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.*

"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.

* In 1881 the receipts were 51,080,355 fr., which is 11,239,866 fr. in excess of the receipts for 1880. The number of English vessels that passed through the Canal was not only larger than the total for all other nations, it was nearly four times as large as that total, and the English percentage also showed an increase over the former year. The number of English ships was 2256. France ranked next, but she had only 109 ships-about one-twentieth what England had. Then came Holland, with 70 ships; Austria, with 65; Italy, with 51; Spain, with 46; and Germany, with 40. Egypt had only 11-the same number that Turkey had; Norway had 10 and China 4. Ten years ago the amount of coal supplied at Port Said was 126,000 tons; in 1881 it was 506,000 tons, or four times as much; and while the British proportion of the tonnage in 1871 was 64 per cent. of the total, it was 82 in 1881. Of share prices some equally interesting figures may be given. With a nominal value of 500 fr., they had fallen in 1863 to 220 fr. In 1869, the year the Canal was opened, they rose to 663 fr.; in 1880 they had reached 715 fr., and before the year closed had touched 1327 fr. They advanced to 1700 fr. in June of the following year, and between that month and January, 1882, went rapidly on to 3500 fr., but fell ere the middle of the month to 2100 fr. In 1881 the dividend on the shares was 9 per cent.; for 1882 it will probably be 12, so that 2100 fr., a point to which the shares were forced in a time of panic, even with dividends of 12 per cent., would still be far higher than the actual value of the shares.

DISTANCES SAVED BY THE CANAL.

"The following figures show the dimensions of the Canal:

Width at water-line, where the banks are low......

Width at water-line in deep cuttings, where the banks are high..
Width at bottom of the Canal..

Depth of water in the Canal..

Feet.

328

190

72

26

37

"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:

England to Bombay....

New York to Bombay.

St. Petersburg to Bombay..

Marseilles to Bombay.

Via Cape of Good Hope. Via Canal.

Saving.

THE

CHAPTER III.

FROM SUEZ TO CAIRO.-THROUGH THE LAND OF GOSHEN.

HERE is little to relieve the monotony of the desert between Suez and Ismailia beyond the view of the two canals, and the ships and boats moving on their waters. Occasionally a line of camels may be seen walking with a dignified pace, or halted for the adjustment of their loads, or for some other purpose. In every direction there is nothing but the

desert, either stretching out into a plain or rising in mountains, on which not a particle of verdure is visible. Under the bright sun of the Egyptian sky the sands glittered and sparkled till the light they reflected became painful to the eyes of the observers. The prudent Doctor had bought some veils in the bazaar of Suez, and now brought them from the recesses of his satchel for the use of the delighted boys as well as for

his own.

TO CAIRO BY THE RAILWAY.

39

from white to yellow and purple, and from yellow and purple back again to white. Frank said that some of them seemed to be composed of amethysts and garnets, mixed and melted together in a gigantic crucible. The Doctor told him he was not the first to make such a description, as the idea had occurred to previous travellers, some of whom thought the mountains were composed of all kinds of precious stones mingled with glass. The dazzling appearance of these elevations had led many persons to explore them in search of gems; but of all these explorers none had ever found the fortune he sought.

As they approached Ismailia there were signs of vegetation on the banks of the Fresh-Water Canal, and near the town they came to some pretty gardens which have been created since the opening of the Canal. While the works of the Canal were in progress Ismailia was an active town, with a considerable population, but at present many of its buildings are unoccupied, and there is a general appearance of desolation. There are a few cottages near the banks of Lake Timsah, and of late years the town has obtained popularity with some of the European residents of Cairo, who go there for the sake of the salt-water bathing. The air is clear and dry, the water is of the deep blue of the united seas, and is generally of an agreeable temperature, while it has the smoothness of an inland lake, and is not popular with sharks or any other disagreeable inhabitants of tropical waters. The current created by the changes of the tide between the two seas is sufficient to keep the water from becoming stagnant, but is not strong enough to interfere with navigation or disturb the bather.

After a brief halt at the station the train moved off in the direction of Cairo, and for an hour or more the views from the windows of the railway-carriage were remarkable in their character. On one side of the train the naked desert filled the picture, with its endless stretch of sand; on the other the gardens on the banks of the Fresh-Water Canal were marvels of luxuriance. The richest soil in the world lay side by side with the most desolate, and our friends agreed that they had never seen so marked a contrast during a ride on a railway train. The Doctor explained that the abundant vegetation was due to the wonderful fertilizing power of the Nile water, and said it was no wonder that the ancient Egyptians worshipped the river, and attributed all their wealth and prosperity to its influence.

At Zagazig the train stopped an hour or more for dinner, and there was a change of carriages for the passengers destined for Cairo. Zagazig is the junction of the lines for Cairo and Alexandria, and since the open