The water-supply of Egypt is dealt with in an interesting
despatch from Lord Cromer issued as a Parliamentary Paper on Monday. Lord Cromer summarises the enormous benefits conferred on Egypt by the perennial irrigation furnished by the Assouan reservoir—an increase in the sale value of land of EE24,000,000, and in rental value of .2E1,465,000, to say nothing of the securing of the cotton crop, estimated last year at 2E28,000,000—and endorses the recommendation of Sir William Garstin that the dam should be raised twenty- three feet, thus more than doubling the water-supply, and bringing about nine hundred and fifty thousand more acres under cultivation. It is satisfactory to learn that the temple of Philae is now safer than it ever was since it was first con- structed, and that there is no fear of its being structurally injured by the raised water-levels. But; in any case, it is abundantly clear that it would not have been justifiable to sacrifice the present and future interests of the people of Egypt to the claims of archaeology.
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