Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-05-14
Flooding the Sahara.

FlO0ulng the sahara.
Two plans have been set before the pub
lie with regard to the great project of
flooding the immense basin of Sahara,
known rs El Juf, which is now generally
conceded to be the bed of former inland
sea. One of these plans is so far in actual
operation that preliminary surveys are
now in progress, under the direction of
NJ. Ferdinand de Lesseps, to test the feast
bility of cutting canal from CabGS, on
the coast of Tunis, TO let the waters of the
Mediterranean into the great central de-
preston. Reports from the surveying
parties are very favorable They find the
soil free from serious obstacles to engi-
necring work, generally sand to great
depth, resting on calcareous foundation.
They entertain no doubt that the work can
be more easily accomplished than the
excavation of the Suez canal.
The other plan is that of re-opening the
ancient outlet of the inland sea to the
Atlantic, at II place called Boca Grande, or
Great Mouth, and thus filling with water
the vast depression Of El Juf, which lies
far below the level of the ocean. This
basin, irregular in shape, extends from
within twelve miles of the sea. coast to rs
far south rs the regions of Azawad and
Walata. to the north of Timbuctoo. The
greatest length of this depression sgiven at
about five hundred miles, and the greatest
breadth at about one hundred and twenty
miles, altogether covering an area of about
sixty thousand square miles. The breadth
of FL Juf is much greater in the south,
but towards the northwest it seems gradu.
ally to get narrower, terminating in the
great channel which in former years
connected it with the Atlantic ocean.
There cannot he any doubt but that Ell Juf
at one time formed part of the Atlantic
ocean, and that the connection existed
within historic times seems clear enough.
Upon the cause which led to the drying up
of the Ell Juf sea the classic writers
are not very clear. 1t is recorded by
Diodorus Siculus that. according to an
cienti tradition, II lake called lIespcr-
jes, in the portion of Sahara now oc-
cupied by FL Juf, was suddenly dried
up. Arab traditions point out that several
depressons in the Sahara were covered
with water in A. d. 6Sl, but since the
year 1900 the water gradually disappeared.
1t is clear from research and the physic-
al character of the whole region that the
waters of Ell Juf disappeared by the
gradual accumulation of sand across the
mouth of the channel which formed the
connection between it and the Atlantic
ocean, and which finally cut off the water
supply. Thus separated from the sea, the
vertical rays of the sun would soon reduce
the Ell Juf to the vast salt region it now
appears. Shells, pebbles, and other ma
rine remains are scattered throughout the
entire district, bearing witness to the fact
that its surface was covered at no remote
period by the waves of the Atlantic. The
bed of the Ell Juf is said by the Arabs to
be much lower than the ocean. Accord
ing to the observations of Captain Riley
and others, it would appear to be about
two hundred feet below the sea level-a
statement in which the sailors of Canary,
who know the place, concur.
The Belta valley, supposed to have
formed the connection between the Allan
tic ocean and Ell Juf, was placed by trav-
elers to the south of Cape JUDY, and
called by the natives Sakiet FL Hamra, the
name of the Belta being unknown to
them. Boca Grande, or Great Mouth,
which forms the entrance, has the appear
ance of Il Gibraltar on II small scale. 1t is
formed between perpendicular rocks rising
to height of about two hundred feet
above the sea, with width of about two
miles and II half, having sand-bar across
about thirty feet ut the south end and ten
feet at the north, and about three hundred
wards across. In stormy weather the
waves break furiou>ly against this bar
There is also Il strong current setting con-
tinually against the shore, which caused
the accumulation of sand that ultimately
separated FL Juf from the Atlantic. The
Sakiet FL Hamra channel appears to wild
en- considerable inland II range of noun
tains at long distance from the shore
stretches from north to south, but opposite
the Boca Grande there is almost II perpen.
dicuar break of about fifteen miles. The
bed of this channel is said to be incrusteG
with marine salt. Captain Riley, who
travelled over many miles of it, says there
could be no doubt in the mind of any one
who should view it that the bank of this
valley was worn by the sea at n compare.
lively modern period; he also states that
the channel was not more than ten miles
wide where he passed it, but was very
broad within, and extended great way
into the country, which seems clearly tc
prove that this valley was the northwes
extremity of the great basin of Ell Juf
which became narrower rs it approached
, the ocean.
The Importance of the advantages to be
gained by the accomplishment of this vas
enterprise can hardly be overestimated
, Soudan has population of about thirty
eight millions of the most intelligent ant
energetic Ct all the African races. They
have successively been brought under the
influence of Carthaginian, Roman, Egyp
: tian, and Mohammedan civilization. They
have formed themselves into Independent
states, and possess numerous wallec
towns of commercial importance. They
, have established laws and education, ant
stamped out mauy of the worst forms o.
pagan superstition. They cultivate the
soil, and carry on several branches o
. manufacture with remarkable success
The people of Soudan receive their supply
of European merchandise across the Saba
, ia from the ports of Morocco, Algeria
runis, and Tripoli-a system of com
munication with the outer world Whlcl
has existed for thousands of years. Car
avans prodeeding by any of these routes
can only make one journey a year, trav
| ersing about two thousand miles of noun
tainous and difficult country before thu
> nearest market of Soudan is reached
| These paths, formerly used by the mer
| chants of antiquity, now serve the Arat
, caravans. Notwithstanding all these diff
cultes, the annual value of the trade be
tween the northern ports and Soudal
amounts to abont four millions dollars. Al
t easier mode of transit would evident'!
t lead TO large development of this trade
: The distance from Cape JUDY to Tim
i buctoo, on the Upper Niger. is abou
, eight hundred miles of almost level coun
. try, thus being twelve hundred mile
shorter than the present routes On th'