182 PIM ON THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. [April 11, 1859. 



Ptolemy Philadelphus, B.C. 254, has the credit of completing this 

 great undertaking ; but I am of opinion, after a careful examination 

 of the ground, that it was not by cutting a canal, but rather by the 

 construction of a good road, the remains of which are very distinct, 

 and over which, no doubt, the " ships of the Desert," as the camels 

 are called in the Arabian language, passed to and fro. The am- 

 biguity of this phrase has most probably led to the belief of a ship- 

 canal through the Desert— a mistake easily made by writers who de- 

 pended on the viva voce statements of the natives. The Caliph Omar 

 removed the point of junction from Bubastis, higher up the Nile, by 

 which means he obtained 6 feet more rise, and, consequently, the 

 navigation of the canal was much prolonged ; before that time it 

 had only been navigable two months in the year. 



Besides the usefulness of this canal as a means of transit, vast 

 tracts of desert were reclaimed by its fertilising influence, and 

 flourishing cities sprung up on its banks and decayed on its dis- 

 appearance, the ruins of which are still to be seen. Its original 

 course was as follows : — Commencing at Bubastis, on the Pelusiac 

 or eastern arm of the Nile, now completely filled up, it was con- 

 ducted to Lake Timsah on the Crocodile Lakes, and thence to the 

 Bitter Lakes, where, as I said before, I suspect the canal ended. 

 The cutting was altogether about 60 miles, averaging a breadth of 

 150 feet and a depth of 20 feet. 



This circuitous communication was probably preferred both for 

 local and political reasons, but, unfortunately, there is no informa- 

 tion regarding the effect this great undertaking produced on the 

 commercial prosperity -of the country. Under the Eomans it was 

 little used, but the Saracens found it of importance in their commu- 

 nication with Mecca. It is probable that the great amount of time 

 and labour required to keep the canal in working order, and the 

 fact that, in practice, the primitive mode of transit by caravan was 

 cheaper and better adapted to the requirements of the country, were 

 the reasons it so repeatedly fell into disuse. With some little trouble 

 the extent and direction of both road and canal can still be made 

 out. 



I have now given as brief an account as possible of the geogra- 

 phical and physical features of Lower Egypt, and the attempts 

 made by the ancients to unite the Mediterranean and Eed Sea. 

 Certainly, both natural causes and the antecedents of the country 

 seem to sound a note of warning against the idea of canalization. 

 Indeed, the geographical position of the isthmus, its exposed and 

 dangerous northern coast, as well as barren and impracticable soil, 

 offer obstacles of so grave a nature to the successful accomplishment 



