THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 253 



light draught of water. The subjoined report I am 

 having translated and reprinted in several languages. 



Preliminary Report of MM. Linant Bey and Mougel 

 Bey, dated Cairo, March 20, 1855. 



" The Isthmus of Suez is a narrow neck of land, 

 the two extreme points of which are Pelusium and 

 Suez. It forms within a space of from thirty to forty 

 leagues, a longitudinal depression, resulting from the 

 intersection of the two plains, descending by a gentle 

 slope, the one from Egypt, the other from the first 

 hills of Asia. Nature herself seems to have traced 

 this line of communication between the two seas. 



"The geological conformation of the soil leads one 

 to believe that in early days the sea covered the valley 

 of the isthmus ; for there are still several vast basins 

 there, the largest of which, called the Bitter Lakes, 

 preserves evident traces of the waters of the sea. 



"This basin and that of Lake Timsah will, there 

 can be no doubt, be of immense value in the formation 

 of a canal. The Bitter Lakes, to begin with, present 

 a natural passage which will require no cutting, and a 

 reservoir of water for feeding it with, and superficies 

 of 330 million square metres. Then, again, Lake Tim- 

 sah, situated half way between Suez and Pelusium, 

 becomes, in the event of the direct route being taken, 

 the inland port of the canal, at which ships will find 

 all they require in the way of revictualling or repairs, 

 and which might, if needful, be a depot for their 



