New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-20
PRICE FOUR CENTS.
THE SUEZ CANAL.

| the morning / don't know at what hour the ball
closed but had been only too glad to get away at
| l. and before this morning was again up-awake
is perhaps too strong term. The uncertainty that
has characterized everything since we left Alexan-
dra is more complete than ever. The only thing to
me absolutely certain was that / must write and
post my letters before lOI o'clock They had to be
written under greater pressure than that of nero
time We had been promised that the arrangements
for to-day should be made known to at the ball.
but they were not. i doubt whether they could have
been for the simplest of all reasons that there prob
ably were none. Whether We went on to Suez or
stayed to-day at Ismala depended in the first place.
on the caprice of a woman. BY an extreme and ex-
travagant courtesy the Khedrye has left 1t to the
Empress of the French to govern the movement OF
this great feet through a difficult navigation, and
the movement of the great multitude on shore, per-
haps more difficult STILL since to providefor them all
by ship or by rail was impossible.
From the central bureau at Ismailia positive in
formation could be got even this morning. friend
whose correspondence less urgent than mine was
good enough to go to the bureau while was writing
and did his best to find out when should start,
and by what ship we were to 90. He came back at
o'clock utterly discouraged. He had found only
subordinate officials. He could get no certain news
except that the feet woudlstart some time this
morning, and he was assured that the ships were
already overflled, and that place could be fonnd
for another passenger, be he who he might.
FRENCH INHosPIrALITIEs
Our position was peculiar We had come-a
hundred and fifty of us-as guests of the Vceroy
on board the Guienne from Marseilles expectlngt to
90 through the canal in that ship leave her only AZ
Suez and 90 from Suez by rail to Cairo. A very
simple and convenient programme. But have al
ready written how were suddenly transferred, on
the morning of the 18th, from the Guienne to the
Peuse because it feared the Guienne could not
| get through. The Peluse had her complement of
passengers without us, and was to do no more than
transport us to Ismaa, it now appears, but as we
were not then told Her three four spare beds were
given to an invalid and to personal friends of the
commandant-the latter not Disgusting his opinion
that he regarded us as intruders. will do him the
Justice to say that he adhered throughout to his con-
yiction and took some pains to make us understand
it, His is the solitary instance OF falling eivty We
have met with, and is the more remarkable because
| he is Frenchman, and because to many Frenchmen
| we are indebted for extraordinary kindness-as l
shall by-and-by relate. would say nothing OF the
commandment of the Peuse, save to mark him as the
| exception, and would say nothing if it were
complaint my part merely. 1t was no fault Oh
ours that brought us in contact with him-we went
| on board the Peuse by the Viceroy's orders The
grounding of the ship at the entrance of the lake
compelled some of us to pass the night board, the
commandant hestatng to take the responsibility OF
pitching us overheard into the water. All went on
shore for whom boats were provided The rest oil us
went next morning. after four or five hours sleep on
the saloon SOFAS Wewere not permitted to take our
luggage on the pretext that there was no room for
| it, which was a mistake. Once settled IN
our tents on shore, we had Of course to 90
| back for the trunks we had left i was
too busy to go before FIVE in the afternoon On the
into fha aarna
| errand. They had been waiting three hours for q
boat, the Peuse being anchored more than half'a-
| mile of. BY great good fortune one of the two
found an English friend who offered him places for
all three of in his boat, promising to bring Us
| back also. But after were on board, the
| boat by some mistake, was sent away. l had
| an engagement to dine on shore, but there
| was no help for it no boat to be had. As We
passed into the saloon the steward put his head out
of the office and volunteered the remark that dinner
would be served on the Peluse Only.for the passen-
gers of that SHIP and not for the passengers Of the
| Guienne AS we had not asked for any dinner. We
| asked whether he had the commandments orders to
give such message that to the Guienne passen-
gers. He said yes The impoliteness Eratu-
tous that we did not believe the captain OF French
ship could have been guilty of it, but that high
sonage presently appeared and assured us be bad.
| We could not doubt his word; the less as his
| language to us was another proof Of how
much incivility he was capable We were only too
eager to get ashore, and there were three OF four
ships boats in the water but passage in any of them
was refused An hour later we had the lnck to be
| taken off with our luggage by a passing steam
| launch. On all which / make no comment bnt
think it is kind of narrative which, as 1t concerns
guests of the Vceroy, and also the Messageres In
periales little, ought to be printed. 1t concerns
| Al Maritime
Company of Franee-because they had taken a con-
tract from the Viceroy and his money to transport
to. Suez certain number of his guests Oh one of
their ships. The Gunne and the Peluse are both
ships of that company. The Guienne proved in
capable Of the service and the company refused TO
complete it. either with the Peuse or with the
Thabor, another Of their ships, now lying almost
empty in the harbor of Ismaila.
am further bound to tell this story because il
explains why guests of the VicerOy found themselves
on shore at IsmaIa on the morning of the 10TH with
out any certain means of going on to Suez. The
passengers Of the Guenne were distributed through
the town. and the refusal of the Mesageres officers
TO take them on either Of their available ships left
the Viceroy's officers without means OF sending Us
on together The Egyptian ships were overladen-
passengers on some of them even sleeping on deck
We were left to look after ourselves was far from
meaning to accept my friends report that we could
not 20 on. Finishing and posting my letters, took
nv Arab servant, who by great good luck spoke
French as well Arabic. and started for the Bprran
NJ DE LEssEPs ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
II was already II o'clock The feet was to sail at
l2-Her Majesty of the French having so decided.
The confusion on shore in the direction Of the Qna
was at its hight. The streets were flied with Euro
peans, in carriages, dromedaries on dOnkeys, on
foot the faces of those turned toward the landing