Histories

For from this time Egypt [30,27] (nation), Africa Egypt, although a level land, could use no horses or carts, because there were so many canals going every which way. The reason why the king thus intersected the country was this:

those Egyptians whose towns were not on the Nahr an- Nil [31.1,30.166] (river), AfricaNile, but inland from it, lacked water whenever the flood left their land, and drank only brackish water from wells.