The New York Herald Newspaper, December 12, 1869, Page 4

4 ‘ THE SURZ CANAL Suez Isthmus and the Old Canals. The Current of Trade One Thousand Years Before the Birth of Christ. Grand Idea of Necho, the Second King of Egypt, and Goshen Likely to be Inundated. FROM NECHO TO TRAJAN AND LESSEPS, First Inception, Surveys, Estimates, Concessions, Work and Comple- tion of the Present Route. INAUGURATION PREPARATIONS. EGYPT FROM UNDER THE SEAL. By mail from Europe, at this pors we have the following special correspondence, dated at Ismailia on the 18s and 19th of November, announcing the successful completion and opening of the Suez Canal by a royal, Scientific and popular inauguration. The writer recapitulates the history of the projects and works of canals Suez from the time of the frst Inception of the idea by Necho, tue second King of Egypt, to the moment of its grand fruition by Les- teps. Saez Isthmus and tho Old Canals. ISMAILIA,- ISTHMUS OF SURx, } Nov. 18, 136% § ‘The Iatnmus of Suez, because of its characteristics ‘Was considerod oy the Kings of Egypt in ojden times aga good defeAce agamse tle Assyrian kings and the nomadic trives of Persia, the Tartars aud the Mesopotamians The two seas wich bound it north and sous were almost connected by achuin of saline lakes which occupied every depression on the Ista- mus, There is evidence enough to prove thatthe Red Sea and the Meunerranean once commingled thelr waters in the prejitstoric times, and that the Sand which now separated the two seas nad been gradually heaped into bars and hillocks, which spread, became united, and finally, by action of strong winds and tides, formed the isthmus, For in the time of Isaiah this same process was taking Place. The Bitter Lakes, now so called, were then but the extrome reach of the Red Sea, and when Isalah fulminates against Egyps he threatens to cut of the tongue of the Egyptian Sea. Naturally this Operation had taken place. This reach of sea, ac- cording to the laws of nature, was eveu then being isolated. A bar was forming at the southern ex- tremity of the Bitter Lakes, which we find this day to have expanded into the width of eignteen miles of finest sand, end this same process of bar making was found oy the origtuators of the present Suez canal in operation a mile to the GouthWard of Suez There was always a nataral drainage in this isiumus to tue Mediterranean. Alittle eastward of the Bitter Laxes was the famous Ser- bontan Bog, in which it was belleved several hosulle @rmies had been engulfed. Tuen came the Bitter Lakes, eightoen miles long; Lake Timsah, two miles long; the Bailan Lakes and the exteasive lagoon of Menzalet. Between these lakes a sinuous stream ran towards the Pelusiac marshes, near Mount Casstcus, where tuere were salt pits for the manu- facture of sait, Were commerce the aim of aay nation tn the year 1000 B. C., Low feasible the pian of a canal turough Uile isthinus! Excavate a trench between these Jacustrine links, and the canal was done. Bat in the year 1000 B. C, the Kygyptians, who claimed the isthmus ag their territory, regarded wit borror those Who navigated tue deep and dweit in ships. Bay, those unfortimate sailors, whose misfortune tt was to be wrecked ou the coast of Egypt, were im- mediately offered up as sacrifices to the God Bust: is. Also the Egyptians possessed no forests wherewith to build seawortay ships. Their Nile galieya were built expressly for river trade between the Delta Meroe and the intermediate ports on the Nue, But the ocean they regarded with horror, notwithstand- ing that they saw the mercuant sutps of Tyre, Sidon, Carthage and Greece at tueir ports, The Phoenicians and Greeks swepi tie eead Irom the Palestine coast unto the Pillars of Hercules, from Pelusium unto Salamis and the Peioponnesus, Solomon despatched hla 4Wys dowa the Red Sea from Eziongeber, near the modern Sues, to Uphir and Ind, for gold, Valsam and spices. But it was impossible that people naturally brave and great in arts should long stand aloof from the benoilts to be derived from commerce and ocean navigation, and accord- ingly we flud the Egyptians under Psammeticus Utilizing (he means they had for Its promotion and even rivailing the Greeks aud Phonicians in Maritime pursuits. The corn, the linen, the drugs, tue exquisite and rich manufactures In gold and silver were exchanged by the Egypuans for Cyprian copper, Lebanon cedars, Tyrian dyes aud ships irom Sidon and Yarsas, This mutual Teciprociiy, which had long before mado Sidon # mart of nations and Tyre @ maker of kings, made Pelusium a great city, made Sais prosperous, Neucratis famous. The corn of the Nile aud the harvests of Egypt were exported by Pelusium for the purple and rich vestments of Sidon and Tyre, Phouicia waxed strong add tue cities of the Delta became prosperous uuder Psammeticus, Upon the Tuins of Theves and Memphis sprang the coast cittes of Petusium, Tunis, Sals, Meuues and Canopus. The King of Egypt, Necho il, son of Vsammet us, Was a yenius tor his Umes, He was the great est king of his age, iar adyauced above his royal contemporaries, He saw the value of commerce, and cousequently bis views were considerably cn- larged by the prosperity which Jullowed its culture, He heard of the gold of Ophir, of the precious stones that lay beyond the sea, Could ihe ships irom the Nile but trade directly thither what troasures might not flow into bis collers! What new landa might mot be conquered! Beloro such Rappy visions of bounudiess wealth, with the means of reailzing them at hand, Necho estal two dig trenches trom Pelusmm to the Bivter’ Lakes and to strengtuen is fortress 1 the Delta; and 60 aud the construction oi & royal burial place in Alex- aadria, tiou of the Ked Sea, whica presenied a great dim- culty to sailing vessels, inasmach as the wind blew from the borth duriag nae months of the year, and tie Arab captains found It Luapossiple Co beat up the Red Sea as lar as mziougeber. tains, In order fo avoid (his diflcuity, were opliged to contract with n them as far south wuich mode commerce ran trough osner caanuels, and new cities coasts of Egypt. secure the coumerce wiicu sought an oatiet in Egypt, Berenice, alter ois on We suppused silk a rr now stauds and cailed it Arsinoe, after his youngest Sister, gud reopened the canai opoa whica Neco iI. and Darius Hystaspes bad spenc Wieir energies. Ly means of tis caval stps were to pass between Arsinve aud Bupasus, cessfuily as lar as the Butter Lakes, waica had, through the neglect oi previous governments, been considerably tiled up by the encroaching sands of the desert. form a Junction between the Nile and the Ked sea— Was hot prevented this ume by superstition, but by engineers, Who deciared that the waters of tue canal would be severai feet jower than tue Ked Sea, and that im that cuse it would be @ sea canal, which would noc cenefls Commerce, Lor irrigate the fleids, nor furnish the valiey cities with fresi water. ed with this canai is whea Cieopatra, tne untoréu- nate, Rome,” after the disaster at Actlum sought aa ave- hue to escape tue power of dread Octavianus, and whispers to Mare Anvony that they shouid convey then together to yukuowa lands. despair winch had seized Antony it 13 probable the canal Whicu must have been open had beea used by the royal lugiiives to transport their riches aud | made, likewise under iipaut Bey, and the results their faitnful few to anocier shore, where auother eiupire might have beeu founded. made oy Necho, reconstracted by Darius aud Pulla- | rested atcention and drew all schemes to it for deiphus to be opened ouce more, hi branch, 4 sure warulug of the fall of the cities of | done nothing, except measuring, analyzing, coin- Bubastis aud Pelusiaw, which stood on its shores, b. tue canal bad to be made to run in another direction. Heropolis and Serapeum, and, joiming tue upper Bitter Lakes, entered the sea at Clysimon, a town ten mntles south of Arsinoe, which must be situated close Lo what is Known as Aloses’ Weil. ual shifting of tue sands had already in the brief space of Arsinoe from the Sea, which, 1t will be recollected, NEW YORK HERALD, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1869.