TEE NILE DAMS AND RESERVOIR. 561 



'Pharaoh's bed/ have been either carried on steel girders or under- 

 pinned down to rock, or, failing that, to the present saturation level. It 

 need hardly be said that, having regard to the shattered condition of 

 the columns and entablatures, the friability of the stone, and the run- 

 ning sand foundation, the process of underpinning was an exceptionally 

 difficult and anxious task. There were few men to whom I would have 

 entrusted the task, but amongst those was Mat Talbot one of the 

 well-known Talbots who have done such splendid service as non-com- 

 missioned officers in the army of workmen employed by contractors 

 during the past forty years; and well has he justified his reputation at 

 home where his last job was the most difficult part of the Central 

 London Railway and the commendation of Dr. Ball, who had charge 

 of the works at Philse. 



It would be invidious to single out for special acknowledgment 

 the services of members of a staff, where all have enthusiastically 

 done their best for the accomplishment of the great work projected 

 and patiently persisted in against all opposition, by Lord Cromer 

 and his trusty lieutenant, Sir William Garstin, Under Secretary of 

 State for Public Works. The successive Director-Generals of the 

 Reservoirs were Mr. Willcocks, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Webb; the chief 

 engineers at Aswan, Mr. Fitzmaurice and Mr. May, and at Asyut, Mr. 

 Stephens. The almost unprecedented labor and anxiety of arranging 

 all the practical contractors' details of supply of labor, materials, and 

 execution of the work fell upon the shoulders of Mr. Blue, except as 

 regards Asyut, where Mr. McClure relieved him of a part of his re- 

 sponsibility. 



As regards the initial stages of the project, I may say that when 

 the Egyptian Government informed me that they wanted the works 

 carried out for a lump sum, and no payment to be made to the 

 contractor until the works were completed, I felt it would be idle to 

 invite tenders until some arrangement had been made as to finance. As 

 in other cases of doubt and difficulty, therefore, I went to my friend, 

 Sir Ernest Cassel, and the difficulties vanished. The way was then 

 clear for getting offers for the work. Sir John Aird and Co. were the 

 successful competitors, and they have completed a largely increased 

 quantity of work in less than the contract time, to the entire satisfac- 

 tion of the Egyptian Government and of every one with whom they 

 have been associated. The same recognition is due to Messrs. Eansomes 

 and Rapier, and their able engineer and manager, Mr. Wilfred Stokes, 

 who was unexpectedly called upon to complete all the complicated 

 machinery of the sluices and gates in one year under the contract time, 

 and did it. 



vol. lxii. 36. 



