THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 89 



can only be known to the Government of the Sultan, 

 to which I appeal with the conviction that the careful 

 examination which it has already made will have 

 demonstrated to it the many advantages which Turkey 

 must derive from the execution of the Suez Canal. In 

 explanation of this it is only necessary to remind you 

 that the route from Constantinople to the Indian Ocean 

 will be abridged by 4,800 leagues, that the Ottoman 

 possessions of Arabia and the East Coast of Africa 

 will be brought within touch of the metropolis, and 

 that the easy access to the Eed Sea will be an ines- 

 timable advantage for the Mussulman pilgrims to the 

 holy places. 



"When the Imperial Government has given the 

 opinion which it deems suitable to its interests, it will 

 also be free to declare that the maritime canal is to be 

 open at all times as a neutral passage to all the 

 merchant vessels going from sea to sea, without any 

 exclusive destination, or any preference as regards 

 nationality. The accession of the foreign Powers, 

 whom the Sublime Porte will doubtless invite to give 

 their adhesion to its declarations, will be no more than 

 the outcome of a fact which the Porte has already de- 

 cided to accomplish in keeping with its competency 

 and rights. This was the opinion expressed by 

 Prince Metternich in the course of an interview 

 which I had with him, and which was communicated 

 by me to the different cabinets in Europe and the 

 United States, whose representatives at Constanti- 



VOL. II. H 



