On the Isthmus of Suez and the Canals of Egypt.” by JOSEPHGLYNN, F.R.S., M

crediton Mougel Bey. A similar machinehad formerly been em- ployed at Tonlon, and there was considerable analogy between it and the plan adopted at Rochester. Mr. RENDEL, V.P., said, that such a system would undoubtedly answer, even withcaissons of verylarge dimensions, ifadequate means were adopted for steadying them. Mr. HUGHES,in answer to questions,said, that the thickness of thecylinders was 1; inch:-thatthe average nnrnber ofbuckets passed throughthe locks per hour, was twenty-five full,weighing about 2 cwt.each, and twenty-five empty,but that depended, of course, on the depth from which they had to be pwsed :-and that the timbers of the old foundations were all sound, except thoseof beech.

Nay 20, 1851. WILLIAM CUBITT, President,in the Chair: The following Candidates were balloted for and duly electcd :- FrancisMortimer Young, as a Member;and Williant Henry Churchward, as an Awociate. No. 859.-‘‘ On the Isthmus of Suez and the Canals of Egypt.” By JOSEPHGLYNN, F.R.S., M. Inst. C.E. ABOUTfifteen years ago, when the means uf transit from the Medi- terranean to India were under consideration, and the route by way of the River Euphrates to the Persian Gulf found nlany advacates, theAuthor, with otherEngineers, was consulted as to tlte expediency of adopting that route, or the one at present used, through Egypt and the Red Sea. In order to ellable him to arrive at a just conclusion, a mass of evidence was placed in his hands, including, among other infolma- tion incidentalto the main question, muchthat reltted to the internal navigation of Egypt, both in its ancient and present state, to the formation of the country between the Red Sea and the RTile, and also to that between the lied Sea and the Mediterranean. It is not necessary here to recapitulate t,he objections that were then raised, against the adoptiou of the route through Egypt ; they have been met and overcome, Travellers also have become f‘xniliar withthe transit through the Desert, whichis now divested of it;r obstaclesand its terrors. Atthe time,however, when all these matters were under discussion, the possibility of restoring the ancient canals of Egypt, oreven of forrnitjg a new and direct communication by water, between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean, was also dis- cussed and examined. [1850-81.1 ‘B

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [16/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. X70 ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. Eventually,the plan then considered most expedientand prac- ticable, that of making part of the journeyby canal, from Alexandria to Cairo, and part by lad carriage, from Cairo to Snez, was chosen. The advantagesarising from the adoptionof this route, naturally lead to the inference, that greater benefits, of more general, or it may he said, of universal interest, would result from the opening of a navigation for steam ships between the two seas. - From the evidence alluded to, it appears, that a canal from the Nile to the Red Sea, had exisled at a very remote period : that it was undertaken about 600 years before the Christian era, and was completed by Darius (Hystaspes) ; that it was filled with water from the Pelusiac branch of the River Nile, wllich it joined at a short distanceabove Bubastis; and that it terminated in the Red Sea, near the city of Patumos. It seemalso, that a branch extended to the city of Pelusium, (near Tineh,) on the shore of the Dlediter- ranean, or rather,that it communicated with the sea throughthe Pelusiac branch, forrnerly one of the mouths of the Pu’ile, but now choked up. Other ancient writers give somewhat different s!atements, but all agree in the main facts, and from their concurrent testimony it may be gathered, that a canal extended from the Nile, through the valley leading to theBitter Lakes, or about 34 -Englishmiles; that it was filled withfresh water by the rising of the Nile ; thatthere were double gates, to prevent the impure water of the lakes from entering; that the canal was navigable for about two months in the year, when the Nile was high, and ceased to be so until the Nile againrose; that it was also used forthe purposesof irrigation and for the supply of fresh TYater to several important towns ; that this part of the canal, and also the basin of the Bitter Lakes, abont 27 miles inlength, were navigable for vessels of considerable burden, during the period before named ; and that a canal of somewhat smaller dimensions was continued from the Bitter Lakes to the Red Sea, near Suez. It also appears, that the ancients assumed a difference of level to existbetween the waters of the Red Sea and theMediterranean and that precautions, which were not always successful, were take11 toprevent inundations. Various accounts are given of the dimensions of the canal, or rather of the three main divisions of it, which there is reason to believe, differed considerably. Butthe portion just mentioned,-that from the Nile, through the valley leading to the Bitter Lakes,-was froin I00 feet to 150 feet, (or 100 cnbits,) in width, and 30 feet in depth. It is obvious, that a great part of it must have had that depth, because the level of the ground in this

