The night of the 17th of June, which corresponds with the 11th of the Coptic month of Ba-ooneh, is called “Leylet en-Nuktah” (or the Night of the Drop); as it is believed that a miraculous drop then falls into the Nile, and causes it to rise. Astrologers calculate the precise moment when the “drop” is to fall; which is always in the course of the night above mentioned. Many of the inhabitants of Cairo and its neighbourhood, and of other parts of Egypt, spend this night on the banks of the Nile; some, in houses of their friends; others, in the open air. Many also, and especially the women, observe a singular custom on the Leylet en-Nuktah; placing, upon the terrace of the house, after sunset, as many lumps of dough as there are inmates in the house, a lump for each person, who puts his, or her, mark upon it: at day-break, on the following morning, they look at each of these lumps; and if they find it cracked, they infer that the life of the person for whom it was placed will be long, or not terminate that year; but if they find it not cracked, they infer the reverse. Some say that this is also done to discover whether the Nile will rise high in the ensuing season. Another absurd custom is observed on the fourth following night, “Leylet es-Saratán,” when the sun enters the sign of Cancer: it is the writing a charm to exterminate, or drive away, bugs. This charm consists of the following words from the Kur-án,[[575]] written in separate letters—“‘Hast thou not considered those who left their habitations, and they were thousands, for fear of death? and God said unto them die:’ die: die.” The last word of the text is thus written three times. The above charm, it is said, should be written on three pieces of paper, which are to be hung upon the walls of the room which is to be cleared of the bugs; one upon each wall, excepting that at the end where is the entrance, or that in which is the entrance.
The Nile, as I have mentioned in the Introduction to this work, begins to rise about, or soon after, the period of the summer solstice. From, or about, the 27th of the Coptic month Ba-ooneh (3rd of July) its rise is daily proclaimed in the streets of the metropolis. There are several criers to perform this office; each for a particular district of the town. The Crier of the Nile (“Munádee en-Neel”) generally goes about his district early in the morning; but sometimes later; accompanied by a boy. On the day immediately preceding that on which he commences his daily announcement of the rise of the Nile, he proclaims,—“God hath been propitious to the lands! The day of good news! To-morrow, the announcement, with good fortune!”—The daily announcement is as follows:—
Munádee. “Mohammad is the Prophet of guidance!” Boy. “The Mahmals journey to him!”[[576]] M. “The guide: peace be on him!” B. “He will prosper who blesseth him!” [The Munádee and boy then continue, or sometimes they omit the preceding form, and begin thus.] M. “O Thou whose government is excellent!” B. “My Lord! I have none beside Thee!” [After this, they proceed, in many cases, thus.] M. “The treasuries of the Bountiful are full!” B. “And at the gate there is no scarcity!” M. “I extol the perfection of Him who spread out the earth!” B. “And hath given running rivers!” M. “Through whom the fields become green!” B. “After death He causeth them to live!” M. “God hath given abundance, and increased [the river] and watered the high lands!” B. “And the mountains and the sands and the fields!” M. “O Alternator of the day and night!” B. “My Lord! There is none beside Thee!” M. “O Guide of the wandering! O God!” B. “Guide me to the path of prosperity!” [They then continue, or, sometimes omitting all that here precedes, commence as follows.] M. “O Amiable! O Living! O Self-subsisting!” B. “O Great in power! O Almighty!” M. “O Aider! regard me with favour!” B. “O Bountiful! withdraw not Thy protection!” M. “God preserve to me my master [or my master the “emeer”] such a one [naming the master of the house], and the good people of his house! O Bountiful! O God!” B. “Ay! please God!” M. “God give them a happy morning, from Himself; and increase their prosperity, from Himself!” B. “Ay! please God!” M. “God preserve to me my master [etc.] such a one [naming again the master of the house]; and increase to him the favours of God! O Bountiful! O God!” B. “Ay! please God!” [Then brothers, sons, and unmarried daughters, if there be any, however young, are mentioned in the same manner, as follows.] M. “God preserve to me my master [etc.] such a one, for a long period! O Bountiful! O God!” B. “Ay! please God!” M. “God preserve to me my mistress, the chief lady among brides, such a one, for a long period! O Bountiful! O God!” B. “Ay! please God!” M. “May He abundantly bless them with His perfect abundance; and pour abundantly the Nile over the country! O Bountiful! O God!” B. “Ay! please God!” M. “Five [or six, etc., digits] to-day: and the Lord is bountiful!” B. “Bless ye Mohammad!”—These last words are added in the fear lest the rising of the river should be affected by a malicious wish, or evil eye, which is supposed to be rendered ineffectual if the malicious person bless the Prophet.[[577]]
Sometimes, the people of a house before which the Munádee makes his cry give him daily a piece of bread: this is a common custom among the middle orders: but most persons give him nothing until the day before the opening of the Canal of Cairo. Very little reliance is to be placed upon the announcement which he makes of the height which the river has attained; for he is generally uninformed or misinformed by the persons whose duty it is to acquaint him upon this subject: but the people mostly listen with interest to his proclamation. He and his boy repeat this cry every day, until the day next before that on which the dam that closes the mouth of the Canal of Cairo is cut.
