The Suez Canal. Paris, June 7.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2192, 27 July 1886, Page 3

The Suez Canal. Paris, June 7.

The reports of the Suez Canul Company, to be read by M. de Lesseps at to•norrows's moi'ting, shows the receipts of 1885 to have been 65,049, 94,")f., and the expenses 31,021, 178f., leaving a profit of 44,0:28, 7<>7f. which allows a dividend of 60f. 70f The return of traffic (3,024 ships, or 6,335,7.53 tons) exceeded by 340 ships aud 4(J4.'2,)3 tons that of the previous 3'ear. The passengers numbered 205 951. against 151,910 m 1884, and 43,813 of them were English. The average time of transit was 43 hours, and though the 12 days' interruption caused by a dredger being run down led to an assemblage of 123 ships, ;ill those got through in three days. Liberty of travelling by night with the electric light had been taken advantage of by several of the P. and 0. Company's steamers, one of which thus made the transit in 17 hours 50 minutes. If the traffic lias not suffered from the economic depresson, it is because the reduced dues have allowed the creation of fresh enterprises, or the extension of existing ones. A revival of trade began to be shown towards the end of 1885; but at the beginning of 1886 fresh disquietudes affected the traffic. In the [ corresponding period of 1884 the transport of troops exceptionally increased the traffic. After referrine to the good harvest in Australia, the Franco-Chinese Commermercial Treaty, the peace with Madagascar, the English annexation of Burmah, and German colonisation in Oceania as likely to increase the traffic, the report details the improvements effected, or in contemplation, and announces the approval by the Kgyptian Government, on the 10th of May, of the amended statutes adopted last year. The widening by 14 84 metres of the Canal, between Port Said and the Bitter Lakes, the widening by 1,1 metres of the remainder, the deepening to S£ metres of the whole Canal, and the rectification of the Lake Timsah curve can accordingly be proceeded with.