SUEZ.—WHERE THE ISRAELITES CROSSED THE RED SEA.—THE SUEZ CANAL.
Frank and Fred were impatient to see the Suez Canal, which enables ships to pass between the Red and Mediterranean Seas. In going from the anchorage to the town they passed near the southern end of the Canal, and from the veranda of the hotel they could see steamers passing apparently through the sandy desert, as the position where they stood concealed the water from sight. As soon as they had secured their rooms at the hotel, they started out with the Doctor to make a practical acquaintance with the great channel from sea to sea.
A SHOP IN SUEZ.
There was a swarm of guides and donkey-drivers at the door of the hotel, so that they had no difficulty in finding their way. At the suggestion of the Doctor they followed the pier, nearly two miles in length, which leads from the south part of the town to the harbor; the water is very shallow near Suez, and this pier was built so that the railway trains could be taken along side the steamers, and thus facilitate the transfer of passengers and freight. The pier is about fifty feet wide, and has a solid foundation of artificial stone sunk deep into the sand. At the end of the pier are several docks and quays belonging to the Canal and railway companies, and there is a large basin, called Port Ibrahim, capable of containing many ships at once. The Canal Company's repair-shops and warehouses stand on artificial ground, which was made by dredging the sand and piling it into the space between the pier and the land, and Frank thought that not less than fifty acres had thus been enclosed.
A line of stakes and buoys extended a considerable distance out into the head of the Gulf, and the Doctor explained that, in consequence of the shallowness near the land, the Suez Canal began more than a mile from the shore. The sand-bar is visible at low tide, and when the wind blows from the north a large area is quite uncovered. A channel was dredged for the passage of ships, and the dredging-machines are frequently in use to remove the sand which blows from the desert or is swept into the channel by the currents.
At the end of the long pier is a light-house; and while our friends stood there and contemplated the scene before them, the Doctor reminded the boys that in all probability they were in sight of the spot where the hosts of Pharaoh were drowned after the Israelites had crossed over in safety.
"That is very interesting," said Frank; "but is this really the place?"
"We cannot be absolutely certain of that," was the reply, "as there are different opinions on the subject. But it was in this neighborhood certainly, and some of those who have made a careful study of the matter say that the crossing was probably within a mile of this very spot."
The eyes of the boys opened to their fullest width at this announcement, and they listened intently to the Doctor's remarks on the passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea.
"You will remember," said the Doctor, "that the Bible account tells us how the Lord caused a strong wind to blow from the north, which swept away the waters and allowed the Israelites to pass over the bed of the sea. After they had crossed, and the hosts of Pharaoh pursued them, the wind changed, the waters returned, and the army of the Egyptian ruler was drowned in the waves. The rise of the tide at this place is from three to six feet, and the sand-bank is only slightly covered when the tide is out; now, when the wind blows from the north with great force the water is driven away, and parts of the sand-bank are exposed. On the other hand, when a strong wind blows from the south, the water is forced upon the sand-bank, and the tide, joined to this wind, will make a depth of six or seven feet where a few hours before the ground was dry. This is the testimony of many persons who have made careful observations of the Gulf of Suez, and the miracle described in the Bible is in exact accordance with the natural conditions that exist to-day.
THE NORTHERN END OF THE GULF OF SUEZ.
"One modern writer on this subject says he has known a strong north-east wind to lay the ford dry, and be followed by a south-west wind that rendered the passage impossible even for camels. M. De Lesseps, the projector of the Suez Canal, says he has seen the northern end of the sea blown almost dry, while the next day the waters were driven far up on the land. In 1799 Napoleon Bonaparte and his staff came near being drowned here in a sudden change of wind, and fatal accidents occur once in a while from the same cause. On the map prepared by the officers of the maritime canal to show the difference between high and low water, you will see that the conditions are just as I have stated them.
"Some writers believe," the Doctor continued, "that the sea was farther inland three thousand years ago, and that the crossing was made about ten miles farther north than where we now stand. There is some difficulty in locating all the places named in the biblical story of the exodus, and it would be too much to expect all the critics to agree on the subject. The weight of opinion is in favor of Suez as the crossing-place of the Israelites, and so we will believe we are at the scene of the deliverance of the captives and the destruction of the hosts of Pharaoh. It is a mistake to suppose that Pharaoh was himself drowned in the Red Sea; it was only his army that suffered destruction."
From the point where this conversation took place they went to the Waghorn Quay, just beyond. It was named in honor of Lieutenant Waghorn, who devoted several years to the establishment of the so-called "overland route" between England and India. Through his exertions the line of the Peninsular and Oriental steamers was established, and the mails between England and India were regularly carried through Egypt, instead of taking the tedious voyage around the Cape of Good Hope. He died in London in poverty in 1850; since his death the importance of his services has been recognized, and a statue to his memory stands on the quay which bears his name. At his suggestion the name of "overland route" was given to this line of travel between England and India, though the land journey is only two hundred and fifty miles, to distinguish it from the "sea route" around the Cape of Good Hope.
