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Mr. J. F. Bateman on the Suez Canal. [Jan. 6, 



canal. One of the conditions of the concession also was, that the Viceroy 

 should procure forced labour for the execution of the work ; and soon after 

 the commencement of operations, and for some time, the number of work- 

 men so engaged amounted to from 25,000 to 30,000. The work, thus com- 

 menced, steadily proceeded until 1862, when the late Viceroy, during 

 his visit to this country at the time of the International Exhibition, re- 

 quested Mr. Hawkshaw, F.R.S., to visit the canal and report on the con- 

 dition of the works and the practicability of its being successfully com- 

 pleted and maintained. His Highness's instructions were, that Mr. Hawk- 

 shaw should make an examination of the works quite independently of the 

 French Company and their engineers, and report, from his own personal 

 examination and consideration, the result at which he arrived. If his 

 report were favourable, the work would be proceeded with ; if unfavourable, 

 it would at once be stopped. 



Mr. Hawkshaw proceeded to Egypt upon this important commission in 

 November of the same year; and in February 1863 he wrote a well-con- 

 sidered report which may be said to have in great measure contributed 

 to the rapid and successful completion of the work. Mr. Hawkshaw 

 described the works of the canal which had been already executed, and 

 those which remained at that time unfinished. He examined and dis- 

 cussed the dimensions of the various parts then in progress, recommend- 

 ing various alterations ; and having carefully gone into all the details of 

 construction, he proceeded to investigate the question of maintenance, with 

 reference to which it had been urged by opponents : — 



" 1st. That the canal will become a stagnant ditch. 



" 2nd. That the canal will silt up, or that the moving sands of the Desert 

 will fill it up. 



" 3rd. That the Bitter Lakes through which the canal is to pass will 

 be filled up with salt. 



"4th. That the navigation of the Red Sea is dangerous and difficult. 



" 5th. That shipping will not approach Port Said, because of the 

 difficulties that will be met with, and the danger of that port on a lee- 

 shore. 



" 6th. That it will be difficult, if not impracticable, to keep open the 

 Mediterranean entrance to the canal." 



Having analyzed each of these objections, and fully weighed the ar- 

 guments on which they were based, he came to the following conclusions 

 as to the practicability of construction and of maintenance : — 



"1st. As regards the engineering construction, there are no works on 

 the canal presenting on their face any unusual difficulty of execution, and 

 there are no contingencies, that I can conceive, likely to arise that would 

 introduce difficulties insurmountable by engineering skill. 



" 2ndly. As regards the maintenance of the canal, I am of opinion that no 

 obstacles would be met with that would prevent the work, when completed, 



