The Portland daily press., 1897-01-22
THE CANAL OF JOSEPH.
AS Useful as Ever at the End of 1000
, Years.
(From Engineering.)

How many Of the engineering works OF
the Nineteenth century will there be in
existence ia the year SCOOP Very few, we
fear, and still less those that will con-
| tinue in the far-of ages to serve useful
purpose. Yet there is at least one great
undertaking conceived and executed by
an engineer which during the space of
1000 years has never ceased its Office, on
which the life Of fertile province abso-
lutely depends today. We refer to the
Bahr Joussuf-the canal of Joseph
built, according to tradition, by the
son OF Jacob, and which constitutes not
the least of the many blessings he con-
ferred on Egypt during the years OF his
prosperous rule.
This canal took its Use from the Nile
at Asiut, and ran almost parallel with
it for nearly 250 miles, creeping along
under the western cliffs OF the Nile Val
ley with many bend and winding. I'M
til at length it gained al emiDence, as
compared with the river bed, which an
able:. it to turn westward through a mar
| row pess and enter a district which was
| otherwise shut off from the fsrtiiizing
| floods on which all vegetation in Egypt
depends. The northern end stood IL feet
above low Nile, while at the southern
end 1T WIS at an equal elevation with
tina river. Through this cut ran peren-
NAL stream, which watered provinc
named the Fayoum, endowing it with
fertility and supporting large populu-
| ton, In the time CT the annual flo % IL
| great part of the canal WAS under water,
and then the rivers current would rush
in mole direct course into the pass
carrying with it the rich silt which takes
| the place of manure and Keeps the soil
| in state CT constant productivenees.
All this. with the exception of the ira
ditions that Joseph built it, can be yeri-
| fied today, and il is not mere suppositicn
or rulnor Until eight years ago it was
firmly believed that the design has al
| ways been limited to an irrigation
scheme, larger, no doubt, than that now
| in operation, as shown by the traces OF
abandoned canals and by the slow aegre-
CATION of waste water which had accu-
mulnted IN the Birketel Quorum. but still
essentially the came in character. Many
accounts have bean written by Greek and
Roman historians, such az Herodotua,
Strato, Mutianus and Pliny, and re-
peated in monkish legends or portrayed
| in the lnnps of the Middle Aeea, which
agreed with the folk lore OF the district.
These tales explained that the canal dug
nv the ancient Israelite served to garry
the surplus waters Of the Nile into an ex-
tensive lake lying south of the Fayoum,
and SO large that it not only modified
the climate. temperiDg the arid Winds of
the desert and converting them into the
I balmy airs which nourished the vines
and the olives into fullness and fra
GRANGE unknown in any part of the coun-
try, but also added to the food supply of
the land such immense quantities of fish
that the royal prerogative Of the right OF
piscary at the great weir was valued AT
$3.50, CN0 annually This lake was said
&c be $50 miles round, and to be navi-
gated by feat of vessels, and the whole
was the scene of industry
and prosperity.