THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 199 



Murray, who was invited, together with all the consuls- 

 general, his late colleagues, several Englishmen and 

 Egyptian functionaries . ' ' 



" December 19, 1854. 



" Kcenig Bey fetches me this morning to go and see 

 the Viceroy at Tourah, where I spend part of the day 

 in discussing our journey to the isthmus, which is 

 definitely fixed for the 23rd." 



" December 22, 1854. 



" The reception of the Grand Cordon of the Legion 

 of Honour took place to-day at the citadel, the pre- 

 sentation being made by M. Sabatier, to whose con- 

 gratulations the Viceroy replied in a neat little speech 

 delivered in very good French." 



"December 28, 1854. 



" "We start at nine, M. and Madame Sabatier and 

 a few friends accompanying me as far as Suez. We 

 take with us two mounted couriers, one for the relays 

 at the different stations, the other to accompany our 

 carriages. There is a good macadam road from Cairo 

 to Suez, and fifteen relays, or stations, and after dining 

 and sleeping at the eighth we reach Suez at noon the 

 next day, having done our thirty- three leagues in 

 the desert as comfortably as if we had travelled from 

 Paris to Orleans." 



" SUEZ, December 25, 1854. 



" The rising sun lights up my room, and, opening 

 my window, I gaze in mute contemplation upon the 

 Eed Sea, whose rising waters lap the walls of the 