valley is, for several miles, 2 fcet, or 3 feet, below the level of the Bfediterranean, and as thewaters of the Nile, atBubastis, rose during floods, 28 feet above that level, the banks must havebeen sufficiently high to contain them; but between the Bitter Lakes and the Red Sea, the depth seems to have been much less. To account for many discrepancies in the statement referred to, and for apparent inconsistencies in tire construction of the works, it must be remembered, that canal locks as now used, were not then known,-that it was desired to keep the water of the sea separate from that of the Nile,-and thatboth from local interests and politicalreasons, thecircuitous communication by way of the Nile and the Bitter Lakes, was preferred to a more direct one between the two seas, which would have been of little advantage to the inhabitants of the valley of the Nile. The workswhich in thecourse of severalcenturies had fallen into decay, appear to have been restored, about the year G44 of the Christian era, by the Caliph Omar, who introduced several improve- ments. Instead, however,of thecanal joining the Nile near Bubastis, as was originally the case, it curved southward to Cairo. It was first called the ‘ Prince of tlle Faithful’s Canal,’ but it was subsequently named the ‘ Canal of Cairo.’ Here the waters of the Nile rise G feet higher than at the former point, andconsequently, the navigation could be kept open for a longer time. In making the Canal of Cairo, the Caliph zppears to have followed the course of a trench already existing, for the pur- pose of irrigation, and it also seems, that for more than one hundred and twenty years afterwards, the navigation through this canal from the Nile to the Red Sea was kept open. Above a thousandyears haveelapsed sincethis navigation was abandonedand allowed to fa11 into decay. It thnsremained neg- lected and almost forgotten until the French Expedition to Egypt, whenNapoleon, whose greatgenius, even amid the toils and dangers of war, could still encourage the arts of peace, and promote the interests of science, caused a complete survey of this great work of antiquity to be made, under the direction of M. Lepbre, a French Engineer of reputation.His report and survey, with a lineof levelsfrom the Red Sea to the Mediterranean, will be found in Demon’s celebraied ‘‘ Descriptionde l’Egypte,” together with an estimate of the cost of restoring this ancient navigation, on a larger and improved plan ; and had the French remained in possession of Egypt,it is not improbable, that the plans proposed mighthave been attempted to be carried into execution. It was proposed to follow the old line of the canal from the Nile 2J33

to the Red Sea, and to divide the work into four sections, forming three levels. The firstsection was fromBubastis to Seneka, (or Abacch,) a distance of about12 miles. The bottom was proposed tobe on a levrl with the low-water line of the Nile, or about 10 feet above t,he Mediterranean ; thedepth was tobe sufficient to receive the full rise of' the Nile, which, at this point, is 18 feet, the walls being carried up 4 feet higher than the water. The secondsection, onthe same level as the first, includesthe whole line of the ' ouadee,' or valley, about 38 miles iu length, to Serapium. It was also intended to receive 18 feet of water,but as it was to be supplied from the Canal of Cairo, it was proposed toconnect it with the firstsection by a lock.Both thesesections were to be opened for navigation, when the Nile had risen 6 feet, and to remain open from August to March, beingfrom seven to eight months, or as long as thenavigation of the Nile itself continued good. The third section was about 27 miles long, through the basin of the Bitter Lakes. It was to be filled, in the first instance, with the fresh water of the Nile, but, was to be afterwards supplied from the Red Sea. The water in this section being kept at the level of low- water at Suez, would be 2 feet, or 3 feet, below the level of the Nile, durirlg the height of the inundation, but at other times, the water would be higher than in the first two sections. The second and third sections were to be connected by a lock, in order to preserve the levels, and to prevent the mixture of salt and fresh water in thecanal. Theimpure water in the lock, after a vessel had passed through, was to be discharged as waste into t,hc Desert. The fourth section was abont 13 miles in length, ad proceeded from the Bitter Lakes. It was to be cut to a depth of 10 feet below thelevel of low-water in theRed Sea, and was tocommunicate withthe sea by onelock, and with the lakes by another. There were also to be sluices and flood-gates to scour the entrance into the Red Sea. The whole cost of the works here enumerated, was estimated at 17,268,000 francs, or .S691,000 sterling. The cost of auxiliary works, includiug the re-establishment of the Canal of Cairo, the Canals of Farounah and Chebn-el-Koum, the Canal of Alexandria,and sundry worksin the bed andmouths of theNile, was estimated at 12,732,000 francs, or %509,000, making a total of &1,200,000 sterling. Such is a brief surnrnaryof the worksconternplatcd by M. Le-

