The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-29

from Khartoum to the sea. But during the in
undation the loss of swiftness by the water over
flowing the lands. by the water running of into
the thousands of canals, by evaporation, and.
lastly, by infiltrating into the sands of the
deserts thus rendering fertile no less than six
cases. five days journey from the river, and ex
tending through the distance OF 300 mliesl,aii
this say, is such loss of swiftness that a log,
starting from Khartoum. would require three
months to reach the Mediterranean. The height
of the inundation which proves most favorable
TO the agriculture of the present day has been
found by careful observation, TO be about forty
one feet above the lowest summer water.
Schweinfurtk says eighteen inches, more or less,
apt to cause terrible devastation in the
delta and elsewhere covering up many fields
destined for autumn crops, while deficiency
of three fees causes drought or famine in upper
Egypt
But enough of the Nile for the present. At
Portsaid / 500 tons of coal were put into our
great A. 900 ton steamer between 10 p. NJ and A.
formed this feat looked at night perfectly
lights they assembled from the coal
barges to the deck of the steamer,
and dumped their black loads into the scuttle-
holes that led to the hold The next morning,
for Suez, at rate of six miles per hour-those
of us bound for Cairo intending to leave at
Ismalia, halfway down the canal, whence we
would go to the capital through ''the land of
Goshen"
What wonderful work is this interoceanic
water-coursel 1t looks prosaic enough. Indeed,
the raging canawP from Broad Ripple to In
dianapolis is far more picturesque. Just imagine
your canal In the widest parts 325 feet at the
surface, Y at the bottom. and 26 feet deep; and
in the narrowest parts 195 feet surface width,
and at the bottom 40 feet, with place every
few miles 500 feet or more wide, so that
steamers may pass each other Then imagine
level tract of country through a sandy
boz ~
scenery in the world. Only one point has any
historic interest and that is the place called Ell
Kantara. or the bridge, which has been used as
caravan passage between Syria and Egypt
Abraham, and Joseph and Jacob. Here, too,
across this very place, was borne the infans
Savior, when his parents fed to avoid the vim
dictive jealousy of Herod.
This is not the first canal thai connected the
Mediterranean and the Red seas One was
built by the Egyptian kings 1900 B. c., another
was dug under Pharaoh Necho but not finished;
another, by Darius l, 500 B. c., and another still
was opened by one of the Caiphs. England
opposed the modern Suez canal, but now sees
going through are English. Every day more
than $4,000 are the tolls which are
taken at Port Said and Suez. It's first
years (187O) income was $1,O3l, S65. It has
tolls to the amount of $12, 584, 1877 per annum
The canal is Lightweight nautical miles long.
and cost originally $9l, $50, OOO For the last
three years the dividend, after deducting all ex-
penses and putting aside for sinking fund, etc,
have averaged 16 per cent. 1t is the direct
route from Europe to India, China, japan and
Australia and will continue to grow in impor-
lance each year. England once in the possession
of Egypt ought never to surrender this highway
to her East India and Australian possessions
To show the advantage of the canal to Great
Britain, need only to say that from London to
Bombay by tho canal it is 5, 520miies shorter than
the old route by the Cape of Good Hope, while to
Southern India the distance saved is, from Lon
don, s. 1876 miles. Even from London to Hong
Kong there are more than 4, 900 miles in favor Of
the Suez canal route. j. c. FLETCHER