-TRIPLE SHEET. G trong: N seems to have bad a | idea of o direct ship canal had been broached, be- | interruptedly from March to November, which | sixty-five feet at the water le the depth § as when firet en. ee of roysi Colum. | ©#Us@ great diMcuities presented themselves ‘accord. tallies exacts with the account of Herodotus, and} avout six = feet. The com} lad bad = Cal- most enterprising characters ing co him to its accomplisiinent, | Que was tho Suez which he says was a reason why Philadelphus | culated upon ratsing a very considerable bus, for perceiving the danger of persisting in his Tosdstesa. Lepere believed ass ety to tho —_ pals the wy, oF xecenite 5 ae ee Pears ron nie canal, t by the conces- ‘ te a8 Arsinoe 2,000 years 7 1ysm0n remaining to become pro- frst project Necho commanded his pliots to search | fate as 108 2,000 yi fore, a8 Clysmo eens a Sg per peer eaten a ‘they were P years belore, Sues would in another hall century haye been comp'etely isolated by the desert; tor even then from the town to the roadstead was a dis- tance of three miles. The other dimoulty ‘1nsur- mountable’ waa the port at Pelustum. No human prietors of all waste lands which they might be able to bring into cultivation. Davigation dues along that water. But with the withdrawal of the fellab labor supply they lost these valuable privileges, receiving as compensation the award in accordance with the French Emperor's arbitration. ‘This Sweet Water Canal, which. daring the time the Maritime Canai was sttil being in progress of con- struction, was 4 valuable mediuin of communication between the two seaports of Suez and Said, changed the aspect of the country in a wonderful manner. for some otber channel by which the Nile might dna an outlet to the Red Sea. From Ezoingeber these daring sailors set sail, steering down the Red Sea, keeping close to the Egyptian coast, stopping at | en inecring could ever prevent the agglomeration each port as they came tort for trade. After passing | of sanabars, forever nulliying buman e(forts for tie the Equator they could Bnd no Deople with whom | sof mathewauiclan wes able to oomtrevers these the: nol i they could trade or from whom they could purchase ories of Lepere the direct ocean canal was given up; provisions; so they bad to lay up their ships, plough | aud time, fate, did not permis Napoleon to procecd land, sow, reap, and with the harvest gathered | With the reconstruction of Necho's canal, In Abou- east and west-southwest. Finally It was ascer- tained that the roadstead of Sues had not perceptt bly risen during centuries. From which it was con- cluded that the harbor of Suez was a good one; that tue necessary depth was acquired by buftding two piers, the southern to extend 6,200 feet and the northern 3,900 feet, On the journey of the commission across the isth- mus nothing was found that could possibly retard the undertaking. Borings were occasionally made, and from the surface of lowest depression the drill They might aiso levy Kir Ba olcon’s aime and a and a went down easily thirty feet. Near Shaton and El | Wherever along its route tuere lay any depression or continue their long voyage of discovery, On the third | hitigns inne Orient were anni! sted, Aber. } Guisr_ there were nigh unds to be pierved. The | hollow the moisture exuding froi iss bauks created ted by grol year they came to the Pillars of Heroules. @ibraltar | crombie, Males Log rae Sv be np ery to bod om pale a rere whic! was @ BH ae thelr own friendly fe * a Let your readers glance at the map of the Eastern | of eighty fect, The Bitter Lakes they foun bean | evidence to the facility with whic! eo nce iupriee bas aa Whom, sailed along } 5 Jmuphere aud fae thelr eyes pom the peck of laud | empty basin, extending tweive milles ia length, from | whole desert ‘might’ be reciumed” An ine past Mauritame , which seems to connect the Continents of Asia and and Varsbage, and arrived at King Necho’s elty | Africa togetner. Let them conceive that that neck after an absence of three years, Sucn @ long voy- - land pan ninety mee ot sand, ee 4 age could not be repeated in the life of @ king | Ocean tides! ‘Only ately iniles of sand Docs It already far advanced in years. This was the first | hot seem @ superfuity to recapitulate the advau- yoyage around Africa. Hanno tried itsubsequently, stance of the wonderfuily fertilizing power of the Nilo water over the désert sands Is furnished near Serapeum. At a place called Bir Abou Bal- lah—the ‘Well the Father of Dates"—near the spot where the iresh water canal turns its course to the southward, the company pul wnder cultivation @ few acres of land, surrounding @ house they built for the use of Abdel Kader, should that famous chieftain ever fee! disposed to take up iis residence iu thelr domains. A few seeds and shrubs, planted in the sands only three or four years ago, have, by the sole aid of Nile wator periodically supplied trom tho canal, transformed this bit of desert into green flelds, shaded by palms aud other trees, aud a Wost charming little oasis now stands where but a sort two W three miles in breadth, and with a depth of thirty feet below the level of the Red Sea at high tide, Lake Timsai they found a salt marsh, tn the very centre of the isthmus, covering an area of about two square intles, eiguteen feet below the level of the Red seaathigh tide, The Bay of Pelusium, taough shallow, was iound to be all that had been reported It was about forty miles in gery by abouts thirty in width, At we distance of 2,500 yarda from the beach the water was found to be twenty- SiX feet in depth; at the distance of 4,000 yaras there were thirty-five feet found. The beach Was 8 nar- row Seip of land, dividing, in calm weather, the lagoon of Menzaleh from the Mediterranean, but which was in rough weather completely washed bee me micot rigor ie cussing \nrough ; 14 Bandy barrier, deep enough for # ship canal, but failed; for before reaching the Equator he had | Wniie looking at the imap of the Bastorn: world, to return, owing to the scarcity of provisions. while our eyes look upon England ana India, France Towards the later years of his life Herodotus | aud peared cor es bf a speaks of Necho as tho rebelitous satrap of Nabopa- | vis aud Japan, Europe aud the Indies: Amatic Tur. lassur, and tnatinstead of continuing his efforts to | key and Arabia, Europe and Eastern Africa’ construct ® canal he had to direct his mind to the the wants of the civilized world a brought into direct and shoré communica | over by the waves. The wind blew two-thirds of the | time ago only barren sands met the eye. [smailia, defence of Egypt against the Assyrian King. A tion with those of the ficd, golden Orient, } year west-northwest. The htoral currents were null, | also situated on Lake ‘Timsah, furnishes numerous deep trench was ordered by him to be cut fromthe | with the whole of Eastern Africa. With such | being irreguiar—running one time east, another | proois in its numerous gardens and umbragcous en- Bitler Lakes to the mouth of the bill near which | ‘calculable advantages and countless, immeasnra- | west. Neither was there anything to be appre- | closures, as welt as Severai other places slong the hended from the Nile mud, which, at every inunda- ton, the river jeft in the neighborhood; for the soil was easily carried way by the waves, while the sand leit as sediment was so sinall that even in a con- tury there was no perceptibie difference in the depth of the water in the Bay of Pelusium. ‘he examination of the Mediterraneau coast was carried (rom Pelusiam to Damietta, a small port used by fishermen and Delta traders. Along the whole coast the pecultarities of the beach perceiva- bie at Pelusium were found more or iess marked, Near Tanis a depth of twenty-six feet of water was found at the distance of @ mile and @ half from the beach, and afterwards tuere was a quicker deciine invo deep water. The beach at tis