SUEZ CANAL. 



713 



tained the difference of the levels to be quite 

 insignificant, so that the current of the canal, 

 when in actual operation, could present no 

 serious obstacle to its navigation either way. 



But, prior to this double survey of M. Bour- 

 daloue, M. Ferdinand de Lesseps had recog- 

 nized the excavation of a navigable canal be- 

 tween the Mediterranean and the Eed Sea as 

 practicable, and conceived the idea of actually 

 executing it. Besides his own ability and en- 

 ergy of character, he was powerfully helped in 

 this by the happy concurrence of extrinsic cir- 

 cumstances, chiefly the favor of the Egyptian 

 Government. His father, being attached to the 

 French consulate in Alexandria, had become 

 personally acquainted and rather intimate with 

 Mehemet Ali, then pacha, and M. Lesseps's 

 influence was probably no mean cause of Ali's 

 being recognized as Viceroy of Egypt by the 

 Sultan, who is said to have consulted the 

 former on the subject. This circumstance 

 could not but strengthen the relations of in- 

 timacy between Mehemet Ali and M. Lesseps, 

 whose son Ferdinand became the friend of 

 Said, the son and heir-apparent to the viceroy. 

 Having long and carefully studied his -plan, 

 taken soundings in both seas, tested the cur- 

 rents and levels, bored the ground at different 

 points along the intended line, and thus thor- 

 oughly ascertained that no insurmountable 

 obstacles were presented by Nature to the 

 opening of a canal from sea to sea, he com- 

 municated his project to Said, who understood 

 its feasibility, as well as its importance and 

 beneficial results, and, professing himself a firm 

 supporter of the enterprise, authorized M. 

 Lesseps to organize his company. The latter 

 travelled for that end to Europe, w^here his 

 project found favor, and even in England 

 several capitalists were ready to take a part 

 in it. The English Government, however, on 

 political and other grounds, not only discoun- 

 tenanced, but positively opposed the enterprise 

 in all its stages, both in England and at Con- 

 stantinople, through its ambassador, in order 

 that the Sultan, in exercising his rights of sov- 

 ereignty over Egypt, should refuse to sanction 

 the acts of the viceroy in the matter. Its op- 

 position, however, has proved unavailing so 

 far as the ultimate result aimed^at is concerned. 

 M. de Lesseps organized his company in 

 1854, and obtained his first concession (or, 

 rather, a contract was entered into by the 

 Egyptian Government on one side, and M. de 

 Lesseps, for himself and his company, on the 

 other), when two engineers of the viceroy com- 

 menced and in the autumn of 1855 completed 

 a new survey, recognizing the practicability 

 of the project. This new survey was submit- 

 ted to an international commission which was 

 nominated by the leading powers of Europe 

 and met at Paris, deciding that five of its 

 members should visit Egypt and examine all 

 the parts of the project in detail. They went, 

 and by the end of 1855 presented their report, 

 confirming the feasibility of the enterprise. A 



second concession was obtained this year by 

 M. de Lesseps from the viceroy, though the 

 Sultan had declined to sanction the first one 

 previously submitted to him. 



As the terms, on which the two parties 

 stand at present toward each other in regard 

 to their respective rights and duties concern- 

 ing the Suez Canal, are about the same as were 

 reciprocally stipulated in the first two conces- 

 sions just referred to, we here subjoin their 

 principal clauses, which are as follows : 



1. M. F. de Lesseps to form a company called " La 

 Compagnie Universelle du Canal de Suez," and of 

 which he is to be appointed the director, for the pur- 

 pose of making a canal across the Isthmus of Suez, and 

 the formation of a port at each end of the said canal. 



2. The managing director always to be appointed 

 by the Egyptian Government, and chosen, if possible, 

 from among the largest shareholders. 



3. The concession to last ninety-nine years from 

 the opening of the canal to navigation. 



4. The works to be all at the company's expense, 

 and to whom all requisite lands for construction and 

 maintenance, not belonging to private individuals, 

 shall be conceded. If the Egyptian Government 

 deem it advisable to erect fortifications, the company 

 shall not be liable for the expense of construction. 



5. The government shall receive 15 per cent, an- 

 nually of the earnings of the company, without refer- 

 ence to interest or dividend derived from any shares 

 they may hold, or hereafter take, in the company. 

 The remainder of the net profits to be thus divided 

 Y5 per cent, for the general shareholders, and 10 per 

 cent, for the original founders of the company. 



6. The tariff For ships passing through the canal 

 (and agreed on mutually by the Egyptian Govern- 

 ment and the company) to be always the same for 

 ships of all nations. 



7. Should the company deem it advisable to join 

 the Nile and the Maritime Canal by a navigable 

 channel, the land now uncultivated may be irrigated 

 and cultivated at their expense and charge. The 

 company to have these lands free of any charge for 

 ten years, dating from the opening of the Maritime 

 Canal. During the remaining eighty-nine years they 

 will pay one-tenth of the usual land-tax -after which 



- 



the whole usual tax on irrigated land in Egypt. 

 to be made of all lands ceded to 



the 



8. A plan 

 company. 



9. The company to be allowed to quarry stone on 

 government lands free of charge. Also to be permit- 

 ted to import any material, machinery, and supplies 

 for the workmen, free of custom-duty. 



10. At the expiration of the concession the Egyp- 

 tian Government will be ^substituted in lieu of the 

 company, and will enter into full possession of all 

 the property and rights appertaining to the canal be- 

 tween the two seas. A due valuation to be made for 

 material, etc., etc. 



To these, which form the basis of all the ar- 

 rangements subsequently agreed upon by the 

 parties, a most important clause was added in 

 a later concession, dated January, 1856, pro- 

 viding that, of the workmen employed on the 

 canal, "in all cases, four-fifths at least should 

 be Egyptians." This contingent of workmen 

 to be employed by the company, and furnished 

 of course by the Government, amounted to no 

 less a number than 20,000 Egyptian fellahs 

 (agricultural laborers), their wages being fixed 

 at one-third of the European rates for similar 

 work; which third, however, was again one- 

 third more than what the fellahs were paid in 

 their own country. They were also to be pro- 