On this day (that is, the former of those just mentioned), the Munádee goes about his district, accompanied by a number of little boys, each of whom bears a small coloured flag, called “ráyeh;” and announces the “Wefa en-Neel” (the Completion, or Abundance, of the Nile); for thus is termed the state of the river when it has risen sufficiently high for the government to proclaim that it has attained the sixteenth cubit of the Nilometer. In this, however, the people are always deceived: for there is an old law, that the land-tax cannot be exacted unless the Nile rises to the height of sixteen cubits of the Nilometer; and the government thinks it proper to make the people believe, as early as possible, that it has attained this height. The period when the Wefa en-Neel is proclaimed is when the river has actually risen about twenty or twenty-one feet in the neighbourhood of the metropolis; which is generally between the 6th and 16th of August (or the 1st and 11th of the Coptic month of Misra):[[578]] this is when there yet remain, of the measure of a moderately good rise, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, four or three feet. On the day above mentioned (the next before that on which the canal is to be opened), the Munádee and the boys who accompany him with the little “ráyát” (or flags) make the following announcement:—
Munádee. “The river hath given abundance, and completed [its measure]!” Boys. “God hath given abundance!”[[579]] M. “And Dár en-Nahás[[580]] is filled!” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the canals flow!” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the vessels are afloat!” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the hoarder [of grain] has failed!” B. “God, etc.” M. “By permission of the Mighty, the Requiter!” B. “God, etc.” M. “And there remains nothing—” B. “God, etc.” M. “To the perfect completion!” B. “God, etc.” M. “This is an annual custom.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And may you live to every year!” B. “God, etc.” M. “And if the hoarder wish for a scarcity.” B. “God, etc.” M. “May God visit him, before death, with blindness and affliction!” B. “God, etc.” M. “This generous person[[581]] loveth the generous.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And an admirable palace is built for him.”[[582]] B. “God, etc.” M. “And its columns are incomparable jewels.” B. “God, etc.” M. “Instead of palm-sticks and timber:” B. “God, etc.” M. “And it has a thousand windows that open:” B. “God, etc.” M. “And before every window is Selsebeel.”[[583]] B. “God, etc.” M. “Paradise is the abode of the generous.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And Hell is the abode of the avaricious.” B. “God, etc.” M. “May God not cause me to stop before the door of an avaricious woman, nor of an avaricious man:” B. “God, etc.” M. “Nor of one who measures the water in the jar:” B. “God, etc.” M. “Nor who counts the bread while it is yet dough:” B. “God, etc.” M. “And if a cake be wanting, orders a fast:” B. “God, etc.” M. “Nor who shuts up the cats at supper-time:” B. “God, etc.” M. “Nor who drives away the dogs upon the walls.” B. “God, etc.” M. “The world is brightened.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the damsels have adorned themselves.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the old women tumble about.” B. “God, etc.” M. “And the married man hath added to his wife eight others.” B. “ God, etc.” M. “And the bachelor hath married eighteen.”—This cry is continued until somebody in the house gives a present to the Munádee; the amount of which is generally from ten faddahs to a piaster; but many persons give two piasters; and grandees, a kheyreeyeh, or nine piasters.
