THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 65 



seps's project has received high engineering testimo- 

 nials in its favour, it must not be forgotten that 

 Colonel Chesney has carefully surveyed the entire 

 route from the Mediterranean to the Euphrates, and 

 the course of that river to the Persian Gulf, and is 

 himself a practical engineer of the highest possible 

 authority. 



" i Supposing that no insuperable material difficulties 

 are found in the way of M. Lesseps, and that money 

 is obtained to form the canal, a trade revolution would 

 be effected calculated to surprise the world. In that 

 case Europe need not care about the ultimate pro- 

 ceedings in the Isthmus of Darien, and the navigation 

 of the stormy Cape would be almost forgotten. The 

 resources of Arabia and Eastern Africa would be 

 developed, as far as they are capable of development, 

 and the voyage to India, Australia, China, &c., be 

 shortened by about a third. 



" ( We think, consequently, on the whole, that the 

 merchants and shipowners of Bristol have done well 

 to accord to M. Lesseps their frank and cheering 

 countenance, as a preliminary, mayhap, to their pecu- 

 niary support. No national jealousy should exist in 

 such a case. And if we have seen some ground 

 for suggesting caution, we should have done the 

 same had Colonel Chesney patronised the canal and 

 the Arabian Gulf, and the French engineer had 

 projected a railway through Asia Minor, and so on to 

 the regions of the far East.' ' 



