Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-10-16
FLOODING THE SAHARA.
Importance OF the Results to Be Obtain,
from Harper's Weekly

Importance OF the Results to BE Obtained.
From Harpers weekly.1
Two plans have been set before the
public with regard to the great project
of flooding the immense basin Of Sa-
hara, known as Eel Jul, which is now
generally conceded to be the bed of a
former inland sea. One of these plans
is SO far in actual operation that pre-
liminary surveys are now in progress
under the direction Of M. Ferdinand de
Lesseps, to test the feasibility Of cutting
q canal from Cabes, on the coast of
Tunis, to let the waters Of the Mediter-
ranean into the great central depres-
sion. Reports from these parties are
very favorable. They find the soil free
from serious obstacles to engineering
work, generally sand, to great depth,
resting on calcare areousfoundation. They
entertain no doubt that the work can be
more easily accomplished than the ex-
cavation Of the Suez canal. W Nv
The other plan is that of reopening
the ancient outlet of the inland sea to
| the Atlantic, at a place called Boca
Grande, or Great Mouth, and thus fill
| ing with water the vast depression of
Ell Jul, which lies far below the level of
the ocean. This basin, irregular in
shape, extends from within twelve miles
| of the sea-coast to as far south as the
region of Azawad and Walata, to the
north of Timbuctoo. The greatest
| length of this depression is given at
about 500 miles, and the greatest
breadth at about 120 miles, altogether
covering an area Of about go, 1000 square
miles. The breadth Of Ell Juf is much
! greater in the south, but toward the
northwest it seems gradually to get mar
rover, terminating in the great channel
which in former years connected it with
| the Atlantic ocean. There cannot be
any doubt but that Ell Juf at one time
| formed part of the Atlantic ocean, and
that the connection existed within his
toric times seems clear enough. Upon
the cause which led to the drying up of
the Ell Juf sea the classic writer's are
not very clear. It is recorded by Di-
odorus Siculus that, according to an
cient tradition, lake called Hesperides,
! in the portion of the Sahara now occu-
pied by Ell Juf, was suddenly dried up.
Arab traditions point out that several
depressions In the Sahara were covered
with water in A. D. 681, but, since the
year 1900, the water gradually disap-
peared.
The Importance of the advantages to
be gained by the accomplishment of
this vast enterprise can hardly be over
estimated. SouGan has population Of
about 38, 100000 Of the most intelligent
and energetic OF all the African races.
They have successfully been brought
under the influence of Carthagenian,
Roman, Egyptian, and Mohammedan
civilization. They have formed them
selves into independent states, and pos
sess numerous walled towns of COM
mercial Importance. They have estab-
lished laws and education, and stamped
out many Of the worst forms Of pagan
superstition. They cultivate the soil,
and carry on several branches of manu-
facture with remarkable success. The
people of Soudan receive their supply
of European merchandise across the
Sahara from the ports Of Morocco, Al
geria, Tunis, and Tripoli-a system of
communication with the outer world
which has existed for thousands of
years. Caravans proceeding by any Of
these routes can only make one journey
a year, traversing about 1000 miles Of
mountainous and difficult country be-
fore the neare st market of Soudan is
reached. These paths, formerly used
by the merchants of antiquity, now
serve the Arab caravans. Notwithstand-
ing all these difficulties, the annual val
ne of the trade between the northern
ports and Soudan amounts to about
"a, 100000. An easier mode Of transit
would evidently lead to large develop
ment of this trade. M a.s
The distance from Cape JUDY to
Timbuctoo, on the Upper Niger, is
about 800 miles of level country, thus
being l 200 miles shorter than the pres
ent routes. On the line proposed by
Mr.. Mackenzie there are no less than
fortytwo stations, with plenty of water.
He thinks that caravans could make
three journeys year by it with greater
ease than one by the present roads.
Therefore, without any outlay whatever
for roads, an annual trade of $12,O00,000
would soon be established. To attain
this object all that is necessary is to
form commercial station at Port ST
Bartholomew, Cape JUDY, where the
climate is equal to that of Madeira and
Canary, obtain the protection of the
Berber chiefs of the Western Sahara
(under whose protection the present
trade is carried on, and place agents in
the principal towns on the road to Tim
buctoo. The road to Central Africa
would then be practically opened to
commerce through a healthy country,
and from a point within nine days sail
of European shores.
With the Sahara flooded, direct navi-
cation with Europe would be estab-
hshed. And thus will also be opened a
more extensive market for American
goods. We have heard OF the desert
being made "to blossom as rose;' it is
certainly fascinating idea that a vast
and arid waste is to be covered by a
portion Of the waters of the mighty
Atlantic. And if this opening-up Of
the interior of Africa to civilization
and commerce is to abolish the African
slave trade, with all its attendant hor-
rors, then do we most earnestly wish it
e hearty Godspeed.