THE SUEZ CANAL.

Putaruru Press, Volume VII, Issue 299, 1 August 1929, Page 1

THE SUEZ CANAL.

AN ANCIENT PROBLEM. Seventy years ago, on April 25, 1859, the first spadeful of sand was turned near (he site of Port Said, and the work of constructing the Suez Canal was begun. This was not the first attempt to unite East and West

by a waterway. More than 3000 years ago, when the civilisation and commerce of the world centred about the Mediterranean Sea and the Egyptians thought it important to find a market for their goods in the East, they, too, built canals to carry on commerce with Arabia, Persia, and India (says the New York Times). Seti 1., who reigned about 1380 8.C.,

s supposed to have built the first canal conneet'ng the Nile with the Red Sea. He reigned but a few years, and it is probable that his son, RamJ eses 11., contr buted to the building of the canal, which diverged from the I Nile at Bubastis, and continued to a port on a gulf which no longer exists, but is known as the Bitter Lakes, through which the Suez Canal makes its course. But 3000 years ago Egyptians believed some legend to the effect that the level of the Red Sea was n'ne meters higher than that of the Mediterranean. If a canal were built to unite the two seas, an inundation of Egypt would follow, they thought. And so they followed the canal from Bubastis and utilised that branch of the N.le known as the Peiusaic (o compete the passage to the Red Sea, where merchandise was transferred to ships. After a time the “Canal of the Pharaohs” became clogged with silt, and Pharaoh Necho built another one Herodotus t?l!s us that in this underf aking 120,000 men lost their lives, though the work was not completed until 632 B.C. when Darius undertook t. The canal was abandoned during the long wars and invasions to which Egypt was subjected from the death of Dar us to the reign to Ptolemy 11., who repaired it. He made a continuous canal and inserted locks at both ends.

During the Arabian period the canal was hollowed out again under Cal ph Omar, by 'Amr, who conquered Egypt in 639 A.D.

The Crusades gave a new impetus to trade with the East and as far back as the thirteenth century Prance began to make definite plans, at one time and another, to open a route over the isthmus. When more is known of the political motives of Napoleon it will be realised that his thoughts centred about the trade with the Orient. So that when Ferdinand de Lesssps undertook to carry out his idea of the Suez Canal he found that other countries l> c ‘- "'ns France sought the key to trade with India, and they offered the groacest resistance to the accomplishment of his purpose. He laid h s plans at the feet of Mohammed Said Pasha, then Viceroy of Egypt, who immediately ordered a survey at h's own expense. The engineers Linant Bey and Mougel Bey were engaged to draw up plans. Said Pasha gave his consent to go ahead with the work.

At the head of the canal on the Mediterranean Sea stands the monument of Ferdinand de Lesseps. H" beckons to the ships as they arrive, and with outstretched hands he directs the way to the Orient.