Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-05-15
Flooding the African Desert.

political exigency seems, according to
Geographic dispatches, to promise the reali-
zation Of an engineering project vaster in
Its conception than any dreams of the Ro-
man Antonines project Of De Lesseps to
| restore the Sahara to its prehistoric condi
tion OF sea. The oases are to resume their
former role of islands Algeria and Tunis
will be partially insulated, the desert will
cease to be place of refuge for razzia max
ing hordes OF horse men the slave trade be-
tween the Barbary States and the Soudan
Will be checked; and European fleets can
carry on civilized commerce with Central
Africa. There will be, to some extent an
end OF caravans the long trains of bell tink-
ing cameis will cease to travel the skeleton
marked way to Timbucto, and the desert
tribes famous for their skill in pillaging,
must enter the pale of civilization or resolve
themselves into seataring corsairs or settle
down among the tribes of the Soudan. There
Will be an end ofsimooms and sand-storms ::
and those awful moving pillars whose ghast-
!y aspect first suggested to the Arab imaoi-
nation the idea of Afrits and genii will no
longer cast their shadows across the yellow
desolation.
The present plan seems to differ from the
! former one. The Sahara is to be flooded
from the Mediterranean A canal is to be
cut from the Gulf Of Gabez to the marshes
of the Tripolitap frontier. so rs to separate
Tunis from Tripoli by lake and that lake
is to extend its borders gradually over. the
Sahara.
Now the area Of the Sahar,-not inclu-
ding the more elevated regions of Bornou
and Dariour,--is 194, 600 square leagues as
estimated by Humboldt, or an area three
times larger than France. How soon this
vast region will be converted into q sea- or
how much OF it is certain to he covered with
water, we can only ascertain upon receiving
fuller details regarding the surveys and csti-
| mates OF the French ngineers
The consequence of the change will prob
ably be felt throughout q great portion of
Europe. All Western Europe has long been
heated by the reflection of that glowing des-
ert, as by an enormous brazier Malt -Brun
compares Africa to Ian immense furnace
heating Arabia, Asiatic Turkey and Eu-
rope" The change of the Sahara into an
ocean of water must effect u very notable
change in European temperature Egypt
will cease to be rainless Morocco will be-
! come far less torrid. Turkey in Asia will
feel the hand of Lesseps, and Arabia cities
which had no commercial Importance before
will rise to great prosperity, and others will
dwndle away. The Suez canal partly re-
stored Venice to her former position as a
worlds market; the work Of I.esseps nav
do rs much for many cities.
The famous plague oflocusts. which from
| the earliest Pharonic period desolated
Northern Africa and Southern Europe ut
intervals, would be to great extent dmin-
ished ifnot extirpated.
Politically and otherwise the result of
such work as this will be so great that
there is much probability OF an attempt
ut opposition from jealous European powers
In this matter, however it is not improbable
that France would obtain the strong sup
| port of England. But the Mahometan power
! in Northern Africa would receive tremen-
do,is blow
! Converting about 100000 square miles
( of scorching desert into sea must produce
! some appreciablc effect even in distant
! countries-an effect thatmay vet be perceived
/ by experts even ut the mouth of the Mis-
! sissippi. Whether it would involve any
serious disturbances of the earth's surface is
u matter in dispute. But those who believe
that earthquakes arc myStcriously co-inci-
dent with changes in atmospheric pressure
will perhaps find that the experiment in
wolves in mmcncc risky. o. Times DEM
! on,of ..