The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-03-23
The suez Canal.


A writer in the COrntG Magazine, who has
lately visited the Suez Canal, Is filed with dis
NAL tOrebodinRs. French enterprise French
money, French science have begun q great
maritime highway from west to east; q French
colony has been founded by private capital but
" ever again 'the terrific game OF war Is stated
between France and England, Egypt rs fore
doomed to be once more a battlefield; and this
being so, tits but natural that England should see
with dissatisfaction her rival snatching point of
vantage beforehand" This is the conclusion
arrived at by some Jealous Englsnmau, who is
angry and discontented--just as all England was
anRry and discontented when France emerged
from the struggle in the Ormea crowned with
those honors OF well-ought fields which fortune
denied TO her ally. Now. as then, France beats
England.
But this English writer's jealousy, which he
bnds leading English magazine ready to eX-
press Tor him, Is really very ridiculous. The
successful progress OF great scientific and COM
merclal emf, rprise intended TO extend COM
merce, and to bring distant lands into close
communon should enlist general sympathy.
we are Indebted to the same writer, however,
1or the borrowing s c cunt OF the present condi-
ton OF Suez and the canal to which 1t gives Its
name:-
The town of Suez has much changed during the
last lew years. Formerl, it was petty collection
OF ARAB novels, which week used to be scared
from ts lropIety by an irruptiOn oil noisy English
men on their way to or IRON India And no other
europeans we're ever seen. Now IL is an important
part as the English Then there was no drinking
water except what was painfully fetched on camels
backs from the fountain OF I'll Ghurkudeh on the
OH sioe Of the h ordS Now the French canal has
brought the Nile Itself to Suez In the harbor we
fOUpd three ST. ameTs of the Messngeries 1periG'es
and but two OF the Penlnsu ar and Oriental Com.
paoyJ the former IN size and power of speed looking
al least the equals of The latter BY their side lay
transport OF the Imperial Government waiting to
take french troops 10 Cochin, China; or Saigon
be II understood, receives all its reinforcements
through Egg pit while not the crisis OF the In-
dian mutiDy has suffced to tempt kngland's sol
uieJy 10 the overland route. Ile hotel at ia
English, and so IL the steam machinery belonging TO
the Pehlnsular and Oriental Company; but these
count as nothing when compared with the splen-
did dry dock now IN course of construction by
the Messageries Company, at an estimated cost of
,1bis dock, which will be ready for use next sum.
mer IS built OF stone specially imported from France
Its dimensions tour hundred and forty two feet long
by ninety.One broad, with % feet depth of water
when the caisson gates are Opened) will allow the
largest ships, whether of war og of mercantile
marine, to be admitted for repairs 1t ls connected
with the shore by railway running along an artlf.
cial causeway nearly two miles long, ana if, as ap-
pears likely, a andinP.quay be added ocean Gamers
will te enabled to dlsembark their passengers and
goods without the present Troublesome intervention
OF a smaller steamer. Thus perfectly equipped at
Que end OF the hne, and preparing similar arrange
men's at Saigon, the Messageres Company seems
anxious TO create for France strong interest IN
Eastern waters as the Cana. Company has already
gwen her III the lsthmus of Suez Neither has the
Messager1es Company been behind The other en-
deavorDg TO obtain their ends by spoihng the Egyp-
tian. The Pasha bears the whole expense OF the
docks, and all the works connected with it, but the
of 1t tor half the is TO be vested IN the French
Company.
"The maritime canal is to traverse the
length of the Bitter Lakes, but no works have yet
been begun IN this vicinity, and the ground is sul
untouched all the way from Serapeum ShalOof
The beo of the BIter Lakes twentysix feet below
the low. tide level the Red Sea; II IS probable
therefore, that the French vii have difficulty in
filing the bas soon they can bring the water
of The Red sea across the barrier at Shaloof
"At the aforementioned pont-a RIDGE IN which
sand and shells from the RED Sea cover large
Of pure clay and q considerable quantity or lime
sone-tant traces of the future canal again dis.
cernlble Two mi es of shallow excavation have
been accomplished, which, however, do not vet con-
tam any water Tho hardness of the limestone glyes
rise to much difficulty, ana apparently 1t has been
found necessary to resort to blasting operadons on
large SCALE While we were at lsmaiha two hupo red
Pledmontese miners were daily expected TO pas
through on their way to Shaoof, and two hundred
more were TO folow IN q fortnight The last or
Suez sectlo OF the canal, comprises ten mi of
LAGOON visited daily by the high de of the Red Sea-
The pT1ncipal feature of the section is an island
called Turtle Is and chiefly composed of very hard
limestone. The canal is meant to cross this island"
The political and financial difficulties which
have for some time couded the prospects of this
undertaking are understood to have been re-
moved by a new Arrangement with the Viceroy
of Egypt, who has bought some OF the property
of the French company, and will probably CO.
operate henceforth IN the completion of the
work.