at present constantly silting up, in consequence of the current, heavily laden with sand, running through numerous openings in the piers, and depositing the sand in the quieter water inside.

A good straight channel of twenty-six feet of water has been dredged, leading into the inner basins, about one hundred yards inside, and parallel to the west pier. It is marked by black buoys on the east side, and red ones on the west side; and it may be presumed that the authorities will be careful to keep it clear.

The basins inside the harbour have a depth of twenty-six feet water; they are sufficiently large for the trade which may be expected. If not, there is ample space for enlarging them.

Lights. On the outer end of each breakwater there is a low light-red on the west pier, and green on the east one. The Port Said lighthouse is a tall white stone tower, one hundred and eighty feet high standing close to the inshore end of the west breakwater. It shows a flashing white lime light, visible eighteen miles.

Pilot Signal.-The pilot boats carry a blue peter flag.

Outer Anchorage. The best anchorage (in six fathoms) is with the low red light on with the high lighthouse; or the west pier head a little open of the lighthouse on either side.

The bottom is mud and very good holding ground. A bank with twelve feet water has been formed to the eastward of the harbour. The east pierhead light (green) on with the high lighthouse leads over the west edge of the bank; therefore, these marks must be kept well open.

In approaching, allowance must be made for a bank which is forming outside the west pier end. In November, 1869, there was six fathoms at half a mile from the pier end, with the anchorage marks in one.

Entrance to Canal.-The entrance to the Canal is conveniently situated at the inner end of the basins.

Port Said to Kantara 241 miles.-The usual depth of water is from twenty-six to twenty-nine feet; immediately south of the Campement de Cap is a short bank of twenty-four feet; and one mile north of Kantara, opposite the forty-third kilometre* mark (twenty-six miles), is a bank of twenty-three feet.

The whole of this distance, 24 miles, with the exception of one-sixth mile at the Campement, which is higher, the Canal runs through a wet flat sandy plain-scarcely higher than the level of the water on the east side, and a little below it on the west side, which, with a "high Nile," is completely overflowed, and the sand rendered firm by the deposit of mud from the river. In this part of the Canal there is no sand-drift, and it may be considered as completed.

The debris thrown up on the banks is firm, black, sandy mud, protecting the Canal from the water in Lake Menzaleh, without any opening in the whole distance.

Kantara to the north end of Lake Ballah 23 miles.-The Canal passes through sand-hills from twenty to thirty feet high, and has a depth of from twenty-six to twenty-eight feet. This part of the Canal is completed, but it is subject to a severe sand-drift in high winds.

Lake Ballah, seven miles.-The Canal here passes through a lagoon, with a depth varying from nineteen to twenty-four feet, but the dredges are still at work.

There is constant troublo in this part of the Canal in consequence of the banks on each side, which are composed of fine sand debris, not being

* The kilometre (French) is equal to 0·621 of a statute mile or 3279 feet.

firm enough to resist the constant ebb and flow of the water between the Lake and the Canal; which carrying large quantities of sand with it, is constantly altering the depth of water.

Lake Ballah to Lake Timsah, eight miles.-In this cutting the sand-hills are about forty feet high. The depth in the Canal varies from twenty-two to twenty-four feet; but there is work still going on in the shallow parts. All this part is subject to heavy sand-drift.

For about four miles in the neighbourhood of El Guisr the Canal is cut through a strata of soft lime or sandstone. The sharp turns between El Guisr and Lake Timsah are probably owing to the engineers having followed the softest part of the rock. Ships can pass round the curves without trouble.

Ismailia, Lake Timsah.-The central station in the Canal is well situated for a stopping place. There is at present only twenty-two feet in the middle of the Lake, but the dredges will soon give deeper water.

Through Lake Timsah to Toussoum.-The depth varies from twenty-two to twenty-seven feet, except one bank of twenty feet in the Lagoon.

The debris banks here, of pure sand, like those in Lake Ballah, are not adhesive enough to form a barrier between the Canal and the Lagoons, to keep the silt from running into the channel, but the Canal is sufficiently wide to allow dredges to work without stopping the traffic.

Toussoum to north entrance of Bitter Lakes.In this cutting the Canal is carried through a strata of sandstone with depths from twenty-two to twenty-four feet, except in one place one mile south of Sérapéum; where for about thirty yards there is a narrow ridge with only eighteen feet water over hard rock. A strong party of men are at work, and the obstruction will soon be reduced. At the south end of the cutting the deep channel is narrow and incomplete.

This cutting is subject to a very heavy sand-drift.

From the debris on the bank it would appear that the narrow ridge of stone running across the Canal had only lately been discovered.

