north wind, which, with curious
regularity, springs up before midday.

I have already spoken of the high lateen sail of the Nile boats, a
form of sail which, though beautiful, has not been devised for
_pictorial_ purposes. In every country and in every sea peculiarities
of build and rig are displayed in native vessels. This is not the
result of whim or chance, but has been evolved as the result of long
experience of local requirements and conditions, and in every case I
think it may be taken that the native boat is the one most suited to
the conditions under which it is employed. So on the Nile these lofty
sails are designed to overtop the high banks and buildings, and so
catch the breeze which would otherwise be intercepted. The build of
the boats also is peculiar; they are very wide and flat bottomed, and
the rudders are unusually large, so as to enable them to turn quickly
in the narrow channels, which are often tortuous. The bow rises in a
splendid curve high out of the water, and throws the spray clear of
its low body, for the Egyptian loads his boat very heavily, and I have
often seen them so deep in the water that a little wall of mud has
been added to the gunwale so as to keep out the waves.

These native boats are of several kinds, from the small "felucca," or
open boat used for ferry or pleasure purposes, to the large "giassa,"
or cargo boat of the river. Some of these are very large, carrying two
or three enormous sails, while their cargoes of coal or goods of
various kinds are often as much as 150 tons; yet they sail fast, and
with a good breeze there are few steamers on the river which could
beat them.

The navigation of the Nile is often difficult, especially when the
river is falling, for each year it alters its course and new
sand-banks are formed, and it is not always easy to decide which is
the right channel to steer for. The watermen, however, are very
expert, and can usually determine their course by the nature of the
ripple on the water, which varies according to its depth. Frequently,
however, from accidents of light or other causes, it is not possible
to gauge the river in this way, so every boat is provided with long
sounding-poles called "midra," by means of which men stationed at
either side of the bow feel their way through the difficult channels,
calling out the depths of water as they go. In spite of these
precautions, however, steamers and sailing boats alike often stick
fast upon some