From Waghorn Quay it was only a short distance to the Canal, and as they reached its bank a large steamer was just entering on its way to the Mediterranean. Frank observed that she was moving very slowly, and asked the Doctor why she did not put on full steam and go ahead.
"That would be against the rules of the Canal Company," was the reply. "If the steamers should go at full speed they would destroy the Canal in a short time; the 'wash' or wake they would create would break down the banks and bring the sand tumbling into the water. They must not steam above four miles an hour, except in places where the Canal widens into lakes, and even there they cannot go at full speed."
"Then there are lakes in the Canal, are there?" Fred inquired.
"I'll explain that by-and-by," the Doctor responded. "Meantime look across the head of the Gulf and see that spot of green which stands out so distinctly among the sands."
The boys looked in the direction indicated and saw an irregular patch of verdure, on which the white walls of several houses made a sharp contrast to the green of the grass and the palm-trees that waved above them.
"AYOON MOOSA"—THE WELLS OF MOSES.
"That spot," said the Doctor, "is known as 'Ayoon Moosa,' or 'The Wells of Moses.' It is an oasis, where several wells or springs have existed for thousands of years, and it is supposed that the Israelites halted there and made a camp after their deliverance from Egypt. As the pursuing army of Pharaoh had been destroyed before their eyes, they were out of danger and in no hurry to move on. The place has borne the name of 'The Wells of Moses' from time immemorial; there is a tradition that the largest of them was opened by the divining-rod of the great leader of the Hebrews in their escape from captivity, and is identical with Marah, described in Exodus, xv. 23. The wells are pools of water fed by springs which bubble in their centre; the water in all of them is too brackish to be agreeable to the taste, but the camels drink it readily, and the spot is an important halting place for caravans going to or from the desert."
The Doctor farther explained that Suez was formerly supplied with water from these wells, which was brought in goat-skins and casks on the backs of camels. The springs are seven or eight miles from Suez in a direct line, and the easiest way of reaching them is by a sail or row boat to the landing place, about two miles from the oasis. Since the opening of the fresh-water canal in 1863 this business of supplying the city has ceased, and the water is principally used for irrigating the gardens in the oasis. Most of the fresh vegetables eaten in Suez are grown around the springs, and there is a hotel there, with a fairly good restaurant attached to it. The residents of Suez make frequent excursions to the Wells of Moses, and almost any day a group of camels may be seen kneeling around the principal springs.
Our friends returned along the quay to Suez, and strolled through some of the streets of the town. There was not much to be seen, as the shops are neither numerous nor well stocked, and evidently are not blessed with an enormous business. They visited a mosque, where they were obliged to take off their shoes, according to the custom of the East, before they could pass the door-way; the custodian supplied them with slippers, so that they were not required to walk around in their stockinged feet. When you go on a sight-seeing tour in an Egyptian city, it is well to carry your own slippers along, or intrust them to your guide, as the Moslems are rigid enforcers of the rule prohibiting you to wear your boots inside a mosque.
PREACHING IN A MOSQUE.
The principal attraction in the mosque was a group to whom a mollah, or priest, was delivering a lecture. The speaker stood in a high pulpit which was reached by a small ladder, and his hearers stood below him or squatted on the floor. What he said was unintelligible to our friends, as he was speaking in Arabic, which was to them an unknown tongue. The audience was apparently interested in his remarks, and paid no attention to the strangers except to scowl at them. In some of the mosques of the East Christians are not admitted; this was the rule half a century ago, but at present it is very generally broken down, and the hated infidel may visit the mosques of the principal cities of Egypt and Turkey, provided he pays for the privilege.
They returned to the hotel in season for dinner. The evening was passed in the house, and the party went to bed in good season, as they were to leave at eight o'clock in the morning for Cairo. They were at the station in due time for departure, and found the train was composed of carriages after the English pattern, in charge of a native conductor who spoke French. By judiciously presenting him with a rupee they secured a compartment to themselves.
While they were waiting for the train to move on the Doctor told the boys about the "overland route" through Egypt.
"The route that was established by Lieutenant Waghorn was by steamship from England to Alexandria, and thence by river steamboats along the Nile to Cairo. From Cairo, ninety miles, to Suez the road was directly through the desert, and passengers were carried in small omnibuses, drawn by horses, which were changed at stations ten or fifteen miles apart. Water for supplying these stations was carried from the Nile and kept in tanks, and it was a matter of heavy expense to maintain the stations. The omnibus road was succeeded by the railway, opened in 1857, and the water for the locomotives was carried by the trains, as there was not a drop to be had along the route. This railway was abandoned and the track torn up after the construction of the Canal, as the expense of maintaining it was very great. In addition to the cost of carrying water was that of keeping the track clear of sand, which was drifted by the wind exactly as snow is drifted in the Northern States of America, and sometimes the working of the road was suspended for several days by the sand-drifts. The present railway follows the banks of the Maritime Canal as far as Ismailia, and thence it goes along the Fresh-Water Canal, of which I will tell you.
