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


BILE and highly important special correspondence
from the city of suez, Egypt in elaborate report Of
the works Of the great ship canal through the
isthmus Of Suez, their progress towards final COM
pleton and the prospect of the opening Of that i'm
proved line Of transit by Egypt 20 the far East and
usce versa, through Egypt to Africa, Europe and
America.
SUEz Egypt, July II, 1868.
Centuries ago canal running through Egypt con-
Meeting the Mediterranean and the Red Sea was
deemed Indispensable, and thousands OF lives were
sacrificed IN its execution. Kings and queens be-
stirred themselves and used every means to effect
the desirable result. Just thirteen hundred years
before the birth of Christ the first canal was opened,
and ships OF that age traversed it from one to
the other. This canal was constructed during the
reign of Rameses H. one Of the most remarkable OF
she Egyptian kings. He is the same monarch who,
under the title OF Sesostris, now regarded legen
aary, achieved SO much impershable fame by the
magnificent works which still remain monuments Of
his reign.
The canal started from near the city Of Bubastis,
she then capital of Lower Egypt then, running due
east, passed close to the cities of Pithora and Rame
ses the treasure cities OF Pharoah thence in south
easterly direction past the city OF Baalzephon,
known as Serapeum, then, curvng round the Bitter
Lakes ran direct southwark to its confluence with
the Red Sea near the town Of Clysma which was
situated four miles north Of Suez. 1t was one hun
ared feet wide by four deep. 1t connected the Red
Sea with the Pelusias branch of the Nile, and by
shat branch ships proceeded with their voyage the
Mediterranean But years passed away, and neglect
and the nature OF the soil had nearly proved its de-
Btruction when, after the lapse Of seven hundred
years after its construction Necho H. assembled the
throne or the Pharoahs and thought to restore the
canal TO Its pristine completeness; but, warned by
the mag and sages of Egypt that in repairing 1t he
inviting the barbarian to his Shores he desisted
An his work, though one hundred and twenty thou
sand had already persisted from the prlvations which
beset them. century later and Egypt had under
gone great changes the Pharoahs had been gathered
70 their fathers and native king was no longer
ruler in the land. The barbarian nations Of the East
had become great and powerful, and in the reign
Of Darius Hystaspes Egypt had became q satrapy
OF Persia. This monarch completed what
Necho had begun. The canal was reopened
throughout its whole length, and his white-winged
meets covered both seas. For two hundred and fifty
years 1t remained Darius had left it, and the sandy
soil had again almost choked it, when Pt0lemy Phia-
aelfus repaired the defects time had created In IL.
This time its embouchure was at Belbays, twelve
miles south OF Bubastis, the Noes canal and its
0ebOuchure removed near to where he had built q
town and named 1t after his daughter, Arsnol.
Cleopatra the love-sick Egyptian Queen, dreaming
OF the pungents and spices Of Araby and Ind,
resolved to reopen the canal that she might nee to
these happy lands with her Roman lover, Marc
Antony, and Its navigation during her reign assumed
great importance, as her fleets were numerous as
those OF any contemporaneous Power. Trajan also
constructed canal which ran nearly parallel to It
IN many places and then followed the bed of Necho's
canal but Its mouth its junction with the Tanitic
branch Of the Nile was removed to Pharboetus. In
the seventh century OF the Christian era
Amrous, the Caliph Omar's victorious general,
1t the cost OF fifty thousand lives again connected
the two seas Many years later Mustapha ILL., re-
stored 1t again to q navigable state Though nearly
Ill the Calphs and Mameluke Sultans were aware
that maritime canal was essential for the pros
perity and commerce Of Egypt we ind no account Of
anything having been done towards erecting that
object through the watery artery which had been SO
repeatedly restored. Many good Intentions were
termed and much good meditated, but they were
Frustrated by the constant wars in which the rulers
OF Egypt engaged.
The first Bonaparte, when his armies were In CON-
mand Of the Isthmus, gave an impulse to newer
thoughts by declaring "that whatever European
Power held Egypt permanently would in the end be-
come possess0r OF India"
PROJECT OF A GRAND SHIP CANAL.
II was impossible, In this age OF progressive
ness that these successive canals though totally in
adequate for modern commerce, should not have
taught some sort OF a lesson Undue somebody or
other with an idea to Improve on the models the
Pharoahs the Ptolemies and the Caliphs had left be-
hind them, and 1t must have been I'm i'm
mense satisfaction to all philanthropists and
philosophers 10 see Louis Napoleon, an au.
thor Of a work upon the Nicaragua Canal,
and another Frenchman, few yeais later, proclaim
ing TO the world the project Of building q ship
canal directly across the Isthmus OF Suez. This one
must confess was q vast difference TO the ideas Of
ancients about maritime canal, and II was the FIRST
fime that such proposition was preached. In the
gear 1s45 a Frenchman by birth, but who had be-
come naturalized and betitled Egyptan-M. Ii.
Inant Bey-formed association with Arthur Ander-
son, the President OF the Peninsuar and Oriental
Company, for the purpose OF paving the way towards
putting the gigantic scheme into execution. The
fumor OF
THE NEW PROJECT
spread far and wide and English engineers were
fnvited to examine and report upon the geology OF
Che isthmus and pronounce their opinions upon Its
practicabty. This committee of whom the great
Stephenson was one, ascertalned and demonstrated
shat the levels OF the two the same; that
insurmountabe obstacles would be encountered In
che roadsteads OF Suez and OF Potassium; that the
Red Sea was impracticable TO sailing vessels, and
chat the saving Of distance in the journey would
De more than counterbalanced by the numerous din
culties TO be met In the navigation OF that sea.
MONSIEUR DE LEssEPs
In the year 1854 M. Ferdinand de Lesseps gentle
man OF great wealth and high social standing, wal
travelling across the Lbyan Desert In company witt
his Highness Prince Mohammed Said Pacha lat,
viceroy OF Egypt, when the subject OF maritime
canal was discussed. De Lesseps had been In Thu
diplomatic service, and arguments were not want
ng we may rest assured, TO prove that grand shiI
canal was possible undertaking, and, once accom-
plished would rebound to his glory, Ill his treasury
and make posterity regard him as wiser than The
Persian Russian and greater than Mohsmmed. These