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [16/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. 373 pAre, and hisassistants, andalthough the French Engineers considered it prudent to restore the old line of canals, from the Red Sea to the Nile, they were still of opinion, that a branch from the BitterLakes to Tineh, on the Mediterranean, wouldhave many advantages.Being entirely supplied withsalt water from the Red Sea,it would beindependent of the rising of theNile, and be navigable at all times. The direct distance from the northern extremity of the Red Sea, to the Mediterranean, is about 75 miles. The length of the canal from sea to sea, as surveyed, following what was considered to be the most suitable line of country, was about 93 milw. The Isthmus of Suez, on the northern side, appears to be a low barrenplain, broken by hillocks of drift sand and pools of salt water.Passing southward between tworidges of high land, a trough, or hollow extends to Suez, showing various indications of its having been formerly occupied by the waters of the Red Sea, and a series oflagoons, or pools, reachesfrom Lake Menzaleh, which communicates with the Mediterranean. The southernmost of these pools arecalled the Bitter Lakes. They are only about 12 miles from Suez, and the bottom was assumed by M. Lepkre to be from 20 to 54 French feet below high-water mark in the Red Sea, at Suez. The mean rise of the tide in the Red Sea, at the northern part, was stated, by M. LepAre, to be about 53 feet, or 6 feet, and the rise and fall of the water on the opposite, or Nediterranean shores, to be about 1 foot. The surface of the Red Sea, at high-water, was statedto be 30 feet 6 iuchesFrench, or about 323 feetEnglish measure, above low-water at Tineh, on the Mediterranean. It has been stated, that the variation in level of the Mediterranean waters at Tineh, or Pelusium, is seldom Inore than a foot. Taking that as a basis, at low-water, the French Engineers determined the various points of elevation above the I\iediterrarlean. Of these, the prir~cipzl are:- French Feet High-water at Suez . . 303 Low-water at Suez . . 25 M ean level Mean . . 274 Extreme rise of the Nile at Cairo, in ordi~~aryseasons 39+ L owest point ditto ditto ditto pointLowest . 16 M ean level Mean . . 27+

Consequently,the Nile, during the height of theinundation at Cairo, is 9 feet above the high-water level, and 14 feet above the iow-water level at Suez.

