Besides the wealth that is brought in at both Havens from the Lake and Sea, the goodness of the air is not unworthy to be remembred; it be∣ing occasioned by the water on both sides of the City, and the seasonable rising of the River Nilus: For whereas other Towns, situate by Lakes, have in the heat of Summer a gross and stifling air, forasmuch as their banks being left muddy, slimie exhalations are drawn up by the Sun, which make the air un∣wholesome, and occasion sicknesse, here, in the beginning of the Summer, the Nile being full, filleth the Lake, leaving no part muddy to exhale any malignant vapour: At which time, the Etesian winds blow also from the North Sea, so as the Alexandrians passe the Summer pleasantly.

And that the improvement made in Egypt by the drains and new Rivers, af∣ter the building of Alexandria, was very large, appeareth by these following in∣stances, in several ages. In s 1.43 the sacred Commentaries of the antient Priests, there were numbred in Egypt Cities and Towns of note, eighteen thousand. Under Ama∣sis (the last King before the Persian Conquest,) there were t 1.44 twenty thou∣sand Towns in Egypt inhabited. And under Ptolomy the first, above thirty thou∣sand.

The Printed Copies of Diodorus have only 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: But that reading is faulty, as appeareth by the preceding numbers, and the testimony of Theocri∣tus, who was one of the seven Pleiades in the Court of Philadelphus, the second Ptolomy, in whose Territorie there u 1.45 were thirty three thousand three hundred thir∣ty nine, the improvement seeming then to be more compleat.

Howbeit, in tract of time, through great neglect, these Trenches and Drayns, by which the overflowing of the Nile so much inricht this Country, were filled

w 1.46with mud: But Augustus Caesar having reduced Egypt into the condition of a Province to the Roman Empire, caused them to be scoured x 1.47 by his Souldiers: which noble work did so much restore it to the fertility it formerly had; and con∣sequently increase the populousnesse thereof, that the number of persons there inhabiting, over and besides the A∣lexandrians, were shortly after, found to be no lesse than seven millions and five hundred thousand, as the tribute y 1.48 mony paid by every head doth manifest. And thus much for Egypt.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Gen. 1.9.
• b 1.2

  12.
• c 1.3

  Gen. 8.13.
• * 1.4

  Egypt.
• d 1.5

  Herod. lib. 2. cap. 35.
• e 1.6

  Ibid. l. 2. cap. 19.
• f 1.7

  Strab. lib. 17. p. 786. D.
• g 1.8

  Ibid. p. 787. D.
• h 1.9

  Ibid. 788. D
• i 1.10

  Plin. 5.9.
• k 1.11

  Herod, l. 2. c. 17.
• l 1.12

  Strab. p. 788 C.
• m 1.13

  Herod. l. 2. ••ap•• 13.
• * 1.14

  Herodotus out∣lived Artax∣erxes Longi∣manus K. of Per∣••ia. Myris, or Maeris, reigned in the tenth Century after the floud.
• n 1.15

  Herod. lib. 2. cap. 137.
• o 1.16

  li••. 2. c. 149.
• p 1.17

  Herod. l. 2. c. 107.
• q 1.18

  Strab. p. 804. B.
• r 1.19

  Hero •• 2 c 158.
• s 1.20

  2 Kings, c. 23. v. 27.
• t 1.21

  He••od. ut su∣pra.
• u 1.22

  Li••. 17. p. 804. B.
• w 1.23

  Exo. 15.23.
• x 1.24

  Strab. ib.
• y 1.25

  Ibid. p. 805.
• z 1.26

  〈◊〉〈◊〉. l. 1••. p. 759.
• a 1.27

  2. Chr••. 8.1••
• b 1.28

  2 King. 8.20
• c 1.29

  14 22.
• d 1.30

  16. 6.
• e 1.31

  S. Hie••on. de loci••.
• f 1.32

  Strab. l. 17. p. 815. B.
• g 1.33

  Ib. p. 79••. C.
• h 1.34

  An. 1230.
• i 1.35

  Herod. l. 2. c. 154
• k 1.36

  Ib. c. 178.
• l 1.37

  Strab. l. 17. p. 791.
• n 1.38

  Strab. p. 8••0.
• o 1.39

  Ib. p. 795. a.
• p 1.40

  Ib. p. 793. a.
• q 1.41

  Ib. p. 799. c.
• r 1.42

  Ib. p 793. a.
• s 1.43

  Diod. Sic. p. 19. B.
• t 1.44

  Herod. l 2. c. 177.
• u 1.45

  Theoc. Id. l. 17. v 82.
• w 1.46

  Suet. in Aug. cap. 18.
• x 1.47

  Suet. in Aug. cap. 18.
• y 1.48

  Ioseph. de bello Jud. l. 2. cap. 16.