The New York herald., 1869-11-21
Lssere an engineer Of high standing who conducted

LlSsere an engineer OF high standing VINO cOnducteu
che survey, reported that one sea was higher than
the other by several inches and the idea OF connect
ing them was thereupon abandoned.
The statement OF the French engineers. though at
first accepted as being the result OF special survey
made under competent direction, was 80 directly
opposed to the teachings Of science that presently
1t began to be limited that there must be mistake
side the other, and 1t was generally agreed
that 1t was more likely to have been committed by
the surveyors In 1880 Lieutenant Waghorn-to
whose memory monument has been erected on the
banks OF the canal-panning the British overland
route re- surveyed the Isthmus Of SueZ and settled
the question by demonstrating an almost perfect
equality OF level between the TWO seas At this time
N. de Lesseps was serving his diplomatic appren-
tccship In the French Consulate az Cairo,
and the laying Of the bugbear which had
hitherto prevented engineers from seriously
considering both sides OF project for dividing the
continents SUGGESTED 70 his mind the possibility OF
carrying out the scnome. He felt powerful "call'
to the woIK, but II was plainly more than might be
undertaken by q man aged twenty-six years. and
but just started in life. NJ de Lesseps however, did
not by any means abandon the idea because circum-
stances happened to make 1t impracticable at the
moment. He carried IL with HIM to Barcelona,
whittier he was shortly after removed, and where be
gained great fame by his conduct during the siege
1s4s he further distinguished himself by presuming
diner from his government on the question OF the
French occupation Of tnat city, and by honestly
avowing his sentiments and sacrificing his position
thereto.
In 1854 tho opportunity for which he had long
waited arrived. Manomed Said the vceroy of
Egypt, invited him to pay visit to Cairo, and ono
day, while crossing the desert from Alexandria TO
the capital M. de Lesseps opened out his scheme TO
his HiQhness. Mahomed was delighted with the
idea, which he was shrewd enough to perceive was
fraugnt with great advantages to Egypt, and
pledged himself to support the undertaking by
every means in his power. It was in the beginning
OF November that this conversation took place, and
on the 3oth day OF the same month NJ de Lesseps
was in possession Of viceroyal Grman pestowing
upon him the exclusive right 10 construct mari
time canal across the Isthmus OF Suez
Nj. Lesseps had reached an age at which most men
begin to think Of rest when he commenced the work
for which he was born; but II he had been twenty
f}ve instead OF fifty he could not have set about
doing It with more ardor. At the outset difficulties
were no sooner overcome than others arose. 1t
was necessary 70 obtain the sultans confirmation Of
the viceroy's frman and the Sultan was not greatly
disposed to further an enterprise which, whatever
became OF the original Shareholders could not fail
to add to the importance OF Egypt-a dependency
already too precocous to suit the jealous policy OF
the Porte. The late Lord Palmerston, possibly
foreseenQ ulterior French 'annexaton" OF
Egypt canal and all, set his face against
the project, and was supported by some Of
the British journals, the writer's OF which
In leading articles which M. de Lesseps carefully
preserved In his desk and gleefully shows to his
friends, styled the promoter OF the scheme the
"igh Priest Of the Egyptian Enterprise" and other
funny names Scientific men demonstrated the I'M
possibility Of the undertaking, and even Stephenson
lent the weight OF his then great authority crush
It, But the energy Of NJ. de Lesseps triumpned over
OIL and In 1868, four years after ne had denitivey
taken the matter In hand the subscription Inst of the
Compagnie Universelle du Canal de Suez was opened
on all tho Stock Exchanges of Europe Shares were
taken up with encouraging alacrity and on the 25ih
April 1862 possession was taken, In the name OF the
suez Isthmus Canal Company, of narrow belt OF
sand on the northern coast Of the Isthmus, washed
on one side by the Mediterranean Sea, ana on the
other by the shallow waters Of Lake Menzaleh.
The nrst point which the engineers under the
direction OF NJ de Lesseps turned their attention to
was tho creation OF O port for the ships which
brought from Europe the machinery and the princi-
pal supplies Of food for the great army OF workmen.
There was no choice OF site. The starting point OF
the canal was fixed, and there must be the port,
Notwithstanding the TACT tnat tne water was AZ the
time 80 shallow that nothing bigger than barge
could approach within half mule OF the beach The
only thing to be done was to out seaward break
waters as described In the different maps, on either
side OF the space required for the harbor, and to
deepen the enclosure But before this could be done
1t would be necessary to land cargoes OF provisions
and Of heavy machinery, aud how were
they to be discharged Thus:-An island was
created at the limit to which the ships might
approach immense cranes were erected thereon,
and By their means the imports were transhppcd
into lighters, which conveyed them to the beach,