Polynesian., 1857-01-03
Gbe 1Dolpuesian.
From the London illustrated News.I
The Isfhmus Of Suez Canal.

L ne trade with the remote East, as our readers
know, has for some centuries past been carried on
by vessels sailing round the continent of Africa.
This route, which all vessels must follow was for
merly considered as the most hazardous voyage
on whicha sailor could embark. Vessels proceed
ing on 1t must weather the Cape of Good Hope
that Cape which the Portuguese in their time nick
named Cape Tempestuous, while the Dutch called
it Cape Terrible. In connexion with this Cape and
the difficulties of rounding it., the Dutch invented
the legend of the phantom ship called the :" Fly
ling DutchmaD." The Portuguese placed that
point of danger and the mariners who undertook
to make the voyage under the especial protection of
, the Madonna; and no ships bound for the Indies
left their ports without prayers and offerings to
Our Lady of the Cape of Good Hope"
long familiarity with the sea-road to India has
dvested the Cape route of many of its terrors but
not of its inconvenience and danger. Even now,
with all our improvements in ships and charts the
voyage Is frequently perous, and almost always of
long Duration The tracts of seas to be traversed arc
enormous; there are but few watering and coalinu
stations in the way. Hence this route is impractical
BILE for steamers and fit only for sailing vessels and
ships of the description which the French call s.mix-
ed" vessels. That is to say vessels provided with
sails and an auxiliary to help them on in Gains
orin the eventuality of very rough weather. Many
of these '' mixed" vessels have made splendid pas
sages, more especially between England and Aus
tralia. Still these ships and their short passages
must always be the exception The rule is that
the carrying trade round the Cape is carried on by
sailing vessels, that the voyages are long and ex-
pensiye, and frequently dangerous.
The plan of NJ. de Lesseps Is to do away with all
! these Inconvenience and dangers by directing the
traffic with the East into the channel in which it
flowed before dire necessity compelled the European
nations first to explore, and afterwards to adopt the
route round the Cape. In former times the trade
with the East was carried on by wav of Epypt
Trad chi lad
dria, where the goods were unloaded, and carried
by caravans to Suez whence they were carried by
ship up the Red Sea, and through the Straits of
Babelmandeb into the indian Ocean. The cor
quest Of Egypt by the Turks, and the rapacty of
that then barbarous nation, most effectually put
stop to this trade. The Turks commenced by le-
vying heavy tolls from the merchants, and finished
by confscating their property Trade thus made
impossible in one direction, sought and found an
other channel but it is nevertheless true that the
anclens were right, and that the shortest and most
expeditions route between Europe and the East lies
through Egypt. 1t is on this track we need hard
y say that mails and passengers are at the present
day carried overland to India. They proceed from
Europe to Alexandra, travel overland 10 Suez and
then embark In steamers, which convey them to
their destinatiUn in the East. Lieutenant Wag-
horn, the founder of the overland route not its
dIscoverer; for he merely retraced the steps of
ancient commerce. But we have to thank his un-
fInchlng perseverance for the great boon of this
short route to our Indian and Australian posses
sions. Nothing daunted by public indifference and
opposition IN high quarters, he travelled forward
and backward to SHOW that the thing could be done
1t was great favor that he permitted to
carry The Government dispatches across Egypt, to
demonstrate to the conviction even of the most
unbeIevng the practical advantages OF the route
he advocated ; and it is due to him that now the
distance between England and India is essened by
twO-thirds, and that passengers and letters, com
mercial advices and samples, travel by short,
safe, and expeditions route between Europe, India
and Australia.
1t is true that in this route freights for passen
gers and goods are high-so high that the journey
overland to India is possibe only for the wealthy
whilst none but the most precious goods can bear
the charges of the company which undertakes their
conveyance. The minority of persons travelling to
and from Europe to India and Australia the great
mass of emigrants the bulk of Indian produce
destined for the English market, the bulk of Eng
lish manufactures destined for India and Australia
must still proceed on the route round the Cape. 1t
is the longer and the more hazardous road, but it
has no break. While vessels proceeding to Alex
andria 20 further, their passengers and
goods must be trdnshipped and carried to Suez,
where they are again put on shipboard-an opera
ton entaing a great deal of expense and delay.
We believe that the capabilities of the Overland
Route, such is not sufficiently tested; that
tiIne will develop 1t and generalize its advantages.
But, taking even the most sanguine view, we can
never hope that the route overland will effectually
shorten the road to the East, for emigration and
the transport of bulky merchandise.
What NJ. de Lesseps proposes is development
of Mr.. Waghorn's idea. He would cut through
that narrow slip of land which separates the Med
iterranean from the Red Sea, and open direct and
short way from Europe into the Indian Ocean. In
maturing this project ne has bad the active sympa-
thy of the present Viceroy of Egypt Prince who
appears to be resolved to spare exerton, and to
make every sacrifice for the great purpose of re-
storing to his country that abundance and prosper
ity for which Egypt was famous in ancient times.
Assisted by the Viceroy's engineers, NJ. de Les |
seps, made careful survey of the line of his pro-
posed canal, of the harbor of Suez, and of the
Gulf of Pelusium, the nearest point on the Medit /
erranean. The results of his labors, which were
most favorable to the practicabty of his project
were in the course of last winter submitted to the
examination of commission of engineers select
ed from among the chief notabilities of the pro-
fession in all countries of Europe. The commits
sion examined not only the estimates of the Vice
roy's engineers, but they also went over the whole I
of the ground, taking surveys and making borings;
and the result of their investigations is clearly stat
ed in their report in which they say " that the di-
rect canal, between Suez and Peusium, is the only
solution of The problem of joining the two seas;
that the execution of this canal is easy, and its
success certain and that the two harbors required
to be constructed at Suez and Peusium present no
difficulties but such as are of ordinary charac-
ter" Upon the report OF this commission the Vice
roy of Egypt has given his sanction (suHect to the
approval of his Suzerain the Sntan) TO the execu-
ton of maritime canal between Suez and Peusl-
um. lie has done more, for he has advanced Sl,
200, 900 towards the expenses of the undertaking,
and he has pledged his word to supply any amount
Of native labor which may be required for the exc
cution of the work. ...
Those works, as projected by the commission of