Making the land fertile
began to rise until it flooded its banks and covered the farmer's field. After four months the water level fell again, leaving layers of rich earth which the river had brought down from the north. The crops grown in this soil provided the true riches of Egypt.The Nile's behavior was so vitally important that the Egyptians developed very accurate ways of recording and predicting it.
Hunters pursued the great variety of 
wild fowl with throwing sticks and nets. Fishermen hooked of netted their catches from light boats, made from tightly tied bundles of papyrus reeds which grew along the riverbanks.
Fiercer prey such as hippopotamuses, were also be found, especially in the marshy, untamed Nile Delta. Wealthy folk crossed the river for pleasure, and the Egyptians' vivid paintings of birds and beasts suggest that their beauty was keenly appreciated.The Nile was also a great waterway for vessels making longer journeys, carrying busy officials or transporting blocks of building stone.
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