"The idea of a canal to connect the Mediterranean and Red Seas is by no means a modern one."
"Yes," said Frank, "I have read somewhere that the first Napoleon in 1799 thought of making a canal between the two seas, and his engineers surveyed the route for it."
"You are quite right," responded the Doctor, "but there was a canal long before the time of Napoleon, or rather there have been several canals."
"Several canals!" exclaimed Frank. "Not several canals at once?"
A LANDING-PLACE ON THE FRESH-WATER CANAL.
"Hardly that," said the Doctor, with a smile; "but at different times there have been canals between the two seas. They differ from the present one in one respect: the maritime Canal of to-day runs from one sea to the other, and is filled with salt-water, while the old canals connected the Nile with the Red Sea, and were constantly filled with fresh-water. The Fresh-Water Canal of to-day follows the line of one of the old canals, and in several places the ancient bed was excavated and the ancient walls were made useful, though they were sadly out of repair."
One of the boys asked how old these walls were, to be in such a bad condition.
"We cannot say exactly how old they are," was the reply, "and a hundred years or so in our guessing will make no difference. According to some authorities, one of the rulers of ancient Egypt, Rameses II., conceived and carried out the idea of joining the two seas by means of the Nile and a canal, but there is no evidence that the work was accomplished in his time. The first canal of which we have any positive history was made by Pharaoh Necho I. about 600 b.c., or nearly twenty-five hundred years ago. It tapped the Nile at Bubastis, near Zagazig, and followed the line of the present Fresh-Water Canal to the head of the Bitter Lake. The Red Sea then extended to the Bitter Lake, and the shallow places were dredged out sufficient to allow the passage of the small craft that were in use in those days. The canal is said to have been sixty-two Roman miles long, or fifty-seven English ones, which agrees with the surveys of the modern engineers.
"This canal does not seem to have been used sufficiently to keep it from being filled by the drifting sand, as it was altogether closed a hundred years later, when it was re-opened by Darius; the latter made a salt-water canal about ten miles long near the south end of the Bitter Lake, to connect it with the Red Sea. Traces of this work were found when the Fresh-Water Canal was made, and for some distance the old track was followed. Under the arrangement of the canals of Necho and Darius, ships sailed up the Nile to Bubastis, and passed along the canal to the Bitter Lake, where their cargoes were transferred to Red Sea vessels. About 300 b.c. Ptolemy Philadelphus caused the two canals to be cleared out, and connected them by a lock, so that ships could pass from the fresh to the salt water, or vice versa.
ORIENTAL SHIPS OF ANCIENT TIMES.
"Four hundred years later (about 200 a.d.), according to some writers, a new canal was made, tapping the Nile near Cairo, and connecting with the old one, which was again cleared out and made navigable. Another canal, partly new and partly old, is attributed to the seventh century, and still another to the eleventh century; since that time there has been nothing of the sort till the Maritime Canal Company found it necessary, in 1861, to supply the laborers on their great work with fresh-water. They cleared out the old canal in some places, and dug a new one in others as far as the Bitter Lake; afterward they prolonged it to Suez, which it reached in 1863, and at the same time they laid a line of iron pipes from Ismailia to Port Said, on the Mediterranean. It would have been impossible to make and maintain the Maritime Canal without a supply of fresh-water, and thus the work of the Egyptians of twenty-five hundred years ago became of practical use in our day.
"Look on this map," said the Doctor, as he drew one from his pocket and handed it to the youths, "and you will see the various points I have indicated, together with the line of the Maritime Canal, and of the Fresh-Water Canal which supplies this part of Egypt with water."
Several minutes were passed in the study of the map. Before it was finished the train started, and in a short time our friends were busily contemplating the strange scene presented from the windows of their carriage.
The railway followed very nearly the bank of the Fresh-Water Canal, which varied from twenty to fifty feet in width, and appeared to be five or six feet deep. Beyond it was the Maritime Canal, a narrow channel, where steamers were slowly making their way, the distances between them being regulated by the pilots, so as to give the least possible chance of collision. Considering the number of steamers passing through the Canal, the number of accidents is very small. Frank could not understand how steamers could meet and pass each other, till the Doctor explained that there were "turnouts" every few miles, where a steamer proceeding in one direction could wait till another had gone by, in the same way that railway-trains pass each other by means of "sidings." Then there was plenty of space in Lake Timsah and the Bitter Lake, not only for ships to move, but to anchor in case of any derangement of their machinery.
