The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-12-12

/
irst project Necho commanded his pilots to search
| for some other channel by which the Nile might Hnd
| an outlet to the Red Sea. From Ezoingeber these
daring sailors sell SAIL steering down the Red Sea-
keeping close to the Egyptian coast, stopping at
each port they to II for trade After passing
the Equator they could find no people with whom
they could trade or from whom they could purchase
provisions so they had to lay up their ships, plough
land SOW, reap, and with the harvest gathered
continue their long voyage OF discovery. On the third
year they came to the Pillars Of Hercules. Gibraltar
saw their own friendly sea before them sailed along
the shores OF the Mediterranean past Mauritania
and Carthage, and arrived at King Necho's city
after an absence Of three years. Sucn long voy-
age could not be repeated III the life OF king
already far advanced In years. This was the first
voyage around Africa. Hanno tried 1t subsequently,
but failed; for before reaching the Equator he had
to return, owing to the scarcity OF provisions.
Towards the later years Of his lie Herodotus
speaks OF Necho as the rebeious satrap Of Nabopa-
lassur and that instead OF continuing his efforts to
construct canal he had to direct his mind to the
defence OF Egypt against the Assyrlan King. A
deep trench was ordered by him to DO cut from the
Bitter Lakes to the mouth OF the hill near which
Potassium, the frontier post, stood. 1t was intended
as defence against the Assyrlans, but through its
influence the land through which the sweet waters
flowed doomed like garden, and the arid
| spontaneous vegetation. The canal from Bubastis
| on the Peusiac branch OF the Nile to the Bitter
| Lakes, displaced the briny element which formerly
nled them with Nile water, and the trench from the
Bitter Lakes to Potassium being 1lled with Nlle wa
ter at the same time 1t defended Egypt against in
| cursve Assyrans. aud predatory armies from Paes-
tine and Arabia redeemed large tract of land from
the uncompromising steriity OF desert into fruit
ful, glowing plains.
AS am not wiring book upon Egypt am con-
strained Tor want o. space, TO condne myself just
now TO The subject OF this canal. with promise,
however, 10 cast glance at the history OF each
lsthmus runs.
Alter the death OF Necho H.. Egypt having become
tributary to Persia native Meleks having been ap.
pointed by Darius the King, the idea OF connecting
the Me with the Red sea was again mooted and
carried forward with considerable vlgor. The WORK
was well done as far as The Champsi or Crocodile
lakes as the Bitter Lakes were afterwards named
These lakes being filled with Nile water became
famous Tor the large number of crocodiles water
FOWL ana fish which had migrated hitler with the
mighty hoods nowlng from Nuba and Abysslnia.
Nectalep0 l., IN The year $50 b. O., when reDeng
against t1e Persian Power which mad first been
established by Camoyses, then by Darius Hystaspes,
lad recourse TO The same mode OF defence originated
81 his great ancestor Necho H. In 6lS b. c.. VIZ
10 Dig trenches nom Potassium to the Butter Lakes |
and to strengthen MS fortress IN the Deta and SO
wen were these wafer defences planned THAT in
fan, when The periodical overflow came, the Nile |
completed what Nectanebo had begun and Egypt !
vas thus delivered from the Persian yoke.