The North Bitter Lake to the South Lighthouse, 9 miles.-The margin of the deep water in the Lake, one mile and a half from the entrance, is marked on the east side by a red iron pillar lighthouse forty feet high, showing a fixed white light visible ten or twelve miles.

The excavated channel leading into the deep water has a depth of from twenty-four to twenty-nine feet. It is conspicuously marked on each side by iron beacons fifteen feet high, with a black ball three feet in diameter on the top.

As we passed, each beacon was lighted, but whether the lamps are to remain could not be ascertained.

The margin of the deep water at the south end of the Lake is conspicuously marked on the east side by a lighthouse similar to the north one, and by a buoy on the west side.'

A straight run may be made between the lighthouses (a distance of eight miles) with not less than twenty-two feet depth of water; twenty-six feet may be obtained by passing nearer to the west shore of the Lake.

From South Lighthouse to the south end of Bitter Lakes, 10 miles.— The water in this part of the Lake being shallower, a cutting has been made giving from twenty-six to twenty-seven feet depth. The channel is well marked by numerous iron beacons on each side (from four to six to a mile) similar to those at the north end of the Lake.

Bitter Lakes to Suez Lagoon.-This part is quite complete with hard banks, and depths of water from twenty-six to thirty feet at low water, It is subject to sand-drifts.

At Chalouf the cutting is carried through sandstone; the debris is hard and lumpy.

South of latitude 30° 6' N., the Canal passes through sand-hills, it increases in width, and the debris on the bank is more than usually large. At Madama the banks are of firm marl or soft clay.

Suez Lagoon to two red lights at entrance.-This part of the Canal is incomplete; the debris banks are sand. The soundings were irregular, the depth varying from twenty-one to twenty-six feet at low water. A large number of men are still at work here.

At the entrance a good stone wall is built on the west bank, but it requires to be raised and extended. Another is much wanted on the east side, where the curve already shows the usual signs of scouring out on the outer and depositing on the inner side.

From the red lights to the Gulf of Suez, 13 miles.-The south end of the Canal may be said to extend 12 miles beyond the two red lights, passing the Suez creek and the new Dock and Harbour works, into the Gulf of Suez with not less than twenty-seven feet at low water.

With a flood tide a great quantity of silt pours into the Canal from the sand bank on the east side of the entrance, but doubtless means will be taken to prevent it.

A breakwater has already been carried across the sea face of the bank. The mouth of the canal is marked by a red light on the west side at the extreme end of the new harbour works, and by a green light on the opposite side on the nearest end of the breakwater. Both lights are at present only hoisted on temporary poles. Outside these marks the channel is further shewn by a line of buoys, white on the east side and red on the west side.

Suez Dock.-The dry dock is four hundred and thirty feet long, eightythree broad, and can dock a ship drawing twenty-three feet when the channel outside is completed.

Current in the Canal at north end.-The current depends on any variation in the height of the water in the Mediterranean. The banks shew that the Canal here is subject to a rise and fall of one foot, the current and height lessening as the distance from the entrance increases. There is no tide or current in Lake Timsah or the Upper Bitter Lake. Tide at Suez end of Canal.-The tidal influence extends from Suez to four miles north of the southern end of the Bitter Lakes.

The stream commences to flow from two to three hours after low water at Suez.

A spring tide rises six feet at Suez, two feet at Madama, one and a half at Chalouf, and half a foot at the south entrance of the Bitter Lakes.

At Kabiet there is no rise and fall. The immense reservoir of water in the Bitter Lakes with an ebb tide, and in the Gulf of Suez with the flood, will prevent the tide ever having a greater range.

With a strong southerly wind in the Gulf of Suez the water rises to from eight to nine feet at the head of the gulf, and may affect the water in the Canal to some small extent.

From two to three hours before high water at Suez the flood with a spring tide was running one and a half knots at Chalouf, increasing to two or two and a half knots at Madama, with the water very much discoloured.

By starting from Suez an hour before low water a vessel will arrive in the Bitter Lake before the flood tide overtakes her, and having nearly slack water all the way.

Ships passing each other.-Every five or six miles a short widening in

the Canal (a gare) gives room for a vessel to haul in and allow another to pass her with ease. Vessels can pass each other at any part by using warps, but they cannot do so without stopping, except at great risk of running on shore and delaying the whole traffic of the Canal.

Time taken to pass through the Canal.-A single ship could pass through in from fourteen to sixteen hours; and two small ships, entering one at each end, could pass each other without slackening speed.

But it is impossible to carry a train of large ships through in one day. Lake Timsah and the town of Ismailia are conveniently situated and sufficiently large for a stopping place; and doubtless arrangements will be made for ships to start from each end on one day, for all to meet and anchor for the night at Lake Timsah, and to start for their respective ends the following morning. This, allowing eight hours for passing through each end of the Canal, and twelve hours for remaining at Ismailia, will give twenty-eight hours for the transit.