During this day, preparations are made for cutting the dam of the canal. This operation attracts a great crowd of spectators, partly from the political importance attached to it; but, being always prematurely performed, it is now without much reason made an occasion of public festivity.
The dam is constructed before, or soon after, the commencement of the Nile’s increase. The “Khaleeg,” or Canal, at the distance of about four hundred feet within its entrance, is crossed by an old stone bridge of one arch. About sixty feet in front of this bridge is the dam; which is of earth; very broad at the bottom, and diminishing in breadth towards the top, which is flat, and about three yards broad. The top of the dam rises to the height of about twenty-two or twenty-three feet above the level of the Nile when at the lowest; but not so high above the bed of the canal: for this is several feet above the low-water mark of the river; and consequently dry for some months, when the river is low. The banks of the canal are a few feet higher than the top of the dam. Nearly the same distance in front of the dam that the latter is distant from the bridge, is raised a round pillar of earth, diminishing towards the top, in the form of a truncated cone, and not quite so high as the dam. This is called the “’arooseh” (or bride), for a reason which will presently be stated. Upon its flat top, and upon that of the dam, a little maize or millet is generally sown. The ’arooseh is always washed down by the rising tide before the river has attained to its summit, and generally more than a week or fortnight before the dam is cut.
It is believed that the custom of forming this ’arooseh originated from an ancient superstitious usage, which is mentioned by Arab authors, and, among them, by El-Makreezee. This historian relates, that, in the year of the conquest of Egypt by the Arabs, ’Amr Ibn-El-’A′s, the Arab general, was told, that the Egyptians were accustomed, at the period when the Nile began to rise, to deck a young virgin in gay apparel, and throw her into the river as a sacrifice, to obtain a plentiful inundation. This barbarous custom, it is said, he abolished; and the Nile, in consequence, did not rise in the least degree during the space of nearly three months after the usual period of the commencement of its increase. The people were greatly alarmed; thinking that a famine would certainly ensue: ’Amr, therefore, wrote to the Khaleefeh, to inform him of what he had done, and of the calamity with which Egypt was, in consequence, threatened. ’Omar returned a brief answer, expressing his approbation of ’Amr’s conduct, and desiring him, upon the receipt of the letter, to throw a note, which it enclosed, into the Nile. The purport of this note was as follows:—“From ’Abd-Allah ’Omar, Prince of the Faithful, to the Nile of Egypt. If thou flow of thine own accord, flow not: but if it be God, the One, the Mighty, who causeth thee to flow, we implore God, the One, the Mighty, to make thee flow.”—’Amr did as he was commanded; and the Nile, we are told, rose sixteen cubits in the following night.—This tale is, indeed, hard to be believed, even divested of the miracle.
On the north side of the Canal, overlooking the dam, and almost close to the bridge, was a small building of stone, from which the grandees of Cairo used to witness the operation of cutting the dam. This building has become a ruin; and upon its remains is erected a large tent for the reception of those officers who have to witness and superintend the cutting. Some other tents are also erected for other visitors; and the government supplies a great number of fire-works, chiefly rockets, to honour the festival, and to amuse the populace during the night preceding the day when the dam is cut, and during the operation itself, which is performed early in the morning. Many small tents, for the sale of sweet-meats, fruits, and other eatables, and coffee, etc., are likewise pitched along the bank of the isle of Er-Ródah, opposite the entrance of the Canal. The day of the cutting of the dam of the Canal is called “Yóm Gebr el-Báhr,” which is said to signify “the Day of the Breaking of the River;” though the word “gebr,” which is thus interpreted “breaking,” has really the reverse signification. The term “Yóm Wefa el-Báhr,” or “Wefa en-Neel,” before explained, is also, and more properly, applied to this day. The festival of the Canal is also called “Mósim el-Khaleeg.”