Deposits of the Nile Delta

Abstract

IN the abstract of the Report of the Committee of the Royal Society, on recent borings in the Nile Delta (NATURE, Dec. 10, 1885, p. 142), there is a reference to my “Notes on the Geology of the Nile Valley” (Geological Magazine, 1884), which calls for some explanation in the interests of Egyptian geology. When I saw a portion of the borings in Cairo, in the early part of 1884, the work had extended to a depth of only about 40 feet. At a depth of between 30 and 40 feet the boring-rod, after passing through continuous Nile mud, had entered into quicksand, consisting of polished and rounded grains of quartz and other hard rocks (desert sand), and the difficulties incident to this material had for the time arrested the operations. In connection with this and with the insufficiency of the funds on hand for overcoming the difficulties of the work, I wrote a letter at the time to the President of the Royal Society, strongly urging an additional grant, in order that greater depths might be reached.