Downloaded by [ UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD] on [16/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 37‘4 ISTliMUS OF SUEZ. It appears, that 81. Prony was of the same opinion as M. LepBre, as to the practicability of making a canaland of keeping it free from sand, by the means he suggested ; 82. &fiche1 Chevalier, whose judgment is of considerable weight, agrees with them. In the year 1830, Colonel (then Captain) Chesney,’ of the Royal Artillery, who examinedthe country between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, andmade a Report respecting it, thus describes thecoast and the Lake Menzaleh, which is separated from the Mediterranean by a narrowstrip of sandy land, thro~~ghrvllicll there are, at present, three openings, the ancient entrance of Tineh being now closed :- ‘‘ LakeMcuzaleh begins about 1; milefrom Damietta, and is anirregular parallelogram, nearly 43 miles long from E.S.E. to W.N.W., and from 11 to 12 miles broad, N.E. to S.W., from the sea to theland side. The bottom is a mixture of mud and sand, generally covered with reeds, but quite level, so that the greatest depthof the lake does not vary more than G, or 8 inches, being rarely nluch under 4 feet, and seldom much above it, except where the sea enters.” After describing the boats and the fishermen who live about the lake, he rays:-“ Tineh opens towards the sea, and lras the advantage of anchorage,in good weather, a little way from theshore, and the French made a cut for their army going against Syria, so as toprevent its passing from tlle lako tothe sea-coastopposite Tineh,without being exposed to our ships. This passageis now closed, but were it reopened, it would offer the shortest ancl easiest route to Suez.” Colonel Chesney sums up his Report by stating :-‘‘ As to the executivepart, there is butone opinion. Thereare no serious difficulties ; not a single mountain intervenes ; scarcely what deserves to !)c called a hillock ; and in a courltry where labuur can be had without hit, and at a rate infinitely below that of any other part ofthe world, the expense would be a moderateone for a single nation, and scarcely worth dividing between the great kingdoms of Europe, who would all be benefited by the measure.” There is muchother evidence tothe same effect, which itis needless tobring forward ; butit may be added, that when such evidence was takenin the year 1834, there was 110 difference of opinion as to the practicability of effecting such acommunica.tion, orthe comparatively small cost of executingthc work, although

~~~~~ . ~ ’ Now (1857) M:tjor-Gemral Chesnvy, engaged in surveying thc Euphrates Itailway

there did exist much difference, chiefly of a political character, as to the expediency of attempting it. At thepresent time, when a good understandingexists-among thenations of Europe, and those international jealousies,which prevent mutual exertion for the general good, have ceased to influ- ence men's minds, when people of' all nations meet, as they are now doing, with no spirit of rivalry, but with the desire to excel each other in promoting the arts of civilization and of peace, it seems to be a fitting opportunity to revive the discussion of such questions, more especially as the assistance maybe hoped for of those En- gineers from theContinent, who have carefullystudied this inte- resting subject.'

Since this Paper was written, the project for making a ship canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea has been revived by M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, to whom the Pacha of Egypt has granted a concession of the undertaking, besides subscribing for a considerable portion of the required capital. At the instanceof M. de Leseeps, anInternational Commission ofCivil Engineers was appointed to examine and report upon the plans ; and under their direction, an exact survey was made of the country, and the levelsbetween the two seas were carefully taken. The result of these invcstigatious has been to con- firm the statement of Xr. Robert Stephenson (V. P. Inst. C.E.), that the mean hcight of both seas is, virtually, identical; and also the opinion expressed by General Chesney, as to the engineering difficulties to be overcome. It is proposed, thatthe minimum depth of thecanal shall be S m'ctres, or 26 feet 3 inches, and the width at the water-line 80 m'etrcs, or 2G2 feet. The estimate of the cost of these works, with cntrances to both seas, piers and lighthouses at each cnd of the Great Canal, including also a canal of smaller size, fed by the waters of the Nile, for the internal trade of Egypt and for the snpply of fresh water, amounts, with allowances for contingencies, to E6,480,000:and it is proposed, that thecapital of the Company, to be formed for their execution, shall be €8,00O,(i00 sterling. The International Commission for the Construction of the Canal across the Isthmus of Suez, was composed of the Members whose names are annexed: and they concluded their Eeport by saying:-" It is not our province to judge what motives may have retarded the executionof a work of this character; but we believe we are only echoing the universal opinion, in saying, that all delay is to be deplored, when once a well-considered opinion on the subject has been formed. Ourobject has been to enlighten, as far as in us lay,the Govern- ments of theworld; and with all confidenee we submitto them the final results ofour inquiry. May our labours hasten the moment when all im- pediments, other than those existing in the actual nature of things, shall be removed, and when the artificial Bosphorusat Suez may be thrown open to the navies of all nations." The International Commission vas composed of the following Members:- M. F. W. Conrad, Chief Engineer of the Water-Staat of the Hague. Captaiu IIarris, of the Hon. East India Company's Navy, London. [Cap:ain