THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 47 



canal, in accordance with the plans agreed upon with 

 M. Conrad, President of the International Commission. 

 The number of workmen, which is now four hundred, 

 can then be gradually raised to a thousand, pending 

 the date for commencing the main works, which will 

 be fixed later on. It will also be advisable to get 

 together the material and the tools, of which a list 

 has already been drawn up ; and no time should be 

 lost in arranging for the making of bricks, the 

 excavation of stone, and the supply of wood." 



To the same. 



' PARIS, March 31, 1857. 



"Upon my arrival I had the honour of an inter- 

 view with the Emperor, and informed him that I was 

 not yet in a position to solicit the support of his repre- 

 sentative at Constantinople. I was also able to give 

 him many details, which he listened to with much 

 interest, about your Highness' s journey to the Soudan, 

 and the excellent results which would accrue from it. 

 The documents relating to the measures which you 

 decreed have been published here, and have been 

 made the subject of very favourable comment. 



" I then proceeded to London, where I found that 

 the Suez Canal question had, in the course of the last 

 few months, made extraordinary progress. The lead- 

 ing merchants and bankers of the city received me 

 most cordially, and gave me letters of introduction 

 to the principal merchants, manufacturers, and ship- 



