Of Egypt.

THE most noble and famous prouince of Egypt bordering westward vpon the deserts of Barca, Numidia, and Libya; eastward vpon the deserts lying betweene Egypt it selfe and the red sea: and northward vpon the Mediterran sea; is inclosed southward with the land of the foresaid people called Bugiha, and with the riuer of Nilus. It stretcheth in length from the Mediterran sea to the land of the people called Bugiha about fower hundred and fiftie miles: but in bredth it is very narrow; so that it containeth nought but a small distance betweene both the banks of Nilus and the barren mountaines bordering vpon the foresaid deserts, being inhabited onely in that place where Nilus is separate from the saide mountaines: albeit towards the Mediterran sea it extendeth it selfe somewhat broader. For Nilus about fower-score miles from the great citie of Cairo is diuided into two branches, one whereof running in his chanell westward, returneth at length into the maine stream from whence he tooke his originall, and hauing passed about three-score miles beyond Cairo, diuideth it selfe into two other branches, whereof the one runneth to Damiata, and the other to Rosetto. And out of that which trendeth to Damiata issueth another branch, which discharging it selfe into a lake passeth through a certaine gullet or streit into the Mediterran sea, vpon the banke whereof standeth the most ancient citie of Tenesse: and this diuision of Nilus into so many streames and branches causeth Egypt (as I haue beforesaid) to be so narrow.