place was nearly a mule wide aud five or six miles in length, and rose some fitteen feet above tae level of the Mediterra- nean. It was composed of fine sand and Nile mud, Beyond the beach was the Lake of Menzaleb, an im- tense sheet of brackish water, which covers aucient cornileids of the Delta, once fertilized by the Lanitic branch of the Nile, which debouched at Tania, En- bankuents must have been neglected, and the ridge of sand separating it from the sea must have been cut through by enemies to chuse such a loss of rich land to Egypt. Tnis vast area once redeemed would pay the entire Knedive's debt if sola at a reasonabie Bui per acre, ‘The materials necessary for the construction of the port, which was determined to be placed eighteen iiles wess of Pelusium, near Lanis, at the Sald mouth of the Nile, were easily procurabie from the quarries on the Syrian coast, trom tno isies of Cy- prus, Roodes and scarpanto. The channel to the port was to be 1,300 feet wide, and running southwest and northeast. The port was to consist of the chan- nei, 1,300 fees wide, bounded by @ nor pier 9,800 feet long, aad @south pler 7,000, and taree Lar- | taking, as tue fleet moves down the canal [rem this bors, each capabie of mooriug 190 ships. The north | place, with sach descriptions of the most importans pier should stop at the depta of tnirty-swo feet, the peer ag space will permis and lustory and modera south pier at twenty-six feet ; one saould be thirty- uowledge Of the localities aiford. two fees wide al the tap, tue other should ve twenty Let lt BuMice here to state bie benefits depending upou the excavation ti a Canal through this saud, Was 1 possivio that tho nineteenin century, which had imaugurated its ad- vent and arrival with the proclamation of the most startling ideas, with the gestation and birth of mighty projects, with the universal pubitcation of the most enlightened views, could permit tbis one greatest ides fo sleep, to rest while the whole world canal, Which I may possibly have to describe. . ADVEKSE ARGUMENTS. The most specious arguments have been urged against this canal by Englishmen, special engineers, oflicials of ai ciasses, special correspondents an irrepressible itincrants, whatever their professious, so long as they. hailed from Mngland. According to them the Sues Canal was @ failure and would forever romain one, unless English engineers took hold of it aud Nog!iah goid carried it through. Yes, the Suez Caual was a dream irrealizabie ana 1m- practicable, but when was it that great ideas duriag their period of gestation were not dreams? Were not alt great men dreamors until they realized their projects? Was not Columbus calicd a dreamer, Newton also, and Watts? Lessseps was besides an adventurer! so sald unbelieving Englishmen. Les- seps himself was @ vagary as much as his project was one, But this living yagarist, this adventurer, this long caluminated individual, De ps, perse- vered in hisundertaking of making a Wwariline Canal, persisted against odds and England to boot to realize his dream, his vagary, his chimera, until finally, on this biessed day of our Lord, the 17th of November, 189, we see hia with worthy pride exhibiting iis mighty project realized to ibe civilized globe, as represented by#in empress, an emperor, potentates, crown princes, dignitaries 1 ali countries, monar- chical aud republican, despotic and democratic. Had he not persevered De Lesseps had been num- bered with those who are forgotten in the centuries; he had been forgotien as though he had not been; but now he lives, to be hereatter an ugportant unit among the current arithmetic of the illustrious great, hig prototypes—Ganleo, Franklin, Watts, Stephen- son aud Falton, Moro in detaii will bo described this great under- Pelusium, the frontier post, stood. It was intended as a defence against the Assyrians, but through its tnduence the land through which the swees waters fiowed bloomed like a garden, and the arid doseri, Ritherto but @ vast waste, teemed with the Spontaneous vegetation. The canal from Bubastis, tried Ero while the Amuerigan Coadnent on the Pelusiac branch of the Nile to the Bitter Was about to be banded with tron—while the oceuns Lakes, diaplaced the briny element which tormerly | were tronbied with the might, splash and ploughiag filled them with Nile water, and the treacit from che | of Wiousands of steamers, and the deep seas apout to ‘kes to Pelusium being illed with wile wa- | be vexed by the electric cavles? No! impossible | ter, at the saine time it defended Egypt against in- | sald men’s minds, With the mighty march of pro- cursive Assyrians, aud predatory armies frou Pales- | gress in all parts of the world ths one barrier of tine abd Arabia redeemed a large tract of laud from {| 84nd must be removed. Africa must be separated tle uncompromising sterility of a desert into fruit- | from Asia; the Ked Sea must be connected with the fal, glowing plains. Mediterranean. And how tt came to pass, how this As {atm not writing a book upon kgypt Iam con- | barrier was removed, how the Eryshrean waters strained, ior want of space, to condue myself just | commingled for the purposes of commerce | am now to Lhe subject of this canal, with a promise, | about to relate. Mowever, to cast a giauce at the history of eack Mehemet AU was a genius. This man was the Jace through which the mariume canal of the | Egyptian Naroleon. Wale ne lived success ab isthmus runs, rs tended him to almost every war be undertook; but Aller the death of Necho IL, Egypt having become | Kugland proved too strong for im, ag she had tribulary to Persia, native Mellexs tiaving been ap- | proved to Napoleon. Mehemet Ali died at asere polated by Darius the King, the idea of connecting | age, having abaicated his right; Nupoleon died at St. the Nile with the ed Sea was again mooted and | Helena Among the many vast designs Mehemet carried forward with considerable vigor. The work | Ali cherished was the construction of a ship canal Was well done as furs the Chaimpsi or Crocodile | from the Nile to the sea, the reupeniag of Buoastis lakes, as the Bitter Lakes were alterwards named, | and Bitter Luke Canal, thence to the sea. Mehemet These lakes, betog filed with Nile water, became { Ali was the very man to carry such @ project to 113 Jamous lor the large number of crocodiles, waver | end. Had a really sensible scheme been proposed fowl and fish which tad ilgrated bither with the { to Dim there is not tue least doubé that he would haughty Qoods Nowmyg from Nuvia and Abyssinia. have exerted all his brilliant seuge and autocratic Necvanede I, in the year 350 B. G., when veiling | Command to have it carried out. agaiust tue Persian vower which nad first beeu | schemes proposed to him were all in conne shed by Cambyses, then by Darius Hystaspes, | with the Nile and che Red Sea, and his si "ung prac- had recourse to we Same mode of defence originated | Ucal sense rejected them, This alone shows tuat by bis great ancestor, Necho IL in 618 B, C., yiz,— | Menemet Ali Was @ most enlighteaed man. Two thousand tive hundred years of experience were not lost upon bim. Egyptian hisiory told aim how well Were these wate: feuces planned taat in tae | often the Pharaohs, the Piolemies, the Romans and } leet. Both suould be raised six feet above the water }° e THE MARITIME CANAL fail, When the periovical overow came, the Nile | the Calipus had devoted their energies to coustruct- | and surmounted with a parapet. 