THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



[Jan. 6, 



ThP time consnmpd bv ihe present route through Egypt is four days, 

 the flislance travelletl over being 346 miles: the time required by the 

 canal route would not exceed 3 or 4 hours— this is important in a 

 political, commercial, and pecuniary view: but even this is as nothing 

 compared to the vast advantage of having a route independent of any 

 power, and so long as British greatness exists, of being able to secure 

 it, whatever events and fluctuations take place in Egvpt, or whatever 

 disagreements take place among European states. The way of Egvpt 

 is at present by courtesy alone, and might be put a stop to to-morrow, 

 and very prohablv will'be jeopardized on the death of the Pasha. 



Besides the plans already laid before the public, there is another 

 route we have marked out in the accompanying map, the possibility 

 of which is based on the authority of an experienced and scientific 

 man. Starting from the Red Sea below Suez, the canal passes into 

 the beds of the bitter lakes, and from the head of these lakes to 

 Cateih, passing by which, and entering the Mediterranean Sea through 

 the great lake Subaket Bardoil, or King Baldwin's lake i this route is 

 by the wav Hebrash, Assebbie, Hassivon, Masinak and Bucaria, a dis- 

 tance of about eiglitv-three miles from the lakes. Should this route be 

 thought too circuitous, let the line be direct from the head of the Red 

 Sea below Suez, to Subaket Bardoil, following the base of the elevated 

 plains of the desert towards the east. The advantages of this route 

 ■we conceive will more than compensate for the increased distance : we 

 avoid all I he possibly cultivatable soil of Egypt, and form a natural 

 boundary to that country : we avoid all the land periodically overflowed 

 by the vvaters of the Nile from lake Mansaleh : we secure a much better 

 outlet to the Mediterranean, and a fine capacious basin in the lake 

 itself: we pass eastward of the sand hills through a firm soil of gravel 

 and marl, which, from its elevated position is seldom incommoded 

 with shifting sands at any time. Tbe lake communicates with the 

 sea by a wide mouth, from whence a salt water river passes into 

 Arabia. 



With all due deference to the opinions of Mr. Anderson, we believe 

 that previous to any measures being taken by English or other Euro- 

 pean capitalists for carrying any one of these plans into effect, full 

 security must be obtained from "the Pasha of Egypt, guaranteed by 

 the great European ])owers, that those who speculate in it shall have 

 the fullest protection, enjoying, unmolested by any power, the fruits 

 of their labours. A canal'suited to the spirit, wealth, and enterprise 

 of the present day, should be a magnificent one, open to all nations, 

 and under the influence of none: it should be large enough to admit 

 ships of the largest burthen: its tolls should be settled by the cabinets 

 of Europe; wholly independent of the Pasha, who should have no 

 power of interference beyond that of a member of the associated 

 proprietary : nor should the joint body have the power of shutting 

 their gates against any country or community. To accomplish this 

 object the first important movement is, to obtain by grant or purchase 

 a certain width of land across the Isthmus, which should embrace the 

 proposed line of route: the western side of the canal throughout 

 being considered the boundary towards Egypt, the eastern-side advanc- 

 ing, say, 10 miles in breadth from sea to sea: this tract of land 

 should be erected into an inferior Pashalisk, tributary to a small 

 amount to the ruling powers of Egypt or Turkey, but otherwise 

 ■wholly independent of them. The corporative body should have 

 power to erect forts at each entrance, sufficiently strong to defend 

 their rights and enforce their tolls: they should also have on payment 

 for the same, all the facilities of labourers and material which Egypt 

 can furnish, food, pay, and accommodation being provided for the 

 Pasha's subjects employed by the company. Is this, we ask, to be 

 obtained? for otherwise capitalists will hardly be found to carry out 

 this truly universal project, and incur enormous expenses, that the 

 Pasha may reap the benefit by receiving the tolls, the only mode for 

 re-payment for the outlay : the avarice of the Pasha is well known, 

 against this no security can be given; and even, during his life, secured 

 from imposition and consequent loss, who can foretell the issue of 

 events under his successor ? This, therefore, is the first preliminary 

 step to any company being formed, to any capital being expended. 

