Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-01

his workmen but the thousands of shop
keepers nd others who ilockcd from the
Levant, Suez, Cairo and Alexandria into
Ismaila The water junction with Zagazig
is named the Sweetwater Canal, and II is in
ferior in length and utility only to its great
neigbbor, the Maritime Canal. lsmailia, as
arranged by VI. de Lesseps, stands al the
junction of three canals-namcly, the Sweet
water Canal, from Zagizg to lsmailia; the
Swcetw Canal that runs southwards from
Ismaila to Suez, and, Of course, the Snez
Canal itself. The water of the Maritime
Canal being pronounced neither fit for man
nor bt asst. Ismailia is dependent entirely
upon the Sweetwuter supply from zagazig.
Cut that of and its inhabitants must either
perish or escape to the banks of the Nile.
Sucz also would be impcrillcd, as II de
ponds almost wholly upon the Swcctwater
Canal from lsmaiia, because that canal is in
reality nothing more than II continuation OF
the canal between lsmailia and Zagazig
Suez has plenty Of salt and bracksh water
in her vicinity, but she has no well supply
of the element, and as rain visits her as sell
dom as il does Alden she has no reserve of
drinking water stored in reservoirs or cis-
terms. 1t will be evident. therefore, at a
glance, that If Arab Bey threatens the water
supply of Ismaiia he will at the same time
be threatening that of Suez. lie will, in
fact, be rendering both cities totally useless
for occupation, either civil or military.
The proudest day in the history of 1smailia
was that on which, in November 1860,
| the splendid fleet that celebrated the opening
of the Suez Canal steamed into Lake Timsah,
headed by the beilaggcd and hammered
imperial yacht of France, the Aigle, beasing
on board the Empress Eugene, and followed
by the fifty steamers which bore the Aus.
trian Emperor, the Prince Royal of Prussia,
Prince Henry OF Holland, and host of am
bassadors and brilliant pcrsonagcs of Europe.
Then Ismailia wore her gala dress. The
Khedivc entertained his guests right royalty
in magnificent pavilious. Music and dane
| ing sped the flying hours, and wine flowed
like water. Then population llocked to her
by hundreds daily, until few months
from the day when her form was scratched
upon the sands, she could count upon some
49, 900 or $4,000 residents.
But when the canal was completed anc
contractors had fled, and the laborers hat
returned to their homes, Ismailia's glory
began to fade She was visited only occas
ionally by the Khedive, the ships bount
East and West passed her disdainfully, ant
her population dwindled down to less thar
1000. Few travellers think of going to Sc,
Ismailia. The Governor lives there an cas-,
life-or at least he did before Arab Beg
disturbed his soul--having few furlhel
cares beyond looking after the fresh watc
works, the ladies of his harem, his servant,
and the Arabs who occasionally wandc
from the adjoining desert into the half
deserted bazaars. When the Hon. w. Il
Seward was making his tour around TIN
world, in 1871, he visited Ismalia. HI
had heard of the way ii had suddenly sprung
up, of its unique beauty when compare,
with the forlorn desert, and of the splendor
it put forth when the unfortunate cx-Em
press of the French was lsmailia's honoret
guest in 1869.
He was surprised to find Ismailia as i
stood. Only a year and a half had passet
away since that magnificent opening day
and how sadly had Ismailia changed He
population had shrunk into small proper
tions 'the beautiful palace now KNOWN!
neither master nor guest, has already becom
monumental. The sirocco blows the sands o
the desert on the paved streets aud Their
are neither men nor money to clean tn
streets again, Contractors and laborers hav
disappeared, and no laborcrs have returned
to take the place of those that left" A
lsmaila appeared to the great American
statesman in 1871, so it appears now to tn
casual traveller. Wretched as she is, if he
fresh water canal, her sole source of beauty
is destroyed by the Egyptian troops she wi
become wilderness and dcsoation, an
her once resplendent Hotel DIES Noyagcurs
woful mockery.