Note 396 — THE SHARPER OF ALEXANDRIA AND THE CHIEF OF POLICE.
Richard Francis Burton translation
Arab. “Birkah,” a common feature in the landscapes of Lower Egypt; it is either a natural pool left by the overflow of the Nile; or, as in the text, a built-up tank, like the “Táláb” for which India is famous. Sundry of these Birkahs are or were in Cairo itself; and some are mentioned in The Nights.