Histories

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.

One of them maintains that the Etesian winds[*](The regular N.W. winds which blow in summer from the Mediterranean Sea [30,31.5] (sea)Mediterranean.) are the cause of the river being in flood, because they hinder the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile from emptying into the sea. But there are many times when the Etesian winds do not blow, yet the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile does the same as before.

And further, if the Etesian winds were the cause, then the other rivers which flow contrary to those winds should be affected like the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile, and even more so, since being smaller they have a weaker current. Yet there are many rivers in Syria [38,35] (nation), Asia Syria and many in Libya [17,25] (nation), AfricaLibya, and they behave nothing like the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile.

The second opinion is less grounded on knowledge than the previous, though it is more marvellous to the ear: according to it, the river effects what it does because it flows from Ocean, which flows around the whole world.