With a full moon a handy ship, by entering the Canal in the evening and arriving at Ismailia in the morning early enough to join the train of vessels, might perform the voyage in from sixteen to twenty hours.

With a train of only two or three ships, and no delay at nights, the transit would occupy about eighteen hours.

Damage to the Canal by the wash of steamers.-There is no doubt that every vessel will cause more or less damage to the banks on passing, but screw ships only going five or six knots will hurt the Canal very slightly, except in the lagoons, where the banks are formed of very fine sand.

The Pera, a large paddle-wheel steamer, on passing with great speed (eight knots), and displacing the water in the whole breadth of the Canal, did considerable damage, the wave she made swamping several boats. Large vessels should be made to reduce speed more than small ones.

Damage to ships touching the ground.-Should a vessel touch the ground in any part of the Canal, except in the tidal part at the Suez end, she will sustain no damage, merely being thrown out of her turn in the line. A good coating of sand has formed at the bottom of the Canal in the sandstone cuttings.

In the tidal part near Suez, if a vessel is passing through with a following tide and the bow touches either bank, there will be great danger of her swinging across the Canal, with a two knot current running against her broadside.

With a wind blowing across the Canal, vessels touching the lee side will be blown at once against the bank, but without any damage.

Pilots and navigation. The present pilots will rapidly gain experience; with trained leadsmen and a lead going on each side of the ship there is no difficulty whatever in navigating the Canal and keeping in mid-channel. Should a bank form, it will be at once detected, and ample means are ready for reducing it.

The precautions necessary are similar to those in any river, with the advantage of there being fewer and better curves, and nearly a straight course throughout.

Sand-drifts.-Thirty-five miles of the Canal is subject to the sand drifting. One squall was experienced (force six) when the drift was as thick as an ordinary fog, and most distressing to the eyes; so much so, that had the ship been in a curve at the time, there would have been great difficulty in keeping her in the proper channel.

Fresh water pipes run along the west bank of the Canal for the greater part of its length, and doubtless, as soon as the water is no longer required for the engines, it will be used to irrigate the banks and endeavour to stop this nuisance.

Present state of Canal.-In the total eighty-six and a half miles, sixtyfive may be considered as quite completed. Throughout the remaining twenty-one and a half miles there is either dredging or embanking work still going on. For five miles in the worst parts of Lake Ballah and the Lagoons south of Lake Timsah, constant dredging will be required, until means are found to keep the banks solid enough to prevent the waters communicating.

In the Sérapéum cutting there is a rocky ridge of a few yards with only eighteen feet water upon it, which will soon be removed. Except for about ten miles there is twenty-four feet of water throughout the canal. Vessels drawing seventeen feet can pass through with ease.

When the barrier at Sérapéum is removed the canal will be open to ships drawing twenty feet.

The largest ship that passed through the canal at the opening was the Peluse, Egyptian yacht, drawing sixteen feet, about two hundred and fifty feet long. Several ships grounded on the passage, but all got off again with a little delay. The grounding was caused more by the desire of the forty or fifty ships to get quickly through, than through any fault in the Canal.

REVIEW OF SOME NAUTICAL TOPICS OF the Day.

THAT all-engrossing subject the completion of the Suez Canal has taken its place high in the list of public events, and it is yet likely to command its due share of public attention as we shall hereafter see. We are far from ascribing its real execution to any one else but its real author Mr. Lesseps. But there is a hero of antiquity, who would dispute even with him the palm of originality were he living, in the person of the celebrated Baron Munchausen, who oddly enough speaks thus of it in the history of his travels.

"Seized with a fury of canal cutting, I took it in my head to form an immediate communication between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, and therefore set out for St. Petersburgh.

"I now proceeded to the Isthmus of Suez, at the head of a million Russian pioneers, and there united my forces with a million of Turks, armed with shovels and pickaxes. They did not come to cut each other's throats, but for their mutual interest, to facilitate commerce and civilisation, and pour all the wealth of India by a new channel into Europe. My brave fellows,' said I, consider the immense labour of the Chinese to build their celebrated wall; think of what superior benefit to mankind is our present undertaking; persevere, and fortune will second your endeavours. Remember it is Munchausen who leads you on, and be convinced of success.'

"Having made a track with my chariot from sea to sea, I ordered my Turks and Russians to begin, and in a few hours we had the pleasure of seeing a fleet of British East Indiamen in full sail through the canal. The officers of this fleet were very polite, and paid me every applause and congratulation my exploits could merit," etc.

The British "East Indiamen " are gone by with the Baron, and

E