Route to India. 141 



low the level of the Nile, and admits of being irrigated. The extent 

 may be estimated roughly at twenty-seven miles by six, or 103,680 acres. 

 And if the Nile was admitted pretty freely to flood it for several years, 

 and afterwards more sparingly, for the purpose of irrigation, it is reason- 

 able, that, with the slime and water which could thus be supplied, the 

 tract might become highly valuable for tillage ; and when the soil be- 

 came fixed with a fruitful vegetation, it would be easy and useful to 

 prolong the canal of the Long Valley or Wadis upon a uniform level 

 through the distance occupied by the basin of the Bitter Lake, as a canal 

 of irrigation, which might also serve for navigation to the small craft of 

 the Nile to the vicinity of Suez, where, by means of locks, it might be 

 connected with the great canal of salt water proposed between the two 

 seas. 



Whichever line be adopted to form a ship navigation between the 

 two seas, the cost would not be far short of two millions sterling ; and 

 it is pretty clear, with such an expected outlay, neither states, rulers, 

 nor companies would venture on the undertaking without some sufficient 

 guarantee that the cost would be indemnified by the profits of the un- 

 dertaking. Unfortunately, at present, it is not easy even to form an 

 approximate estimate of the commerce that would pass through the 

 channel ; but, converting the Red Sea into a strait, or open channel, as 

 this measure would do, it is obvious that this new passage would connect 

 the whole shore of the Mediterranean with the east coast of Africa, and 

 with the shores and islands of Asia, by a new route, and open a common 

 highway of commerce between a greater extent of coasts than any other 

 channel on the face of the globe. 



In the years 1832 and 1833, the average tonnage from and to Great 

 Britain with all places eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, amounted 

 to 285,000 tons ; and if we assume that the whole traffic of Europe, in- 

 cluding that of Great Britain, passing through the Suez canal, would be 

 tliree times the above quantity, we should probably be under the truth ; 

 and that assumption would give 855,000 tons annually, or about one- 

 half of the tonnage passing the straits of Dover and Calais. 



It must however be obvious, that, in opening a navigation so much 

 shorter than the old one, and which consequently might be performed 

 in much smaller vessels with less costly equipments, a great impulse 

 would be given to trade in the new direction ; and that entire new 

 sources of commerce would be opened between the places adjacent to 

 each extremity of the Red Sea, but which could not, under present cir- 

 cumstances, be attempted with any hopes of success from the length of 

 voyage involved ; and, with these considerations, it will not be deemed 

 unreasonable to expect, that the commerce passing througli the canal 

 annually, would, in a short time, amount to one million tons, and might 

 eventually reach two millions of tons ; but restricting the estimate to 

 one million tons, the following result would be obtained : — 