 It does not appear that Mahommed All would be averse to it, and 

 even if so, whether, from pecuniary considerations, he might not be 

 induced to consent toil: £150,000 or £200,0U0 would be well dis- 

 posed of this way, and ultimately saved to the speculators in the 

 hiie of Egyptian labourers. It is impossible that the right of tolls, 

 as Mr. Anderson assumes to be necessary, should be vested in his 

 family : the Pasha loses nothing but a strip of desert, he gains a 

 means of communication to various parts of Egypt, exemption from 

 toll, if he desires it, for himself and his Egyptian subjects, a passage 

 to his dominions on the borders of the Red Sea, and an annual sum of 

 money. The Pacha's and the Sultan's consent being obtained, then, 

 and then only, are vre called upon to consider the most eligible route 

 or a canal, for, of the physical practicability of making one, not the 



least shadow of a doubt exists. If the Pasha undertakes it himself, 

 there is no more to be said on the subject : other than this, that his 

 tolls be regulated according to the wishes of those who would avail 

 themselves of it. It is barely reasonable to calculate on a union of 

 European powers to effect an object in which England has so pre- 

 ponderating an interest, as consolidating our power in the East : 

 it is true that all the nations bordering the Mediterranean will 

 benefit largely by it, but in a vastly inferior degree. Austria 

 might not be altogether averse to it, but Russia would be decidedly 

 hostile, and France would look with jealousy upon a plan which, after 

 all that can be said, is to increase the commercial greatness of this 

 country. The question, therefore, should be confined to a company in 

 which the Pacha will be a shareholder, such company having powers 

 like that of the Honourable East India Company, and to be amenable 

 only to appointed trustees and regulators of the ioUs. "Political con- 

 siderations," says Mr. Clarkson, " are foreign to this incjuiry;" but the 

 question resolves itself into a political one: the British flag must 

 then float in perpetuity upon the plains of Egypt, who shall tell the 

 result of it. "The expense of cuttings, embankments, piers, &c., must 

 of necessity depend upon the extent of operations carried on: the 

 canal in size must be suited to the object, and great outlay conse- 

 quently be incurred in forming harbours in the respective seas ; the 

 estimates laid before us vary from £175,000 to £2,500,000: our 

 opinion is, that to be judiciously completed, the minimum of expense 

 will be £1,500,000, which, to pay 5/. per cent, per annum requires an 

 annual revenue of £75,000 per annum, independent of incidental 

 charges. We therefore say, with tbe Foreign Quarterly iJewew, that, 

 "The expense, compared with the magnificent result, is so trifling, 

 that the wonder is that it has not been carried into effect before now, 

 either by a company having the support of Mahommed Pacha, or by 

 the Pacha on his own account." The advantages to a body of share- 

 holders are undoubtedly great, for independant of the great trade 

 which would be carried through it, independent of its opening Abys- 

 sina, and the whole of the interior of Africa to the arts, civilization 

 and religion of European n'ltions, the Red Sea abounds with natural 

 riches, and the fishermen of the Mediterranean would resort there in 

 numbers, for its pearl and pearl shell, tortoise-shell, sponge the finest 

 in the world, coral of commerce, and for domestic ornament, oils from 

 black fish, besides sharks, dolphins, bonatas, and other numerous 

 varieties, subservient to the wants and purposes of man. For other 

 numerous and important particulars, we must refer our readers to the 

 pamphlets in question, as well as to other statements which have been 

 already laid before the public We cannot, however, conclude this 

 notice without calling the attention of our readers to another pam- 

 phlet from the indefatigable Mr. Waghorn, in which he strenuously 

 urges the propriety of forwarding mails fortnightly instead of monthly, 

 in which desirable object we most heartily concur. 



CANDIDUS'S NOTE-BOOK. 



FASCICULUS LV. 



" I must have liberty 

 Withal, as large a charter as the winds, 

 To blow on whom I please." 



I. It is a thousand pities that Buckingham Palace, and not that 

 alone, but several other buildings, cannot be sent to keep company 

 with the model of the British Museum, and like that, be discreetly 

 secluded from the impertinence of public gaze. Instead of being 

 further exposed to view, the south side of the Palace ought to be 

 completely shut out from view ; for it will now look more pitiful than 

 ever— a mere higgledy-piggledy collection of architectural scraps and 

 patches, more especially since the accession of— the little knick-knack- 

 eries lately added. Royal taste is, of course— royal taste, and, per- 

 haps, ought to be exempt from vulgar criticism; but I suspect that 

 the new chapel would be too much for even the loyalty of Camdenists 

 to stomach. Not much of symbolism there!— on the contrary, it is 

 most unutterably heterodox in that respect. Well! symbolism is not at 

 all in favour in' court : that's pretty evident; so neither is precedent, 

 though the lynx-eyed in such matters cannot detect heterodoxy there. 

 What a comfort it is to be occasionally purblind! 



II. Although some of them are a degree or two better than those 

 in the Regent's Park, the " Pimlico Palaces," as Professor Donaldson 

 wickedly styles them, are very much akin to them, and partake of a 

 similar littleness of manner. Intended to be imposing, they neverthe- 

 less do not impose, but, on the contrary, they generally tell their own 

 tale very indiscreetly. Instead of being made, as they might be, to 

 look like distinct mansions upon a noble scale, by only two or three 



