1839.] Camel draught to Carriages. 595 



year ; and I consider, that, with due allowance for rest, each set of 

 twelve horses can make only one journey to Suez and back in ten days; 

 in other words, thirty vans might proceed to that place and return every 

 month, for ten months of the year. In the estimate it is stated, that each 

 van will convey 15 tons admeasurement, the heaviest horses, nowever, 

 would have great difficulty in dragging forty sacks of coal, or five tons, 

 weight; — thus 5X30=150X10=1,500 tons in the year; supposing 

 even that there were 1,500 tons of goods to return from Suez, the ex- 

 pense per ton, merely reckoning the keep of and attendance on the 

 horses, would be each way p. 133 ~> more in fact than that of Bedouin 

 Camel-hire for the same amount ; coals being now sent to Suez for 

 p. 132, and goods returning from there, at from p. 80 to 100. 



Much misunderstanding appears to exist as to the nature of the 

 Suez road, which will be found on examination to be by no means 

 adapted to heavy waggons, although there is nothing to interfere mate- 

 rially with the transit of light carriages ; always excepting the expense 

 of horses, in a climate in which they cannot do half the work that they 

 would in Europe. The first part of the road, for about ten miles, is in 

 reality a deep sand, which would require very broad wheels to pass 

 over ; the rest is, with a few exceptions of sandy intervals, a tolera- 

 bly compact gravel. I should suppose much of the road would be cut up 

 by only a few months passage of heavy vehicles, and that with little or 

 no chance of repair, so far as the Egyptian authorities are concerned. 

 The want of water on the road adds enormously to the expense of transit 

 where any other animals than Camels are used, and though it is possible, 

 but from the geological formation not very probable, that boring may 

 succeed on some points ; it must not be forgotten that experiments 

 have already been made, (see Transactions of Geographical Society) 

 and without any permanently useful result. In Mr. Holme's Report, pp. 

 121-122, this matter is however treated very lightly. Mr. H. says, 

 " another objection has been made, that there is no water between Cairo 

 and Suez ; if this had to be carried, as it now is, for the supply of the 

 cattle, &c. it would amount to a small addition in the cost of transit, 

 that is all ; but it can be shown from analogy that good water could be 

 found by boring at any point on this line, and at about depth ; 



and were this not the case, or did it present a greater difficulty, 25,000/. 

 or 26,000/. would lay down a pipe, the whole distance ; and consequently 

 provide a self-acting supply from the Nile at any point where a plug 

 might be fixed." Mr. H. writing at a distance from this country, seems 

 not to have been aware that the principal level of the desert is more 

 than sixty feet above the surface of the Nile, during the period of 