1s about 120 mies in length from sea to sea, as it ce upleied what Nectanebo had begun, and Egypt } ing and reconstructing that canal, and demonstrated ‘The report lorwarded to his Highness the Viceroy | runs following the series of lakes in the Isthmus. as us delivered irom the Persian yoke, ie year 254 8. U. Ptolemy Philadeiphus became of Egypt. Among the great works of his reiga tie erection of lizuthouses on the Isie of Pharos Out of tiis length thirty-eight miles ouly rose above sea level. Tue remaining eighty-two miles were either below 1t or of tue same levol. ‘The parts on the sea level were Lakes Menzaleh and Bailaa, and those below it wero Lakes Timsah and the two basins of the Bitter Lakes, Lake Timsai, which occupies tho centre of the Isthmus, midway between ghe twoseas, is about nine mules in clrcumierence, aad it 1s proposed to convert thas basin into a cen- tral harbor, where vessoly may at all times tiad a safe and convenient anchorage. Starting Irom the Mediterranean the canal passes successively through the Lakes Menzaich and Baliah, the lofty mounds of iL Guisr, Luke Timsaa, the sandy district of serapeum, the greater and lesser basins of the Bitter Lakes and dnaily reaches the Red Sea at Suez. From tne Mediterranean to Hl Guisr the widéo of the canal 13 240 leet, and from Bl Guisr to Iswailia it 13 180 leet, afver whicn it expands again into its proper widia of 2401eet. Its depth in every part-should be twenty-six feet; buc what has been acquired will be suiliciently made known as we proceed. to Lim the gruitiessaess of continuing 1b. Soon after the peace of 1833, by which Mehemet Ali was conirmed in tue hereditary possession of zypt by paying merely an annuai tribuic vo the Sublime Porte, a party of Englisawen expiored the wlomus, AMODgZ Whom was Major General Chesney, who belore & Commission asserted, alter a casual inspection of toe localities, that the idea of a dilter- ence between the level of the two seas was com- pietely erroneous, In 1840, also, another survey was made by tue nglish with a view of opening a canal, and Cuesney’s Opimion was confirmed by scientilic ) inquiries. In February, 1841, Linaut Bey, Chief Engineer to Meheiwet Ali, in conjuncuon wiih Messrs. Aaderon (of the Peninsular and Oriental Company), Joun and George Gilddon lormed a company to constructa sdip canal irom Pelussium te Suez. Inquiries and lavorious sarveys bad demonstrated its compiete feasibiuty, There was po longer @ doubt, it was nota chimera to those men WO Bad studied the wthuus aud its characteristics; it became a fact realizable, could the moving power of ali works— of Kgypt contained more in detall of what is above related, Tae international Commission, tian whom no otuer corporate body could be more capabie, decided in the conchading article of thelr re- port that the sip canal across the Isthmus of Sues was a practicable undertaking; that the two seaports Suez and the Port of Said pre- sented no more than ordinary diiticutties, and lastly sdded that the cost of the entire canal, deep enougi for ocean vessels, broad euough for wo world’s commerce, could be constructed for $40,000,000, Armed with tla report, with the full sanction and powers of the Viceroy, notuing remained for Mr. Lesseps but to advertise the project, make up a company aud invite capttalsts to take stock. In 1363 La Compagnie Universeile Maritime do Suez was formed, witd M. Fecdinand de Lesseps for president. The capital of tne company was 20u,000,000 francs, or $40,000,000, in 400,000 suares of $100 each, of which four-Mlina were paid up ab euce. Of theso shares Monammed Said took 177,642. In the grant of the company the right of He also turned his attention to the paviga- ‘the merchant cap- nants that they should meet S possivie with caravans, by austantly sprang up ou the soutuern Or ag these are Souakiim, Cos raud Massowah of to-day, To obviat the diitl- ty Of navigating this sea and at tae same dime to Philadelpbus pbuut a city and cailed it ster, 200 mules beiow Cosse.r, of the Seriptural Opuuir, From Berowice caravans of camels wouid | mouey enough—be vbiaiued. ‘his company broke | importing any goods tree of duty to the tsthmus ‘The expense of keeping tho ship canal in good convey the merchaudise to lower Egypt—to | up, however without accomplishing angen, win given tuem by tue Viceroy, also as many work- | Working order has been estimated at about $350,000, the capital, He also rebwult Cosseir, tue dn 1846 Linaut Bey's scheme of a caual was taken.| men as the company desired for ounstra the | Lf this is true the canal will be @ success without onum, wccordiag to Strabo. Finally, Paila- t up by a new company, of which the great Stephon- phus bailt @ c.ty wear Where the modern Suez | son at P i ’ son and Negrelll, vaulin Tatabut aud M. Entacun were members. The organizauon of this company was mainly owing to ihe elforts of Md. Enianun, The Sociew @#iudes du Canat de Suez had for ita purpose the making of une sortie de Bospiore dans 4c Gesert de Suez. xrom the series of reporta which were drawn up by European and Egyptian engineers relative to tue respective seas, the features of the isthinus, the uature of tne soil and the pros and cous to be suid for and against the feasibility of consuruc- tion and advantages of the canal, a member or tie coupany drew up ab elaborate review to be submit- ted Lo the associstion, and likewise sketcaed @ plan of a canal which would rua from Sues to Cairo, jol- low and cross the Nie apd deboucn inte the port of Aiexaadria, But as this project was for a most tn- direct route it 1s neediess to say that men awakened to the necessity of a direct sip Canal overruled and Guashed 10 insianuy. Though these later surveys had followed one upon toe otner quickly, yet eminent uropeans, though accepting ile truth of the yenerad theories advauced, were Lound wao silll remained tn douot, becaus? the commission of 1799, under General Lonaparte, had formed such widely different iueas, ‘To satisty the doubis of those wiose luterests would be promoted by the Sues Caual anotuer survey was canal were to be suppiled from the felians of Egypt, with @ stipulation only taat they sbould be main- tained by the canal company. The iirman of the Suitan also was easily ootained, lor since Egypt Was tributary to him this was iv be procured beiore work could be commenced. In April, 1369, the first spade(ui cf land Was turned up and the work on the canal may de said to Lave comumenced from that doubt, For proofs we have bus to consider ihe fol- lowing statistics:—Tne charges ab present agreed upon are ten francs per top. ‘This sum, thoyga un- necessarily large, we are compelled w lake where- upon to base our estimates of the revenue of the canal. TRADE AND PROFITS. Tho Peninsula aod Oriental Company have two vessels arriving euch week at Alexandria and Sucz, nd two departing. These must pass now turough the canal. We will say that the ludian steamer, instead of stopping at Sucz steams direct vo Port Said, and peruaps continues ber voyage to South. ampton, The outward boand steamer Instead of Stopping at Aiexundria steams direcuy through the cana! to Suez aad Bombay—one outward bound, the ovher homeward bound each week. ‘Two vessels & week Will axe 104 Vessels a year; these, averaging 1,000 tons per vessel, will aggregate 104,000 tons. At ten francs, or two dollars, per ton this vast tonnage will produce the sum of $203,000 ® year. ‘These vessels carry out and home aoout 10,000 passengers every year. ‘ais uum- ber of passengers must pay $20,000; 80 that the Peninsuia and Oriental company alone must pay the company of tho canal $225,000 anaualiy, irre- spective of the coal ships must carry ior tue com- any to Suez aad Aden, The Messageries Liperiales ave ten steatuships entering the ports ol Suez and Alexandria aud aeparting therefrom every month. Like figures put against these steamers Wil produce In a Yeur the sum Of $240,000. vassengess, including French troops 30,000, tue suin of $60,000, whicn woud make a toiai of $500,002, Lhe Bombay and Bengal line have 104 steamers entering and depart ing the purt of Suez in connection witn Messra, Mosa & 0.'s line of steamers irom Liverpoui and Mare Fraissenet’s “Maritimes Marseilles,” which He reopened We canal suc- date, in addition tothe subscriptions raised the com- pany have received money irom different sources, in 1863 the good Said Pacha and Ismau, son of Ibrahim, s0n Of Mehemet All, succeeded to the Vice- royalty of igypt. Ismail Pacha had been much in England, and as itis kuown by all England enter- tamed great prejudices against the concession of the isthaius of Suez aud