L. MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING. 511 



that part, and the cost of the work and the possibility, in an 

 economical point of view, of carrying out the stupendous 

 project will be decided. One thing may be considered as 

 fairly settled, although heretofore not of much controversy, 

 namely, the existence of a vast depression capable of being 

 filled with water. 



THE SUEZ CANAL. 



The recent report published by the Suez Canal Company, 

 bringing up the statistics of the canal to the beginning of 

 April of the current year, is, in more respects than one, an 

 instructive document. It shows that the prediction of those 

 who favored the enterprise from its inception namely, that 

 its opening would in a few years revolutionize the trade of 

 Europe and the East has been practically realized in the 

 five years that the canal has been thrown open to traffic. 

 It gives, furthermore, the gratifying intelligence that the 

 success of the canal as a commercial venture is no longer a 

 matter of doubt and uncertainty, but an established fact, 

 while to Americans the document will afford a substantial 

 argument in behalf of the long-deferred interoceanic canal 

 across the American isthmus. 



The canal was open to navigation in December, 1869, 

 since which time to April 1, 1875, 5236 vessels made the 

 transit. Of these 4998 were steam-vessels, and but 238 sail- 

 ing-vessels, the small proportion of the latter being ascribed 

 to the danger and difficulty of navigating the Red Sea; 

 2863 vessels passed through from the Mediterranean, and 

 2373 from the Red Sea. 



The statistics by years are herewith given, the figures de- 

 noting a steady increase of business: 1870,489; 1871,763; 

 1872,1082; 1873,1173; 1874,1264. Up to the end of the 

 first quarter of 1875, 455 vessels had made the transit, which 

 gives an average of 1820 for the year. If the totals above 

 given are divided according to the nationality of the vessels 

 represented, it will appear that Great Britain was represent- 

 ed by 3602 vessels; France, 416; Austria, 303; Italy, 254; 

 Turkey, 131 ; Holland, 123 ; Egypt, 100 ; Germany, 95 ; Spain, 

 63 ; Russia, 36 ; Portugal, 22 ; Denmark, 17 ; Sweden, 15 ; the 

 United States, 10 ; Belgium, 9; Greece, 7 ; Japan, 4 ; Burmah, 

 3 ; and Peru, Tunis, and Zanzibar, each 1. 



