“There is little doubt that if the French had remained in Egypt, and especially with Napoleon at the head of the Government, they would have carried their project (of canals) into effect. The expense, compared with the magnificent result, is so trifling, that the wonder is that it has not been carried into effect before now, either by a company having the support of Mahommed Pacha, or by the Pacha on his own account.”—_Foreign Quarterly Review_, 1836, p. 362. “A glance at the map which accompanies the Topographical Survey of the French engineers is quite sufficient to demonstrate with what facility and at what moderate expense a ship’s canal might be constructed from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.”—_Ibid._ p. 368. APPENDIX. No. IX. ARTICLE FROM THE MONITEUR. FROM THE MONITEUR, (THE OFFICIAL PAPER OF FRANCE,) 6th July, 1855. THE CUTTING OF THE ISTHMUS OF SUEZ. This undertaking, one of the grandest and most useful of the age, has for some time attracted a considerable share of public attention. There is but one opinion as to its immense results, but the question of the track has been a subject of discussion, which, in the absence of authentic documents and an exact knowledge of the localities, may mislead public opinion. Two tracks have been proposed: one _direct_, which is to unite the two Seas by a Canal in a straight line from Suez to Pelusium; the other _indirect_, which, starting from Suez, joins the Nile below Cairo, and terminates at the port of Alexandria. In the eyes of all who are acquainted with Egypt the direct track alone appears practicable, the indirect track however has recently found its advocates in some European journals; the following particulars, collected on the spot, will enlighten public opinion upon this point. In the first place there is a difference of length between the two tracks, which is not unimportant. The direct track being the shortest, would certainly not, of itself, be sufficient to give it the preference, especially if the other were both most economical and most advantageous; but it appears that besides having the advantage of being much shorter, the direct track also has the recommendations of being more economical, more advantageous, and more easy of execution.