From the information derived from the Doctor, and from the books and papers which he supplied, Frank and Fred made up the following account of the Suez Canal for the benefit of their friends at home:
FERDINAND DE LESSEPS.
"The Canal is one hundred miles long, from Suez, on the Red Sea, to Port Said, on the Mediterranean. Advantage was taken of depressions in the desert below the level of the sea, and when the water was let in, these depressions were filled up and became lakes (Timsah and Bitter Lakes), as you see on the map. There were thirty miles of these depressions; and then there was a marsh or swamp (thirty miles across), called Lake Menzaleh, which was covered during the flood of the Nile, and only needed a channel to be dug or dredged sufficiently deep for the passage of ships. The first spadeful of earth was dug by Ferdinand de Lesseps at Port Said on the 25th of April, 1868, and the completed Canal was opened for the passage of ships on the 16th of November, 1869. About forty steamers entered it at Port Said on that day, anchored in Lake Timsah for the night, and passed to the Red Sea on the 17th. M. de Lesseps projected the Canal while he was serving in Egypt as French Consul, and it was through his great energy and perseverance that the plan was finally carried out. The Canal was distinctively a French enterprise, and was opposed by England, but as soon as it was completed the English Government saw its great importance, and bought a large amount of stock that had hitherto been held by the Egyptian Government.
SUEZ CANAL AND EASTERN EGYPT.
"The line of the Canal where digging was necessary was through sand, but in many places it was packed very hard, so that pickaxes were needed to break it up. Much of the sand was removed by native laborers with shovels and baskets; but after the first two years it was necessary to substitute machinery for hand labor. Excavating and dredging machines driven by steam were put in operation, and the work was pushed along very rapidly; the channel through Lake Menzaleh was made by floating dredges equipped with long spouts that deposited the sand two or three hundred feet from where they were at work, and the dry cuttings at higher points were made by similar excavators mounted on wheels. At one place, just south of Lake Timsah, there was a bed of solid rock, where it was necessary to do a great deal of blasting, and the last blast in this rock was made only a few hours before the opening of the Canal.
"The cost of the work was nearly $100,000,000, of which about one-third was paid by Egypt, under the mistaken impression that the Canal would be beneficial to the country. The Khedive, or Viceroy of Egypt, spent nearly $10,000,000 on the festivities at the opening of the Canal, and this foolish outlay is one of the causes of the present bankruptcy of the country. Palaces and theatres were built for this occasion, roads were opened that were of no use afterward, and an enormous amount of money was spent for fireworks, music, banquets, and presents of various kinds to all the guests. The Empress of France was present at the opening of the Canal, and distinguished persons from all parts of the world were invited and entertained in princely style.
"In 1870, the first year the Canal was in operation, 486 vessels passed through it; in the next year the number was 765, and it steadily increased till it became 1264 vessels in 1874, 1457 in 1876, and 2026 in 1880. More than two-thirds of the entire number of ships passing the Canal are English, and in some years they have been fully three-fourths, while the French are less than one-thirteenth of the total number. France, which expected much from the Canal, has realized very little; while England, which opposed its construction, has reaped nearly all the benefit therefrom.[2]
"By the original charter the company was allowed to charge ten francs (two dollars) a ton on the measurement of each ship going through the Canal, and ten francs for each passenger. The revenue, after deducting the expenses of operating, amounts to about five per cent. on the capital of the company, and the officers think it will be seven or eight per cent. before many years.
"The following figures show the dimensions of the Canal:
| Feet | |
| Width at water-line, where the banks are low | 328 |
| Width at water-line in deep cuttings, where the banks are high | 190 |
| Width at bottom of the Canal | 72 |
| Depth of water in the Canal | 26 |
NIGHT SCENE ON LAKE MENZALEH.
"The scenery on the Canal is not particularly interesting, as one soon gets tired of looking at the desert, with its apparently endless stretch of sand. At Ismailia and Kantara there has been an attempt at cultivation, and there are some pretty gardens which have been created since the opening of the Fresh-Water Canal, and are kept up by irrigation. But nearly all the rest is a waste, especially on the last twenty-seven miles, through Lake Menzaleh to Port Said. If you make this ride on one of the small steamers maintained by the Canal Company you find that one mile is exactly like any other, and you are soon glad enough to seek the cabin and go to sleep.
"Here are some figures showing the saving in distances (in nautical miles) by the Canal:"
| Via Cape of Good Hope. | Via Canal. | Saving. | |
| England to Bombay | 10,860 | 6020 | 4840 |
| New York to Bombay | 11,520 | 7920 | 3600 |
| St. Petersburg to Bombay | 11,610 | 6770 | 4840 |
| Marseilles to Bombay | 10,560 | 4620 | 5940 |