The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-01

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1t ha long been the object Of. rulers
Pof'the adjacent countries to cut such a
canal and has frequently been tried
n with success.
The Ancient Canal by which COM
municatlon was had between the two
seas was 923 miles in length, running
from Si'ez to the Bnbastis then one CT
the principal branches Of the Nile
from which they. sailed in to the Med
iteranean. It was projected and be-
gun some 630'B. @. by Sesostris or
fsammetichus. Historians differ as
TO WHO OF the two was the. first to pro,
ject it, Nicholson of Psammetichus
afterwards laid out immense sums OF
money upon it and employed afgreat
number Of men. 1t is said that some
Ii2o,ooo Egyptian persisted n-this
undertaking. be gave 1t up terrified
by an oracle which told him that by
the oPeaIhg Of a canal, he would
open q door tor barbarians. The work
was then continued by ~Daffous& me
first, but he desisted upon being told
that the Red sea lay 80 feet higher
than Egypt'and IT would submerge
the above country. 1t was finished
by the Ptoiemies about 200 years b.
g. and was 90 miles long and $50
feet wide and deep enough ito carry
ehelr ships. This canal was OF great
service TO Egypt When the Mussel-
man conquered Egypt, the canal was
abandoned, hut the Mahomedans,
knowing the necessity of it renewed
the work in the interest of the Holy
cities of Mecca and Medina, and soon
reconstructed the canal which theyde-
nominated the Canal Of the. Prince
of the Faithfal-" -ar ss,-.t
In reference to the reconstruction
of the canal by Amrou ben-ef-A'ss,
the following account is given by the
Arab ~geographer Alfergan THE
river Trajan which passes from Egypt
to Babylon, as was stated by Ptelemy,
is the same that WAS subsequently
named the "Canal of the Commando
of the Faithful" and which flows by
Carlo. For Omar, as is stated in the
history of the Egyptian wan, ordered
that the canal should be. reopened tc
effect 1ehe TRANSPORTATION Of food to
Medina and Mecca, which were then
desolated by. famine. The Caliph'-
letter to A,hrou was as follows: 10 ,t!t
rebel son of the Whilst tlrbE
and thy companions are tatteniue
yourselves, YOU care nothing that ]
and mine are daily getting %leaner,, Al
once give succor to US. E.mron repli.
ed: Il am thine. 1 will send thee .
train of beasts O. which the first shall
be with thee ere the last shall set out.
Besides, T hope to fad another mod q
transportation by sea- But immediate
y Amrou repeated that he hail given
this hint because somebody made the
observation to him that 1t would be
possible to devastate Egypt 8 speedi-
Iy transfer the spoils to Medina. Ac
eordlngly he wrote to the Caiph'1t to
state that he had not reflected upon
transportation By 'Sen, and had
found insurmohntoble difficulties in
the way Of the work. Omar replied ,
II have received the letter IN which
thou seekest to elude execution of the
project conceived in the proceeding.
[ swear by the Almighty either that
thou shalt execute it, Or that | will
drive thee cut by the ears, and send
one in thy place who will accomplish
it, Amrou saw at one that he had
blundered, so he began work directly
upon the ctnal. Omar enjoined him
not to neglect sending comestibles.
clothing. lentils, onions, and cattle -
in a word, all that Egypt produced.
Elkendi states that the canal was hol-
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