April 11, 1859.] PIM ON THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. 187 



Baron de Bnick have long seen that in the question lay the aggran- 

 dizement of Trieste and Venice ; to Russia, United States, Spain, 

 Holland, all the towns of Italy, and ports and islands of Greece." 



In consequence of the above representations the present Viceroy 

 of Egypt, Said Pasha, granted a firman of concession to M. Lesseps, 

 subject of course to the approval of the Sultan. M. Lesseps' first 

 step was to cause MM. Linant Bey and Maugel Bey to examine 

 the ground, and submit to him a plan of operations and an estimate 

 of expenses. Their report, which formed the groundwork of future 

 proceedings, may be briefly summed up as follows : — 



The canal starts from the eastern portion of the Gulf of Suez : it 

 traverses, taking a direction almost due north, about 15^ miles, 

 which separate Suez from the basin of the Bitter Lakes. It traverses 

 also these lakes unembanked, and from the northern extremity of 

 the Bitter Lakes it proceeds, cutting through the plateau of Serapeum 

 towards Lake Timsah. This lake it also traverses, and, winding 

 round the plateau of El Guisr, it skirts the eastern border of Lake 

 Mensalah, and falls into the inner part of the Bay of Pelusium, 

 whence it is prolonged into the sea until it reaches a depth of 24 

 feet. The width proposed was 330 feet, and the minimum depth 21 

 feet below low water of the Mediterranean. The locks, two in 

 number, were to be 330 feet long, 70 feet broad, with a minimum 

 depth of 21 feet. The estimated cost for the entire undertaking 

 amounts to 162,550,000 francs, or about 6,500,000/. sterling, and it 

 was calculated that six years would be required for the completion 

 of the work. It has been proposed to modify this plan by removing 

 the point of junction with the Mediterranean 18 miles to the west- 

 ward, and to do away with the locks altogether ; the canal will 

 therefore be 92 miles in length without a single lock. M. Lesseps 

 now proceeded to make his scheme public, and followed up that act 

 by appointing in the name of the Pasha an international commission, 

 composed of 13 gentlemen well qualified to give an opinion on the 

 subject. The diifereht countries were represented as follows : — 

 England, 4 ; France, 4 ; Holland, 1 ; Germany, 2 ; Spain, 1 ; Italy, 1. 

 Their published report, which is an extremely able document, con- 

 firms that of MM. Linant Bey and Maugel Bey in every essential 

 particular, but does not mention the mode of constructing the ship 

 canal, or supplying it with water, and not a word is said of the 

 difference of opinion which existed among the members. A differ- 

 ence of opinion, however, did exist, and one of no mean im- 

 portance, inasmuch as one party pronounced in favour of M. 

 Lesseps' scheme, while the other declared it impossible to dredge 

 or cut a channel through Lake Mensalah at a depth of 24 feet 



