The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1876-03-25
THE SUEZ CANAL.

This canal crosses the desert to the
east of Alexandria, at place now called
Port said, where vessels sailing into
properly prepared basins let into the
appointed channel, and where there are
steam-tugs to help them if required.
The course pursued in a southerly di-
rection is for about thirty-one miles per-
fectly straight, the width at the surface
of water being three hundred and twen-
ty-seven feet, and seventy-two feet at
the bottom, with depth of twenty-six
feet. This measurement prevails over
nearly three-fourths of the canal. Pass
ing the forty-frst mile, the canal makes
a bend to Lake Timsah, the bending
being due to the mpracticability of cut
ting through some sand-hills. Lake
Timsah-only a lake by the sea
having been let in-may be called
the central station. Here, on the
west side, we come to IsmaiIia, with the
fresh water and canal railway from Cairo,
both of which continue at no great dis
lance all the way to Suez. At the fif-
ty-third mile, we reach the Great Bitter
Lake, which is connected with the Little
Bitter Lake, the two together measuring
about twenty miles in length. Like
Lake Timsah, they are nothing more
than natural depressions in the sand filled
with sea-water to the ordinary depth of
the canal, the fair-way being cleared by
dredging. At the seventy-third mile,
we get on the canal, which now pursues
a strnight line to Suez-not that it
| touches the fc".', -. .---r---------->
eastwari, and ends at Fort Ibrahim, in
tho gulf of Suez, portion of the Red
sea.
Along the whole route there are de-
fined stations, houses of officials, and the
| electric telegraph, with morning posts,
and other accommodations. To avoid a
congestion of traffic, the transit is placed
under strict regulations, and usually &C.
cupies sixteen hours. Apprehensions as
to the difference of levels of the two seas
have proved entirely groundless. At
each end the tides exert an appropriate
influence. If anything, there is cur
rent from the Red sea; but as it meets
a wind from the north, it does not af-
feet the navigation. Fears as to the
drifting of sand into the canal have like
wise been greatly exaggerated. Along
the sides of the fresh-watcr canal trees
bave been planted; these, when grown,
will serve to condense the clouds and
draw rain; wherefore, we may expect
| that at no distant date the desert will
assume the character of a green and fer
tile region.
| The original estimated expense of the
canal was four millions sterling; but
the outlay has been near ly double that
amount, exclusive of very heavy ex-
penditure by Egypt on Port Said; gray
| ing docks at Suez, and other things of a
| less or more remunerative character. 1t
| is believed that as much as nineteen
millions have been altogether expended
in connection with the undertaking. In
becoming aware of this fact, one would
be disposed to admire the enterprise and
generosity of the Egyptian government,
in contributing almost four-ffths of the
expense, without an immediate prospect
! of adequate remuneration. Unfortu-
nately, most of the money was borrowed
at high rate of interest, and it seems
not unlikely that the khedive, from
financial exigencies, will find it desirable
to dispose of much, if not the whole of
his interest in the concern, including
the reversion of the property at prece-
dent period.