Irrigation in Egypt and S.A. 443 



M. Linant, who was then in charge of the irrigation of Upper 

 Egypt, proposed the construction across the head of each branch 

 of the Nile in Lower Egypt of a regulating barrage to give control 

 over the distribution of the -water between the two branches in 

 summer, and to leave a free passage for the river during flood. 

 A Commission, which M. Linant asked for, was called together to 

 study the Barrage Project, and was composed of an Architect, the 

 Chief Engineer of the Delta, the Director of the School of Engin- 

 eering, a retired boatman in the confidence of the Viceroy, all of the 

 foregoing being Egyptians. To them were added two English 

 Engineers, a foreign Engineer who had studied in England, two 

 French Commandants of Artillery, and a French Mining Engineer. 



It is a matter for surprise that the Commission divided into 

 two camps only. One section proposed the construction of solid 

 weirs, over which the flood should pass, while the alternative project 

 formulated by M. Linant was to construct Barrages across the two 

 branches as near as possible to the head of the Delta. They were 

 to be regulators capable ^of raising, during summer, the water level 

 upstream of them to the height required to supply the main feeder 

 canals, which would take off from the river upstream of the 

 Barrage and irrigate all Lower Egypt. During flood the regulating 

 apparatus was to be removed. This project, which was by far the 

 more suitable of the two proposed, received the Viceroy's approval, 

 and the excavation for it was commenced in 1833 by forced labour. 

 The work went on fairly well till 1835, when a visitation of the 

 plague caused its suspension. 



The preparation of the project, however, progressed, and in 

 July, 1835, M. Linant presented the designs and estimates of the 

 Barrage complete for approval. By this time the plague had left, 

 but the work did not recover, the numbers of the labourers dimin- 

 ished, and materials ceased to arrive. Mehemet Ali, moreover, 

 had grown tired of the Barrage, and appointed a Commission of 

 16 members to enquire into the question of the desirability of such 

 structures. In spite of a more or less open hint as to the finding 

 that he desired, the Commission decided in favour of the Barrage, 

 as projected by M. Linant. Notwithstanding the recommendation 

 contained in the Report of the Commission, the Viceroy replied 

 ofl^cially to the Minister of Public Works that the Commission 

 might be perfectly right, but that he did not want Barrages. The 

 works were accordingly stopped. 



A few years later, in 1842, Monsieur Mougel arrived in Egypt 

 to construct the graving dock at Alexandria, and he proposed to 

 Mehemet Ali another system of carrying out the construction of the 

 Barrages. His proposal received the Viceroy's approval, and after 

 many interruptions and stoppages, due to the fancies of the rulers 

 that succeeded Mehemet Ali, the work was officially declared com- 

 plete in 1 86 1. The cost, exclusive of the value of the forced 

 labour, is said to have been ;^i,8oo,ooo. 



On account, however, of the manner in which the construction 

 of the work had been interfered with, the work of the foundation was 



