THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 295 



tion. He added that his master attached very great 

 importance to it in every way, but that he was 

 anxious to know what the Emperor's views were. 

 Napoleon replied that he took the greatest possible 

 interest in this scheme, which seemed to him benefi- 

 cial for everyone, that he had studied it in all 

 its aspects, that he had made himself acquainted with 

 all the documents bearing on it, and that he wished 

 it every success ; that the enterprise, noble a one as 

 it was, had given rise to certain resistances and 

 objections, especially in England ; that for his part 

 he could not see that these objections were founded, 

 and that he hoped to see them removed ; but that at 

 the same time he would not hurry on things, for fear 

 of compromising their success, and that, relying upon 

 the happy alliance which united the two peoples, he 

 looked to the future, and to a very near future, for an 

 agreement upon this question. Aali Pasha said that 

 his master would be very pleased to hear of the 

 sympathies expressed by the Emperor, and that he 

 was himself favourable to the affair, despite certain 

 divergencies upon secondary points and certain pre- 

 cautions to be taken in the interests of the Suzerainty 

 of the Porte ; but, irrespective of these objections on 

 points of detail, the Porte none the less looks with 

 favour upon this great work, which will be so profit- 

 able to Egypt, and in which she also hopes to have 

 her share of profit. 



"The Emperor, who seemed to acquiesce in all Aali 



