1822.] 
stagnant waters were dried up by the 
heat of the sun, assisted by a variety. 
of drains, and the land restored to 
cultivation. This embankmentis to be 
extended about three leagues farther ; 
but, owing to the difficulty of procu- 
ring stone, and the infant state of arts 
in the country, the work has for the 
present been discontinued. More- 
over, the attention, the labourers, and 
the treasures, of Mehemed-Ali were 
called off to a more important con- 
struction. This was the great canal 
from Foua to Alexandria, by which a 
permanent and safe communication 
between that place and the rest of 
Egypt was to be opened, avoiding the 
boghaz of Rosetta, so difficult and 
dangerous to navigation. This canal, 
upon which 100,000 labourers were 
constantly employed, under the imme- 
diate superintendance of one of the 
Pacha’s sons, and sometimes of him- 
self, has been completed these two 
' years, and offers to the Egyptians an 
object as beautiful as it is useful. It 
is called Mahmoudhié, in honour of the 
reigning Sultan of Turkey, Mahmoud. A 
marble inscription placed at the mouth 
of the canal, near Foua, indicates the 
epoch of its construction, and the name 
of its founder. As yet it runs only 
through a sandy desert; but it is ex- 
pected that its banks will be soon in- 
habited and cultivated. Already it 
has shown its utility for agriculture 
about Alexandria and Pompey’s Pillar. 
The soil surrounding the city is so 
arid and impregnated with salt, that 
it refuses every kind of cultivation. 
Even vegetable earth, which was 
brought thither within a few years, 
lost iis productive power, from want 
of water. But, by the excavations 
made for the canal, immense quanti- 
ties of fresh soil have been obtained, 
which in part has been purchased for 
the purpose of cultivation; and, as 
there is now an abundance of water, 
there is no doubt that it will continue 
to be productive. 
Under Mehemed-Ali, agriculture in 
Egypt has generally improved. His 
first step was to obtain an exact ac- 
count of the. quality and quantity of 
the cultivated land, for the purpose of 
making a more just repartition of 
taxes, and of assisting the ignorance 
of the proprietors in improving their 
Jands. To that effect, he employed 
Several European sarveyors of land; 
‘by whom he was furnished with an 
Montury Maa. No. 375. 
Particulars relative to the present State of Egypt. 
417 
accurate statement of the country. 
He afterwards introduced the olive 
and mulberry trees into the province of 
Feium, whose rose-covered fields fur- 
nish the delicious attar for the serag- 
lio and Constantinople. The planta- 
tions of mulberries are already so 
extensive, that it is hoped, within a 
few years, to rear the silk-worm in 
Egypt, and make olive-oil the indige- 
nous production of the country. Be- 
sides, there is no foreign production 
in both hemispheres which the Pacha 
did not try to introduce into Egypt, 
after having made the experiment 
himself, either in his gardens in Alex- 
andria, or at his seat in Soubra, near 
Cairo. In this manner he has intro- 
duced the cultivation of indigo, which, 
before him, yielded no advantage’ at 
all to the grower. - Through his care 
the pine-apple and the Indian mango 
have become indigenous plants. He 
has spared neither pains nor expense 
for the improvement of the agricul- 
tural tools and watering machines used 
by the natives. There is no hydraulic 
nor agricultural instrument, which 
was mentioned by the public prints as 
recommended by any learned society 
in Europe, which he did not order. 
He called into the country foreign 
cultivators and skilful mechanics, in 
order to adapt their new methods to 
the genius and nature of the country. 
If he has not always fully succeeded, 
the failure must be ascribed to the 
narrow-mindedness of a people, to 
whom all that is old is sacred, and * * 
who will never abandon its ancient 
routine. 
Mehemed-Ali has conferred a great 
benefit on agriculture, by granting 
permission to the Bedweens to take 
leases of the soil nearest to the de- 
serts which they inhabit, for the pur- 
pose of cultivation. Under the govern- 
ment of the Mamelukes, they were 
denied this privilege! The Pacha, by 
making them husbandmen, attached 
them to the soil, which they formerly 
desolated; he induced them to pro- 
duce crops, which in former times 
they only thought of destroying; and 
inspired them with interest for a 
country, which they were only wont 
to consider in the light of an enemy. 
As the prosperity of Egypt chiefly 
depends on the preservation of canals, 
by which its lands are watered and 
fertilised; the cachefs and sheiks in 
all the districts and villages are en- 
3 joined, 
