Histories

Yet I was anxious to learn from them why the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile comes down with a rising flood for a hundred days from the summer solstice; and when this number of days is passed, sinks again with a diminishing stream, so that the river is low for the whole winter until the summer solstice again.

I was not able to get any information from any of the Egyptians regarding this, when I asked them what power the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile has to be contrary in nature to all other rivers. I wished to know this, and asked; also, why no breezes blew from it as from every other river[*](Not from the river itself, perhaps; but there is a regular current of air blowing up the valley.).

But some of the Greeks, wishing to be notable for cleverness, put forward three opinions about this river, two of which I would not even mention except just to show what they are.