the right of constructing the caual, vo her powerful neighbor, France. for the gaine reasous that arrayed her strength against Russia’s. approach further tuan the Biack Sea Urougut her 1ato antazoulsm to France. India lay beyond Asia Minor; 30 dia that empire lie beyond tue Ked Sea, India wa vital necessity to Engiand’s greatness and power. The State that advances too ciose towards her possessions there uiust perforce be inimical to Engianad, So argued Palmerston, and tis Vremier’s views Colored Stephenson's views ot the luture of the Isthmus of Suez Canal, as well as they ruled the poiicy of Engiaud’s ministers abroad. The Sultan was besieged at Constantinople to rescind the concession. Ismail Pacha was requested to with- draw the feiah suppiles, The Suitan wavered, but Napoleon had bis eye upon him, and he was linme- diately irightened out of lug intended course; but Ismail Pacha had a.tund of obstinacy ta nim—he broke the contract with tne canal company, and would furnish no more fellans. Napoleon came to the rescue of ps and suggested a commission The compledon of the unaertakiug—to The next time Wisiory records aa incident connect- “keypts foal disgrace, the firebrand of r slips across the istiluus to the Red Sea and oy Had it not been for the veritied the previous investigations. fhe level of the :wo seas was proved co be the samme, and tus fact Trajan, in the yeur 110 A. D., caused the canal first | estabished, accepted by all ag true, naturally ar But as tne Nile basis. become extremely shallow on the Bubastite For seven years the Stephenson company had paring and surwusing. in 1863 we hear of @ new man appearing on the scene, im the person of Mon- So Trajau’s engineers commenced it trom 6 piace | sieur Ferdinard de Lesseps. ‘tis gentiemaa was | to decide upon the damages as a suostitution for the | with thor ber and passcagera musi pay $: 000 called Babylon, near Memphis, wuich was nearly | born at Versailles, November 19, 1500, and } breach of contract. Tue committee, equally com. | annually. . The British government has forty-eight itty feet Migaer than irom Buoastis, that it might | is, consequentiy, sixty-four years oid, In | posed of Egyptians and Frenchmen, declared in troop-suips eutering and departing the port of Suea pour into the Red Sea, obviating in this way the } 1823 he was appoinied Consul at Lisbon, and } favor of the company, and Napoleon, who was the | eaca year. ‘Tuese troop-slups are 4,00u and 4,400 tons dreaded danger of an inundation of bgypi by the | in 1842 was made Cousul at Barcelona. in 1853, | umpire, awarded tne company damages to the | burden, they will therefore pay $208,000, wiiie some- yotlan Sea, This canal passed by ftieliopolis, | when on a visit to hammed Said Pacha, | amount of $16,300,000, payable in instalments within | thing like 20,0v0 troops cross from Kngiand to india aud vive versa. The British government oonse- quently will have to pay $245,000 per aupuin. 100,000 tous of coal annually conveyed across the isslimus by the companies’ vessels at Lae low price of Glieen francs per ton will produce $300,000. Recapituiated in tabular form the following figures answer for thomselves:— be proposed to hum the piau of construciing & mari- time canal across the isthmus which stould run from sea to sea. Said listened to him kindly and asked hin to draw up a statement upon its princi pa: features, with all the advantages that would be obtained Irom i. The early part of 1564 his ceie- brated memorial upon the Suez Caual was drawa up and deiivered to the Viceroy uuder the title, “‘Perce- meat de I’Isthine de suez Exposé et Documenis Ofl- cieis.” From the character of Egypuan lachas, | Which waa once proverbial, the world would not have been in the least surprised had the Viceroy contented himself with simply pocke.ing the docu- ment aod returning for auswer to Lesseps an invita- tion ww sthoke pipe and take a cup of cotfee. But dfteen years. Further, the company, in order to aid their works on ule great ship canal, constructed au auXiliary canal, runuing trom Zagazig (ancient Bubastis), taking its rise im the bill, aid to ran along the canaliformerly constructed by Pharaoh Necho,whtch had been reopened a3 tar as Gasasine, @ of twenty-ning miles, by Mehemes Alter leaving Gasasine the canal ran through the desert, towards Tlinsah Lake. for thirty mules, Between Gasasine and Timsah there lay an immense depression in the oe which, irrigated, might easily be reciatined. Tis depres- sion Was Cailed Onady Toumiiat, and like all che desert, as far as Timsah, was but a portion of ihe conun- taree centuries compietely separaied was built by Puiiadelphus a4 the port of 13 canal. Whether tie canal was Kept open by the Roman Prelects during tne occupation of Egypt by the Ko- muus history does not relave. We are ieit to surmise that so long as they contiaued to be tue masters of the World such a Work, 80 conducive to maritime wealth and prosperity, could not have been negiexed. Revenue, -Peninsular and Oriental Company. Measageries limpériales.......... Bombay and Bengal Company British’ governmeat.. ‘Transportation ol coal. TOUA)...-..+s00006 the last time history speaks of this celebrated | Mousuiued Said Pacha, who Succeeded Abbas, his | Goshen, the ricuest and falrest portion of Egypt. | Working expenses, 35,000 canal 18 in the year 608 A. ., tn connection with | nepuew, was an enugnteued Prince, and bad’ tie | Onady Touintlat became tue property of the com- —— the conquest of kgypt by Abu Amrou, \eneral of | tact of gathering celebrated men around him. | pany by purchase ior the sum af $400,000. The Net profit. sees $954,000 Cauph Omar, Atmron wishing Wo surprise bis mas- ) Koenig Bey, Secretary of sald Pacha, was 4 Geran; | estate consisted of 23,000 acres, and after being irri- Nearly a mi a tor the sLOCK- ter with the vast riches le had acquired by the pos- Session Of Hgypt, reopened tae Canal along its wavie length ana sent so many siilpioads of grain to UlysmOn thal, W Use the eXaggerated words of the Linaut Bey and Mougel Bey, Chiet lic Works, were Frencomen; Galt structed the AiexXandrian fortiiivations, Bey, Captain of Bain , Were also Frenchmen, hoiders from steamships aione. Doubt not the above Hgures hor the resulis, Passengers pay now twelve dollars each for crossing from Suez to Alexandria by rail, thereiore, 1013 Dus tatural to titer thay they gated and made to produce cotton anu tenced around, on the third year Lae revenue of it amounted to $100,000, In 1364 this estate was sold to Ismaut Pacha for $2,000,000, This auxiliary canal was con- utal Listoriaa, it requued @ train of camels | Motamimed Said had been educated a Paris, Me | Unued from Timsah, which 1s now Known as Is- | will prefer paying tue small sum of a the Holy City Of Mecca to Clysion, aii loaded | was woll acquainted wiih Monsieur Lesseps, and it | muilia, a ong the western edge of tho basin of Be two dollats for wu much easier and less fatiga- lo Couvey the booty away. was withan entire coaudence that Said Vacua en- | BI Lakes, and approaciing the foot of th ing route, Those who nave crossed of the Isthinus of Suez study of the old ustory Of the aacient canal of the Lé gleaned from a persevering wrners of lierodotua, Diodorus, Pliny and Josepoua.’ However etches are two lungs are evl- trasted bin with Cie nome task Of Opening an ocean avenue tw the world, ‘Lhe deed of concession for tue Suez maritime Canal was signed isS4, by Movam-ned Sald Pacaa wad handed over to Ferdinand de Lessepa, A complete Geneile Mountains to tae port of Sues, so as to per- Tait Lhe barges and dredges to proceed to Suez road- stead, and lor the easy aud cheap transportation of al aadirod stock. A balance sheet furnished by M. Lessups the 6th of tie Isthunas by rail dread the fatigue aud heat ol tis istamian Wausit. Again, ti is bat natural co sup- pose tat each Ling Of sveamers WU AVAL LLEmselyes of Uils quick and snortest route, avorling ali the trouble and expense of transsnipmens, unloading aual across ube isthinas Was | specificauon of Aujrust, 1864, gives tue following figures relative to-| and reloading at the respective poris of ity by the ancient rujers of | at Caivo Mare! the expenditure:— Alexandria aud Suez. Any company wao, from Second, that the caval aiter being con- | god woagel Bey, Were the authors of the Woct Cost of piers, quays. and other works at prejudice or couservatism, will not hasten to avai ed seemed to have become choked up Wiere- Now, the grad question to be solved nely POT HAIG... 62. en eee eee essere veaseoe $2,840,000 | themseives oi the route by the cana), will find thom rit Was negkected; (hata centary or so was sul before commencing the gigantic task was, “Wasit | Excavations through the mounds of El seives rivalicd and excelled by competitive com- = Werale almost Mi traces of It, possibie to make au arufcial Bosphoras bev ween the Gular.. see panies, tie dessageries Linperiaies wud Marie 1B PRESENT SUBZ CANAL. The necessity and wonderful utility of @ canal Across tue wihmus which would permit ocean ships Lo crosé froin nea to Bea, Was Bs evident io We Lrenca Dircetory and General Napoleon Louaparte as it bad been v0 Pharoah, Necho aid Paiadelphus over 2,000 years previous. Bonaparte after examining ine ivta- inus With his engineers, darmg ine French occupa- tuon of Egypt, seemed to wis to folow the work of Necho at firs. His idea of @ canal was also from the wile to tue Red sea After much reporting, In- two scas/'? Was it possible W establisn a smoot communication between tie twWo Beas WiLOUL locks ¢ Monsieur Lesseps, uuder the autaority of the Vice- Troy's uran’, appeaied to tae best engineers of Harop for their decision, ‘This was another of Do Lessep’s Treat lueas—this appeal to a scieniifle assemoly of purope—when the aviest engineers of the most civilized Continent were invited so attend, To this assemoly Kaglaad sent Mossrs. MoUiean, U. Manoy and Captain Hewett, eminent engineers. Austria contributed Chevaier de Negreti, Councilor of Excavations of Ship Cana! an Casing of pares of tne Canal with stone... Coss Of piers At SUCZ.....60.06000 + Laying dowu a line of fresh water between Isinaiiva and Port Sati. Unforesceu aud general expenses. Umes Marsciies are avous Lo Blart their ites threagh tho cana! umediatoly aller tug termination of Wie imaucuration. Again, Lhave not touched upon the Turkish pil- grimage to Mecca and Medina, whica mst farnisn handsome revenues to tie Sues Mariume Canal Company. At least 150,000 ulm@ens [rom Asia Miuor, Turkey in Asia, the sh possessions La the Levant, Morocco and,iripo., travel annaally to the sanctuaries of tie Propletia Arabia, ‘These peo- pie, ab two douars per capiia, will furn’sh the » Total expenditure OF this total the sums for which ooutracta have been signed between the company and vooligating, surveying, Which occupied several | State and Inspector General of Ratiroads. Pted- various French firms amount of $500,000, ‘Then, again, What shail be sald of Spain Monlus, NKe & asa came gn idea “Why not connect | mont, M. Paleocapa, Minister of Public Works at $27,260,000 and ker possessions §of te Palippine is- tue two feat by @ direct eanai wich shall foat |} Turin. Holiand, M.Courad, Chief Engineer of tno lands. Weekly mads from Manila pass aud irigates and war shipay The vastness of the under- | Wator Staat, Prussia, M. Leutze, Director of the Tepass the isthmus. Jroops are frequentiy sent determined upon constructing a canal that syouid connect the Nile with the ited Sea, which should Start from Bubastis, the thea capital of Hgypt, by Pathumos, or Thou, throug a natural sandy ravine, Dast Necropolis aad into the Bitter Lakes, whica then was separated frorm the Red Sea by only & wide bar. 1 was to be wide enough for two ships to pass ach other freely when abreast; it was to be deep enough for the largest ships of the period. Though & most roundabout canal for Phuwniclan and Tyrian bhips to sail to India, yet it was @ practicable plan. Buvastis lay but sixty miles from the bitter Lakes, One hundred and twenty thousand slaves were em- ployed on the undertaking for three years, at tho end of which time it became evident that if the canal was dug the waters of the Ked Sea would overfiow Gosheu, inundate the Delta andrutn Egypt, besides, according to the priests, Necho was warned that, by constructing this canai tor bavigation, even should destruction to the land by salt walter not be the result, barbarous Invaders from unknown lands were invited to come and conquer. The work was, theroforo, teluctantly relinquished, though so near its com- pletion, Traces of It have been tound to within twenty-five miles of Suez, on the route trom Zagazig, The works ure solid and durabie, the banks tn some places being lined with brick and granite, ‘which look, even to this day, Glmost ss {resh and as taking, Lie linmense Linportance of tae resuits which | Works om the Vistula, Spata, Don Montesinos, Woull Mevilably accrue from vbo canal, dawned upon | Director of Pubtic Works at Matrid. France, Kear and lib Wp Napolecu’s mind and it was tuen we may | Admiral Le Genonilly, Captain Jaurés, member of Assume IA tue very nome of euthusinsin, he muss | the Adimiraity Hoard; ft. Renaud, inspector General or are withdrawn. Spanish mon-of-war, tusiead of Boing around the Cape of Good Hope, wili naturally Choose tie shortest route; aud [rom these the coui- PALY Must reap annually the sum Of $90,000. vrom Int Pi monthly to the shareholders on heir paid up capital. Ths eM amounted then to $1,600,000, Which was bave uttered thas celebrated dictum of tus, } and jog pntoed the Board of Bridges and Higways, | Increased Lo $2,000,000 when vhe remaining fifth of | Which facts, indisputavie evidences of ike Wealin “Whatever Power hoids the tstiinus, will be} and M. Lieusson, Hydrographer and Sngineer of tue | tue subscription was paid up, that must awalt the company, We may piainly see master of luaia.” Woe staying at Buez, bav- | Navy. ‘The canal, however, has cost altogether, so far as | that wheter sailing vessels take this route or Lot ing bis honiquarters st toe paince of ‘this International Commission, eminens and com- | estimates can be made, almost douvie the ‘sum first | prosperity awaits those coucerued in it the Bey-Governor, be mtudied the quostion | petens beyond all future cavilling and doubung, | mentioned, viz., $60,000,000, But who shall suy that sailing vessels will not iu this new light lutentiy. Tue Isthimus was well | met for che first time at Paris, Uctober 40 aud 41 explored and reported upon for @ direotcansl | 1905. It was decided that the commssion shoul ‘The excavauons of the shi taken by the eminent French canal were under. select this route io preference to any oiber? Let us rm of Messrs. Borel, soe What history and modern experiénce have Lo say between = Polusiim and Suez But here | depart irom Marsetlies the following Week, 6iu No- | Lavailet& Uo, Ky thetr contract with Ure canal | adout thia, We may feel thasit is prowature and again the engiticers sell invo the traditional | vember. ‘The commission arrived ai Alexandria on | company the Works were to be completed by the | hazardous to break into an over ardent predicuon error of stating that the waters of tue Hed | the ist and se Ing with their dnties. | goth of June, 1863, under @ penalty of $100,000 per | as to the unmediale prospects of the probaule Sea were thirty-two feet higher than the } ‘The nature of the coast, rocks and sands was closel, amount of trafic that may pass Lurough tho Isthinns, month for every month’s delay; on che other hand, they were to recstve a like sum from the company for every inonth gained. 