596 Documents relative to the application of [July, 



inundation, and that several parts of the road are still higher. However 

 convenient therefore this self-acting supply may appear on paper, 

 we who are on the spot know very well, that the expense would not by 

 any means be confined to so many miles of iron pipe, but that to raise 

 the water to the requisite height, there would be a considerable outlay 

 for a steam engine, raised tank, &c, &c. in addition to which there 

 is nothing to prevent the pipe being injured or destroyed in any part of 

 the road, whenever the Bedouins should wish to impede the carriage 

 transit, on which they cannot look with very favourable eyes, depriving 

 them, as it would do in great measure, of the means of existence. Re- 

 flecting upon the subject of transit across the isthmus, I cannot too 

 strongly urge on you the necessity of abandoning the van scheme, so far 

 at least as the carriage of coal and heavy goods is concerned. Till such 

 time as enterprise may have re-opened the ancient canal, or laid down 

 a rail road, I would advise you to use the means which this country 

 places at your disposal. Should the demands of the Egyptian Govern- 

 ment, as I think is very probable, so far engross the Bedouin Camels as 

 to prevent your hiring a sufficient supply, it will I believe be in your 

 power to find persons in Egypt ready to purchase, keep, and furnish by 

 contract, a sufficient number of heavy Camels, to carry across any quan- 

 tity of coal you may require, at about the present cost, as estimated in 

 my report. The following sketch will however shew, approximatively, 

 what would be the expense to a Company, keeping its own animals, 

 in order to have a regular and certain supply entirely at its own 

 disposal. 



Three hundred heavy camels, to be kept in good condition, will re- 

 quire, at the rate of a roob each, 300 roobs of beans daily, or say 300 

 days of the year, or 3,750 ardebs. The variation of prices has been 

 so great in the last few years, that it is difficult to estimate the average, 

 but I put it down as double the cost of barley, which I reckoned at 

 p. 40 the ardeb, 3,750X80 p. 300,000. 



Taking into calculation, that when crossing the desert Camels 

 brouse by preference on the prickly plants and shrubs which abound 

 along the whole line of road, I estimate the quantity that will be 

 required of cut straw (tibne) at 600,000 okes, which, at 4 paras the oke, 

 will cost p. 60,000. Each animal carries his own provisions, so that 

 there is no extra expense upon this head, as in the case of horses. 



For the above number of Camels at the rate of § a fedden each, 

 200 feddens of Berseem will be required, which at p. 400 will cost 

 p. 80,000. During sixty-five days, 10 rqfeeahs or guards must be em- 

 ployed, at p. 100 each, 10X100 p. 1,000. 



