Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1865-12-17

e Nile is entirely without mountains. Th
: low range of hills near Assuan contain
: granite and sinite and furnished the materi
/ ais for the magnificent structures still tn,
admiration of the world, and which hav,
lasted from the most remote civilization
, From Assuan to FL Kab sandstone abounds
f and from Ell Kab to the sea the largest por
ton is limestone. With the exception o
these ranges the country is alluvial
: The soil of Egypt will produce almost
everything suitable to the latitude. ThesC
t crops which thrive best are corn, especially
| doura, wheat, barley, peas, beans, tobacco
: rice, cotton, sugar cane, fax, hemp and indi-
: go. Fruits of all kinds, and many garden
vegetables are also successfully raised A
number Of varieties of flowers are still cul-
tivated at Fayoom, but this branch Of in
) dustry elsewhere in the country has long
: been abandoned, except in the gardens OF
the Pashas and wealthy classes.
Although, as | have said cotton is grown
in Egypt, its quality is very poor; the fibre
is short and weak, and does not manufacture
well into cotton goods except of the coarser
qualities. On account of this the land can
be much more proftably turned into some
thing else. During the present season the
cotton crop has been almost entirely aban-
|
our war and the expectation of a large sup
ply of American cotton in the market, with
which Egyptian cotton cannot at all COM
pete in the manufacture of fine goods Fur
thermOre at the best the supply of cotton
from Egypt as long as the present govern
ment lasts can never reach any very large
amount, on account Of the absence of all
encouragement for the natives to labor in
consequence of the grasping system of the
government. During my travels through
| Egypt have seen but very Httlo raaoLinr its
way for shipment at Alexandria. may
add that a great portion of what | have
seen on the rail is merely in transit from
Suez to Alexandria, having been brought
from India.
The harvest season here is about the mid
die of March, and in the South, by means of
irrigation two and sometimes three crops
are raised. Egypt has no forests the groves
of palm met with everywhere were planted
by the hand of man. With the exception
Of ornamental trees found in the garden, the
| sycamore, Nile acacia and tamarind are
more common. The vine which in olden
times was much cultivated, is now abandon
ed, except in Fayoom. The famous papy-
rus has almost disappeared, and the lotus is
about extinct.
| IliCAC 10 lip bAopullilS tue liCI ludI lilS du-
mission of Europeans into the country has
been of great advantage TO Egypt, though as
! yet not so much as may De expected within
the next ten years. The opening of the
| overland route, from Europe to the East.
| has had the effect to stir up the ideas Of the
rulers of the country, and both they and the
| people, in their own way, are reaping by de-
! grees golden benefits 1t is due to Egyptian
! enterprise to say that foreigner never puts
| his foot in the country without being squeeZ-
| cd of the utmost farthiug which his means
will allow before he leaves the country.
For purposes of internal trade Egypt is
probably better off than many other cOun-
tries blessed with a much higher state of
civilization. The numerous canals which
also answer the double purpose of irrigation,
and the Nile, running the whole length of
the valley, abound with innumerable craft
from Dahabies or Kangies,up to Nils steam
ers. The camel, the ship of the desert,
transports to the inland towns the supplies
Of the Nile, while the donkey, for short dis
tances, is made useful in a thousand ways
In addition to these ancient modes Of CON
vevance, within the past ten years the rail
roads have been opened and the journey
across the isthmus, which lasted about fifteen
days, is now accomplished in a less number
of hours. The French fresh water canal,
which may succeed will assist the railroad,
but the maratime canal, which is foregone
failure, will be no benefit either to the coun-
try or the pockets of the capitalists who have |
invested in the enterprise. The present |
Niceroy has on foot project which, if con-
summated, will add greatly to the CONNER |
cial importance Of Egypt. 1t is the building !
of a railroad the entire length of the Red |
Coo II ic oI 1r-botbor -
follow the Egg ptian or the Arabian coast. |
But this matters little If the work is ever |
completed it will be great day for Egypt |
The length of the line will not be less than
nine hundred miles, and will materially |
shorten the passage from Suez to Alden
There are, however, numerous obstacles to n
speedy accomplishment of the work if COM
menced the greatest Of which is the desert
and its intolerable heats.
The foreign element in Egypt is made up
of French, English, Italians and few Ger
mans. The competition, however, is between
the first two. The English influence is
mainly directed to trade; the French schemes,
however, are as much or more political than
commercial. The canals and other works
now going on look at no distant day to an
occupation of or at least to a directing power
in the country. The present Ni1erOy is
fully conscious of the tendency of French
influence, and one of his first steps recently
made against the cncToachment was to with
draw entirely the native labor from the
French maritime canal. This practically
puts stop to the work. as the European can
never be able to labor in such n climate |
understand the Viceroy, in speaking of the
French, made the remark, "All that my |
brother gave the Frenchmen shall remain,
but from me they shall have nothing" The
pressure is decidedly anti-French.
The present of Egypt is merely sort of ;
allegiance The country as it is now cannot | {
long stand. The Viceroy will be obliged to {
overrule many ofthe predudices of the peo-
pie against foreigners and reconstruct his {
government on more liberal foundation, !
or else he will soon find somebody to do it {
for him. There is no doubt great progress I
sive stride would be accomplished if the
country were rid of the control of Turkey. |
This would have been long since if it were I
not for the jealousies of France and Eng {
land. The one Power is check upon the '
other, and between the two the Turk is sus-
aimed in his authority, and Egypt suffers.
But this cannot last long. The tendency ev- '
sry day of the Viceroy is to independence, !
md an empire on modern principles. Then
Egypt will rival her ancient glory, and the i
amous cities of Thebes, Memphis and He'll r
1polis will again appear as living marts of t
rade and cultivation, and, together with the t
'apidly reviving cities of Alexandria Cairo c
md Suez, Egypt will again take her stand
lmong the nations Of the world. I
From India.
BOMBAY, Sept. ], 1865. .
he cause or the PRESENT dvPrrssiun relates y
% iniimaInlE 10 orr own afilirs that snrnn | I