1b 13 needless to state that the company did not fulfil their contract, because #0 tawny vexauous delays were thrown in their way by & prejudiced Palmeirton and & captious Pasha, that the company graciously consented to exten their tine to the 1st of November, 1969 Preliminary to the works on tue [achmus were the providing of eMcient arrangements for @ pientiral supply of fresh water in the desert, which was out Gn extent of saline marshes and @ sandy waste, all treeless and trackless, When the excavations first commenced: water had to be conveyed long dis. tances, on the backs of camels, horses and donkeys in leather Mushoks and goatakins, and then depos teod at Intervals on the lue of works in smail troa tanks; also, provisious for the laborers, tooia and every description of articles required tor the works Mediterrancan, thougn the Rea Sea was bus ninety mies distant. An engineer named La Place aod tue mathemaucian Fourier protested inst the opinion, asserinug that such ideas wero against accepted theortes of the rystem of the globe and | scientific gentiemen relating w everything that con- ocean equilibrium. Later hydrographical experi- | cerned the Isthious, the soundings and borings In menig demonstrated the faisity of the opinion which | the desert and the roadsteads of Suez and had been maintained with such ovatinacy for 2600 | Pelusiuin. Native pilota were consulted at Sues, years. the quarries of Attaka close by were examined, Napoleon's engineers proposed to reconstruct the | and during their tive days’ stay at Sues old canal of tue Pharaols and Prolemies, The [,tuey determined the precise iocation of thefuture ruins of ithad been found at several pinces ranning Pharbor of Suez and the emvouchure of the canal, from the modern Zagazig or the ancient Bubastis ia | By tus patient mode of procedure most important the direction of the Bitver Lakes, and the work of | facts caine to light, 18 was found that all charts of teddy oon would cost, according to Lapere, | the Suez roadstead were totaliy incorrect, and sound- between 20,000,000 france and 20,000,000 francs, or | ings were at once commenced and trigonometrical between $4,000,000 and $6,000,000. This was @ | surveys made, and finally @ truthiui cuart of the modest sum for the construction of a canal] But | roadstcad was drawn up. 8 roadatead was found able to afford ample an- Investigated, as wel! as the Jaws of the currents ant tue invernal navigation of tne country. They paid close atiention to prevous facia, they verified inquiries heretofore instituted by commissions, travellers and but ib ls tinporsibie Wat Taen, however prejudiced, cnn giance atthe map of the world without feeling that i these days the greater portion of tha wade of India and China wil, as a matier of course, adopt this shorter route, Hvery consideration of ecouoiny, Of tie and money leads us unto thal cou. clusion; for & saving Of 6,000 to $8,010 mules on tha voyage from Hucope to india must surely tell very materially on tue calculations of mercantile wea, Hngiand, a4 posseasing three-fourths of vio com- Merce of bie Judian seas and by tar tie largest mor. cantile marine of any of the nations of Kurope, aud counting aiao so many mililons of her eubjecta in Mose disiant lands, will necessarily be tue first to prodt by the canai, while ail o.ber nations, especially those bordering ou the Mediterrancan, will each, in a certain degree, parttolpate in tae commercial ad. vantages Of tis ew mavigation. Owing to tue lig very Small amount informs us that Lepere could had t be conveyed In the same manner at great ex- revailing winda tn the Seat never have entertained the idea of building a snip | chorage for 600 ships at once, ‘The depth varied } peuse. ‘To acceierate the transportation of tue ne & @ question whether tn toate eaua * ching canal of any depthi—that, in fact, $6,000,000 was just | from sixteen to forty feet, bostomed wih soit mud. | Ceasities the Sweet Waters Canal slready mentioned, | clippers wif readily adopt the new route, fu adequate sum for the reopening 0! @ canal first dug, 2,000 years before, by Puaraoh Necho, Lepore made his estimates even after the brilliant The anchorage was entered into by two dcep chan- sulliciently wide to allow vessels to tack. The orth-northwest wind Was found to biow almont un: ‘Was rapidly pushed forward to ita completion which took piace in 1961, ‘This canal was ninety-three and © half miles in length; tte widsh varied irom ‘ity to | especiaily, on their return voyage to Burope, Walca would noceasitate a montus tacking over G08 Very Gsngorous coral roois, Balit must nos be overlooked that steam ts gradually but surely sup Planting the use of sails, and experience every day shows that vo steamers at least the navigation of the Red Sea offers no exceptiona: difculties whatever. The high cost of coal ut Suez and Aden nas, ib 1s trae, iltherto rendered steam navigation somewhat expensive 10 those parts, but the price of that bulky article will be much soWwor now that the sixty-nine francs, or $14 59, per ton whicn tt cost to transpors across the Isthmus by rait, has been reduced to ¢ dollars per ton by water. Besides for clippers car- rying valuable freighta of tea, allk, opiam and cot ton @ small auxiliary screw would be of immonse advantage. Down tha Red Sea no vessel would re- quire more than her gatls, for the winds blow stron Seer iu that tion for nine months out The advantages to Egypt from this Suez Canal are incalculable, and great changes must naturally take place throughout the country. Brilliant results nuust follow here when civilization’s mighty and pleaipotent current flows by portals so long closed yy semi-barburism, A tmoment’s thought to what may be the fucure strike’s one with wonder. What will become of Alexandria and Cairo? Port Said must mwnopouze tue business of Alexandria; for the latter city Dut fed on the indian trac and we cotton from the Nile valley. Ismailia must sap tae importance of Cairo; for the former ety 18 the in- land harbor of the isthmus; the products of the country will find a readier market there than at Cairo shortly, and the cotcon is s0 easy of transporta- tion to Ismawia, botn by water and rail, that the business of Cairo seems entirely taken away. ‘Truly great things are in store for Egypt. and happy shalt he be who of the land sball live to sea them realized PREPARATIONS FOR THE INAUGURATION, In November, 1562, Lake Timsah was filled with the waters of the Red Sea in presence of M, de Les. sepa, accompanied by the Is!em, the ulemus, the Catholic Bisho p of Alexandria, ai the employés of the company that could be spared and a nnmerous party of friends, On the wesvern bank of the role, through which the Mediterranean waters flowed, stood af. de Lesseps, who said, a3 the look was raised, ‘In the name o1 his an tree? said Pacha, I command that the waters of tho Mediterranean be Jet Into the Lake Timsah by the grace of God.” The dike being removed the waters rushed into the lake. The ulemas then proceeded to bless the waters and 7 Deum was chanted at the Frenen chapel of El Guisr, It will be recollected that the canal was e ted to be finished by October, 1869, but the circainstar- ces which prev ented it have been so fully explained that it 18 unecessary to enter tmto any further details about them, Sudlice it here that Octover, 1868, passed without any romarkable event oocur- ring on tbe Isthmus. In February of this year the Bitter Lakes were filled, and the same ceremontes which marked the filling of the Lake imsah were reheapsed upon this occasion in presence of the Nagerey: of Egypt, the Prince of Wales aud his suite. In the early part of this summer M. de Lesseps, after consuitation with his engineers and contrac- tors, published his notices to the effect that the Suez Canal would opento the commerce of alk nations on the lst dav of October, 1869. This date was, however, altered, and the event postponed to the i7tu of November, 1869, because of the great heat of the Eg)pitan autumn and because the gon- tractors for their part desired this further post- ponement. ‘The whole civilized world were made acquainted With the great event, which was co be celebrated with all the pomp and circumstance due to such an occasion, The potentiates of Kurope were invited to be present to inaugurate the opening of this canal to universal commerce, with all the éclat which thoir presence would give. The crown.princes and tueir suites, the chambers of commerce, the repre- sentatives