316 Scientific lutellvjence, Sfc. 



The other routes were partly by land and partly by water. One 

 from Great Britain, across Germany by the Danube, the Black 

 Sea, across Turkey to the river Euphrates, descend to the Per- 

 sian Gulph, and then pass on to India. But ttis route was out of 

 the question, from the difficulties to be encountered. The real 

 practical courses then which presented themselves were only two, and 

 these would come to a certain point. They proposed starting from 

 Falmouth, to proceed up the Mediterranean; indeed, we did that 

 already to Malta, therefore, it was not necessary to discuss the prac- 

 ticability of that route. From Malta they would adopt either of two 

 courses — one would be to proceed to Alexandria, a distance of 800 

 miles, and quite within the present limits of steam power, as 1600 

 miles had already been performed ; they then proceeded to Syria, 

 and descended the Euphrates. So far as Alexandria was concerned 

 there was no practical difficulty ; they then proceeded to the Red 

 Sea by land, or partially by the Nile, to Cairo. If they would 

 refer to the plan of the Isthmus of Suez, the road to Cairo followed 

 the banks of the Nile ; the only difficulty they had to encounter 

 here was the Isthmus ; they would have to proceed to Suez by a 

 sandy desert ; but about the centre of it there were springs of fresh 

 water, and the distance did not exceed 70 miles, and was now per- 

 formed in less than 24 hours. It was, however, suggested, that a 

 canal might be cut across, and the idea had been thrown out that a 

 railroad might be constructed. Now, there were other modes of 

 crossing the Isthmus, which were deserving of notice. The general 

 character of the Isthmus, between the Mediterranean and the Red 

 Sea, was very peculiar ; when we proceed due north, we pass over 

 three miles of land very little elevated above the surface of the Red 

 Sea ; we then come into a narrow valley bounded on each side by 

 hills, and in the centre of those valleys we found the distinct trace 

 of a canal, which was known to have existed in former times, and 

 with the history of which they were all acquainted ; this canal now, 

 in many places, is in as perfect a state as many of the old canals in 

 this country ; but one of the remarkable peculiarities was this, that 

 a great portion of its surface was not only below the level of the 

 Red Sea, but still more remarkable, was below the level of the 

 Mediterranean — now the valley, which from the point is three miles 

 towards the Mediterranean, was below both. That this valley was 

 at some time or other filled with water, connecting the two seas, was 

 rendered probable by the fact, that it was lower than the level of 

 both the two, and that the water which remained was in fact salt, 

 and was called the bitter lake. — That portion of water was, in fact, 

 a part of the ancient canal ; coming to a point midway between 

 Suez and the Mediterranean we find two other lines of hills. The 

 canal was conducted into the hill near Cairo ; one-third of that canal 

 now existed, and only required to be cleaned out ; and the other 

 portion could be restored. This canal was begun by Sesostris, and 

 was the channel by which European commerce was conveyed to the 

 East. But this stupendous work could be used only two months 

 out of ten, for the ancients were unacquainted with our contrivance 

 of locks. Nevertheless, during those two months the trade of 



