THE INAUGURAL FETE. 115 



ready to pass the Canal. At the last moment that evening it was announced that an 

 Egyptian frigate had run on one of the banks of the Canal, and was hopelessly stuck 

 there, obstructing the passage. She could not be towed off, and the united efforts of 

 several hundred men on the bank could not at first move her. The Viceroy even proposed 

 to blow her up. It was only five minutes before arriving at the site of the accident 

 that an Egyptian admiral signalled to Lesseps from a little steam-launch that the Canal 

 was free. A procession of 130 vessels was formed, the steam yacht L'Aigle, en avant, 

 carrying on board the Empress of the French, the Emperor of Austria, and the Viceroy. 

 This noble-hearted Empress, who has been so long exiled in a country she has learned to love, 

 told Lesseps at Ismailia that during the whole journey she had felt "as though a circle 

 of fire were round her head," fearing that some disaster might mar the day's proceedings. 

 Her pent-up feelings gave way at last ; and when success was assured, she retired to 

 her cabin, where sobs were heard by her devoted friends sobs which did great honour to 

 her true and patriotic heart. 



The Viceroy on that occasion entertained 6,000 foreigners, a large proportion of 

 whom were of. the most distinguished kind. Men of all nationalities came to honour an 

 enlightened ruler, and witness the opening of a grand engineering work, which had been 

 carried through so many opposing difficulties ; to applaud the man of cool head and active 

 brain, who had a few years before been by many jeered at, snubbed, and thwarted. To 

 suitably entertain the vast assemblage, the Viceroy had engaged 500 cooks and 1,000 

 servants, bringing many of them from Marseilles, Trieste, Genoa, and Leghorn. 



Although the waters of the Canal are usually placid almost sleepily calm they are 

 occasionally lashed up into waves by sudden storms. One such, which did some damage, 

 occurred on December 9th, 1877. 



And now, before leaving the subject, it will be right to mention a few facts of 

 importance. The tonnage of vessels passing the Canal quadrupled in five years. As many 

 as thirty-three vessels have been passing in one day at the same time, although this was 

 exceptional. In 1874, the relative proportions, as regards the nationalities of tonnage, 

 if the expression may be permitted, were as follows : 



English ... 222,000 tons. 



French ... 103,000 



Dutch ... 84,000 



Austrian ... 63,000 



Italian ... 50,000 



Spanish ... 39,000 



German ... 28,000 



Various ... 65,000 



The present tonnage passing the Canal is much greater. All the world knows how and 

 why England acquired her present interest in the Canal, but all the world does not 

 appreciate its value to the full extent. 



Suez has special claims to the attention of the Biblical student, for near it accord- 

 ing to some, eighteen miles south of it the children of Israel passed through the Red 

 Sea; 2,000,000 men, women, and children, with flocks of cattle went dryshod through the 