of the preas of both Kurope and America, the consuls oi the seaports, the engincers, scien- tile’ and literary commusstons, representatives ot whatever body Ged wets in all Europe, which would give grace aud dignity to the important cere- mony Of inauguration. To this invitauon the Em- press of the srench, the Emperor of Austria, the Crown Prince of Prussia, the Crown Prince, ’rince and Princess Henry of the Netherlands; a@ pripoe of Beigimm, the Crown Prince of Italy, ambassadors aud heads of literary and scientific societies cor- dually responded. ‘Tle potentates and dignitaries of the civilized world were willing to do honor to We ape Hekad and the man who persevered to accom- 19h 1s e it is really interesting to note the manner in which de Lesseps’ communication was received by the na- tions. England seemed considerably humiliated thas the canal had advanced to compietion in spite of the predictions of her best engineers and the Paimersion coloring of her oracles. London awoke from tts illusory security and made preparations to accom- pany the other great cities to Exypt to Witness for iwelf the success which It had so long dtsbelieved tn. Liverpool was no longer indifferent; Glasgow, Hull Southampton were suddenly impressed with we idva that the Suez Canal, beitg so loag a forbidden sudject, had, unknown to them, awakened the world, and these cities responded by promising to send their delegates to the ceremony. Huterprises: were started by the dozen; new lines of steamerd were torun from Europe to India, and the extreme Orient; Russia established in {ort Said an agency for steuin Iaes of navigation besween Odessa aad Lodia. The powerful Australian Lioyd’s also estavlishe d aa agency at Port Said in view of the exvended com- merce before them. The Italian government re- commended to Italian companies that they should uullze tue Egyptian Bosphorus. spain prepared for a steam navigation between Barceiona and ner colonies in the Plilippine Isles. The Marseilles Come pany of Maritime Transports comaienced the con- BUYUCtLON Of SLeamMers Of great Capacity. ‘These ships, propelied by, engines that required the littie come sumption of coal, were aavertised to carry passen- gors at reduced prices between Marseilles and we great Asiatic cipies. The Viceroy'vn the other hand, with his welt known liberality, prepared tv do honor to his guests in @ most extravrdinary Manner. An opera, & theatre and @ circus were constructed in the Egyp- tian capital; gas was lotroduced into ancient Cairo, the city of the Mameluke calipns; isbektyeh plage Was renovated in a manuer that teu yeurs ago would have been past belief, Fountains alot up tall col- umus of water, Kioskes gaily painted with Oriental tagce sprang up close to the fountains; rare plants aud surubs decked the tutherto waste and refuse heaps of Cairo. Magnificent railing enclosed this blooming garden, and entrances to it were erected such as Would be an honor to the imperial gardeus of Burope. ‘The surects of Cairo were set out, danked by graaite and tfreestone curbstones, and sidewalks were laid with massive flagstones. The railway stativn Was repainted, and the road leading trom it to the hears of the cily was made uniform and reg- ular in such & manner that on their first introduc- tion Into Cairo nothing might be seen to shock the delicacy of tne Viceroy’s guests. His paiaces were repainted, recarpeted and retur nished with we best possible taste. in short, what ever could delight the eye received the attention of the Viceroy’s oificers. ‘The guests also were not ex- pected to travel from their homes and py their own expenses to gratify the vanity of tue Viceroy, No; the Viceroy had made preparations to feed and house them tn the best style. Kvery hotel in Cairo was en- #ayed to board and lodge we guests, to furnish them With champagnes and other wines and cigars a& tweive dollars per diem per capita, Neither were the guests to travei che strects of Cairo afoot; all the cabs and carriages were tured for their use, The was liberality which may be called extravagant, and for mere curtosXy ict Us reckon up and see how Much money this will cost the Viceroy. There are 8,000 gueats iuvited, who, we may rest asst are nearly all nere at this time in Kuypt, and if not their representatives ure, which amounts to the sume thing. The guests may stay in Egypt as loug as they picase; the majority of them, however, may not stay long, other business cailng then away. However, allowing say one month to each guest, we shall find that 5,000 guesis at twelve dol- lara per diem will cost the Viceroy the round sum Of $1,080,000. But this Is about the haif of the sum required to pay the bul. It has been calculated that the Empress, Emperor and several of the princes @nd their suites, the ships of war of almost ail nations und their oMcers will number some 2,000 more. As the very least, the preparations for their reception, the oll for laminations, the reworks, te dies and the numerods expenses which such an occasion requires, Will cost say Mity dollars per head, which will be altogether $100,000; 80 that we may say With Ceitainty tual $2,000,000 will be required to cover all expenses. ‘The next thought that comes turns naturally to the question “Who ts to pay for all this?’ Aiast the answer is too evident for thoas who have been to Lgypt The poor over tasked tellana, who frou time im memoria: have contributed to the extravas gant luxuries o/ their rulers, inusi pay. They are already taxed and worked wo the very utmost of their limited power, Their huts of mad and straw are already the property of the Viceroy, For the Privilege of Keeping on their housotops the fejlahe pay; ior the clotues they wear to cover their naked- ness, for tae sait that seasons their miseraple raion of bread, lor tha water they drink, for the privilege of having their harems, ior the space of earth Whereon they staud, for the suulignt that streams through the various apertures in their wails, for the arrow door whica permits ingresd and egress into and ont of their mud cells the fellas pay. But tag Viceroy Is a hard task master, aud being @ large land owner aod baviig & inion or two of feliahs to Work on his extousivg estates for a bare subsist- ence. This vast outlay & nothing to him; a quarter's Tent from i$ houses Wil almost’ foot the bill, Hav- ing said 90 Mach about the condition of the fella: iu order to call Out sympathy for them, we may ad one brief sentence On benalf of the Viceroy. The fellahs not being educated, and not having muoh higher tesa than the beasts of the Neld, will) not ex- pericuce much greater hardships than wey are alroady acquainted wita, and If the $2,000,000 spent for tho pleasure and convenience of the Viceroy's guests Wero distributed among tne fellahs the sum would produce no greater interest than it Will spent as itis; nor ag much, in my opinion, For the first idea of the fellans would be to hide their por. tion in the ground, while expended as It Is It 1s sure so cail forth commerce and happiest results, perhaps, to Kgypt. So one may bo pardoned for saying that it is like a magnificent advertising job. JUST BAVORB THE INAUGURATION, Up to the night of the (4th instant accounts were at Port Said that no doubt existed that large steam Veeseis would ve able to traverse the canal trom one end to the other. The narrowest and shallowest portion of the passage was near El Guisr, on the northera stdo of Ismailia, At that point, however, the depth was not leas than seven mewes, or abouk twenty-two Lge} and the breadth sixty metres. Tho rematuder of the canal was positively stated to ba of a uniform depth of at least twonty-six fee tne whole length, on both aside, stakes with. small fags had been fixed to facilitate the navigas tion, Two lighthouses bad been erected on tue Bitter Lakes, after passing Serapeum, and an elec- trio light nad been constructed at Port Said. Various rumors were curreut in Cairo concerntn, the canal, especially among tho English poruon ol the gui he correspondent of the Aorning Post