- 10 the year 2S4 3. q. Ptoemy Phiiadeiphus became
Kin. OF Egypt. Among the great WORKS OF his reign |
are the erection OF lighthouses on the Isle OF PnaTos
and the construction OF royal burial place In Alex
aadrla. lie also turned his attention 10 the nayiga-
tiou OF the Red Sea- " hlcl presented a great am
GUY 70 sailing vessels Inasmuch the wind blew |
from the north during nine months Of the year. and
Tue ARAB captains found Impossible TO beat up the
Red Sea as lar as rzlOngeDer. The merchant CAP |
tains, Ia order 10 avoid thus difficulty, were Obliged
y contract with merchants that they should meet
them as iar south As possible with caravans by |
Wnlch mode commerce ran through other channels |
and new cites constantly sprang up GU the southern
SER and Massowah OF TO-DAY. To obvat. the DIM
Guilty OF navigating tins sea and at tne same lime TO
secure tue commerce WHICH sought an outlet In
Egypt, Philadeiphus Duit city and called il
beieDlce, after ms sister, 200 miles below Cosse.r
On eno tne supposed ste o. the scrptural 0phn
convey the merchandise to lower Egypt-to
Babastls, the capital. lie also rebuilt Cosseir the
ancient Ennum according to Strabo Finally. Pnila-
dephts built q CITY uear where the modern Suez |
now stands ana called Arsinoe, after his youngest
SISTER aad reopened the canal npoa winch Necho
H. and Darius Hystaspes bad spent their energies.
~ means OF this canal chips were 20 pass between
Arsinoe and buDastis. He reopened the canal sue |
cesSiuily as lar as the Bitter Lakes, wnicn had |
through the neglect OF previous governments been
considerably llled up by the encroaching sands OF
the desert. The complexion OF the unaertaKlng-to
form junction between tue Me and the Red sea
was not prevented this time by superstition, but by
engineers, Vino declared that the Of the canal
would be seyera feet lower than the Red sea- ana
that IN that case 1t would be q sea canal, which
would oeneas commerce, irrigate the fields,
nor furnish the valley cities with fresn water.
The next time history records an incident connect
ed with TINS canal is when Cleopatra, the unlor6u-
nate, Egypts foul disgrace, the lrebrand Of |
Rome after The disaster at Actium sought an ave-
nue. to escape the power OF dread Octavianus, and |
whispers to Marc Antony that they should convey
their SHIPS across the stimus to the Red sea and NY
together 10 unknown lands. Had 1t not been for the
despair which had seized Antony 1t Is probable the
canal whlc0 must nave been open had been used by
the royal iugitiyes TO transport their riches and
their faithful few to another snore, where another
empire might have been founded.
1rajan the lilo A. d., caused the canal 1rst
made oy NecAo, reconstructed by Darius aud Pnila-
de.phus to oe opened once more. But as the Nile
branch u sure warning OF the fail OF the cities of
Bubastls and Pelusiun, which stood on It's shores,
the canal mad 10 be made TO run IN another direction
so 1raJan's engineers commenced 1t from o place
called Babylon near Memphis, winch was nearly
pour into the Red sea, obviasing IN this way tne |
dreaded danger OF an inundation OF Egypt BY the
Heropols and serapeum, and joining the upper
Bitter Lakes, entered the sea az Clysmon, town
close TO what is known as Moses' Well The con.ln-
ual shifting OF tue sands had already In the brief
space OF three centuries completely separated |
Arslnos from the which, 1t will be recoilected,
was built by Plliadelphus the port OF his canal
Projects during the occupation OF Egypt by the Ro-
mans history does not relate. We lett TO
that so long as they continued TO be the masters Of
the world such work, SO conducive TO maritime |
wealth and prosperity, could not have been
The ast time history speaks OF this celebrated
canal Is 10 the year COS A. d., in connection with !
the conquest Oh Egypt by Abu Amrou General OF
Cahph omar. Amron wishing TO surprise his mas
ter with tho vast rcnes he had acquired by the pos
SESSION OF Egypt, reopened the Canal along It's wnoie
| length ana sent SO many shiploads OF grain TO
chsmon that 10 use the exaggerated words Of the
] Oriental historian, 1t required tram OF camels
! from tae Holy City OF Mecca TO Cysnon all loaded
with grain, TO convey the booty away.
30 InHeA Of the history OF the ancient canal OF the
| Isthlnus VI suez may lie Cleaned from perseverlny
| study OF the old writers of Herodotus, Dlodorus,
| S1caus, Strabo, Piny ana Josepuus However
| sight the above sketches are two tnngs evil
| denL First, that canal across The sthmns was
| considered necessity by the ancient rulers OF
| Egypt. Second. that the canal after beng con-
| sJructed seemed TO nave become clicked up where
ever IL was neglected; that GENTRY or SUI
1cient ~ Obllterate almost AT traces OF II.
The necessity and wonderful utility Of canal
| across the lsthmus which would permit ocean ships
10 from 10 sea, was Us evldenG The french
| DIRECTORY and General Napoleon Bonaparte as Ii had
been 10 PharOah, Necno anu Pnladelphus over 1000
| after n ista