The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-08-12

Tuileries where they were petted and feasted pat
ceremony was ended by their calling them very good
friends and presenting them'witn the decoration Of
the Legion Of Honor This gracious cOndescenson on
the day Of arbitration having arrived, when 1t was
finished no one was surprised much to hear that
sn snas
tract on the part of the Egyptian government
Automatically precise, cool and calculating always
the Emperor decided that the VicerOy should pay
Lesseps h Co. the Of SIC 800 600 as indemnify
and this obligation was one that could net be very
well evaded by either the Sultan or his crafty lieu
tenant
CONSEQUENCES e. s.t
That question having been settled and money fur
Company s We're now pushed forward with greater
vigOr than ever, and by the month OF August 1863
maritime rigole forty feet vide and ten seet deep
Red Sea; the great continent Of Africa was an island
new avenue to the worlds commerce was opened
when he saw the French had subjected his waves.
This was the feat, which when performed in 1855
caused France such pardOnaDle exuberance and 7e
Deun chantilgs, which brought Geographic con-
gratulations, felfcitOus predictions and what not
from Napoleon and his peers IN Europe TO NJ Ferdi
time Canal Universal Company While the obese
Brtisher wriggled in dire perplexy and fain at
last to stink back with finger in mouth like Muley
Mouc, OF Morocco, who died, 1t is said in that pos
ture.
Since then, the great canal has made remarkable
that your correspondent u about to describe.
SCENES AT PORT SAID.
The Tiber, Of the Aessageries Imperales line OF
advertised to sail for Port Said from Alexandria on
the 10th inst. This was an opportunity not TO be
lost for visiting Port Said and the Suez Canal along
its whole length though there were other lines OF
steamers constantly In communication with the
Mediterranean Outport Of the great maritime canal
across the lsthmus; but as your correspondent had
already lost time enough In preparing for the trip
passage was taken on the steamer Tiber We ar
rived at Port Said within fifteen hours nom the time
n nj AlQYQndria
Half way between the site Of the ancient Potassium
and the port Of Damieta on Of the narrow strips
Meuzaleh and divided fts waters from the Mediter.
ranean at the embOuchure OF the new commercial
avenue now In process Of construction, Port Said is
ness-like aspect. Tall excavating machines, lofty
brick chimneys, with scores OF smokestacks and
hundreds Of houses built cOmpactly and with certain
pretensiOusness about them were seen, which gave
the whole somewhat OF the appearance Of q half
AS tie steamer rounded by an artificial island.
evidently intended as pierhead, solid termination
to the long, low line OF gigantic masses Of stone sunk
yards only of connecting the island with the main
land, magnificent basin presented ITSELF capacOus
enough to contain thousand vessels Of the largest
size, which was formed by two lines Of breakwaters
penetrating far into from the and and their ends
meeting ut the entrance to the haven within two
hundred yards Of each other, formed an admirable
harbOr OF great DEPTH secured safe anchorage
against the squally Levanters and served as pre-
ventive to the accretion Of sands within the port
breadth, had not been excavated to the requisite
depth buOys had to be fixed to guide the ships to the
inner harb9r situated IN the very heart OF the new
Tiber picked her way dantily to the city, anchoring
al last within few yards OF the large and commo-
dous Hotel d'Angeterre, and in the midst of large
concourse Of vessels some Of vast tonnage but the
majority OF them were the golettas and zebeques Of
the Levant
The indispensable noise and confusion attendant
upon the arrival OF steamer in port of the Medi-
terranean is markedly visible here also, and while
Jnnt
crews Of the boats young Maltese sailor, dexter
Ously avoiding blows aimed at HIS person. has made
prey, whereupon ne drags me half resstingly down
the gangway ladder into his boat. He has with
great cunning contrved to extricae 1t from the en-
tangled mass Of scows and boats and rapidly shoot
ing away over the green unruiiled waters OF the
basin and then across narrow channel he lands me
on a wharf substantially made Of ARTIFICIAL stone
close to the hotel This place. which s the best Port
Said Affords though its proprietor golfers board and
lodging for SO so per day. The characteristics of the
pend consists Of dinner served up without any
pretension, menu as fOl(ows:-First dish, stew
pachydermatous mutton; third an expanse or boiled
maccaroni spread thin layers of red sausage
snow heaps around tufts OF buifao grass; fourth,
miniature pyramids OF RICE and then an unlimited
number Of Italian messes, execrable to good taste,
finishing up with sediments Of Coffee &C.; breakfast
the same, excepting the number Of dishes and then
the blessed privilege Of sleeping between nea- bitten
sheets. SO much for first Introduction to Port
Said.
Having provided myself with letters of introduce
ton from the American Consul General, Chas. Hale,
my next duty was to present myself with my Gre
dentials, to the managers and principal engineers of
the works at Port Said. These proved very useful
and through their influence was allowed TO make
notes Of what had been done thus far.
PRELIMINARY WORKS.
What has been done IL positively wonderful, and
the engineers who planned the precursory scheme
little thought Of the difficulties to be encountered.
Nine years ago not soul could be found near 1t.
The strip Of beach on which the town was built
was bounded on one side by lagoon, on the
other by the salt waters OF the great sea- The
workmen were introduced here, dredgers were
erected and started on the work Of cutting open
the SIT thus drawn up furnished to widen the breach
from q width Of one hundred yards to five thousand
yards. Then basin extending over an area of
allow vessels 10 approach the shore, which, when
finished, would form the inner harbor This has
been successfully accomplished, and the dock has
been lined with ARTIFICIAL blocks. These are COM
posed OF sea sand and hydraulic lime, pounded and
rolled into compact masses, when they are
ss% 'S"'d period s'se' ssn o sn ! &c
was nave seen Su o. es
feet above high tide mark and the regularity, CON-
pleteness and neatness with which they have been
hawsers have been sunk around the harbor. and
macadamized roads have been made 10 enable carts
Srss the
have been Incomplete. when taking into considera-
ton that the ground was previously OF the finest sand
N
meet the inner with outpor and to allow the free
passage Of the lighters TO sea TO dispose OF their
burthens next excavated to the depth Of thirty
feet and lined with the same material as the inner
basin. This divides Port said in half, One-haf Of
which Is occupied by the stores saloons aud private
houses Of the inhabitants leaving the other half for
the gigantic works erected there by the canal COM
pany, and for the extensive grounds required by
Monsieur Dussaud for the manufacture Of the artih-
cial srone.
After these preliminary works 1t now remained
only to form roadstead sufficiently protected
against the shifting sands Of the Mediterranean.
But before proceeding any further let us see what
cause had the English engineer, stephenson, and his
companions to state the obstacles In the Gulf of
Pelusium would prove insurmountabe. The sandy
accumulation dividing the waters Of Lake Menzaleh
and Mediterranean has been caused by the deposits
Of the Pelusiac branch OF the Nile where II met the
salt waters, which, having acquired sufficient firm
to resist the action OF The ground swell Of the
sea, attracted the maritime alluvium brought by Ii
until In the Of centuries, IL above the
surface OF the waters and formed the narrow strip of
beach already mentioned. by this beach the Peu-
sian branch caused to deposit its sediment
further inland and the lagoon OF Menzaleh was
formed, since which time the beach has ceased to
expand. Strabo in his .'ltneraryn states that Pc