“After all that has been done by printing, the mariner’s compass, steam,—the nineteenth century, by the realization of this vast undertaking, would again change the face of the globe. But, not to carry our views and our anticipations so far, in a zone nearer at hand, Arabia and Abyssinia, the vast country of the Gallas, the deserts of the western coast of the Red Sea, with their roving populations, attached by powerful ties to the vast circle of traffic which our continent unceasingly creates and feeds—will enter into the pale of the European world. Navigation and industry charged with the supply of immense countries destitute of everything, will take a more extensive range. In the wake of commerce, enlightenment and civilization will penetrate, by degrees, that dreary night which envelopes the Mussulman world.” The advantage of the new track being thus sufficiently proved from a general point of view, we shall now enter into the details of the scheme with regard to its execution. We will begin with the levelling of the line from Pelusium to Suez. These levels were taken by some engineers attached to the French expedition, and the difference between the level of high water at Suez, and of low water at Tineh, was found to be 9 _met._, 90, in favour of the Red Sea. Although this result has been explained by geological and historical considerations, the fact appeared so extraordinary that several travellers came to the spot to verify it. Some English officers amongst others, operating first with the barometer, and afterwards with the boiling water process, were not able to discover any perceptible difference between the levels of the two Seas. These investigations, published in a pamphlet which has come before us, and which were known to the learned world, had occasioned much uncertainty, when, in 1847, a society established for the investigation of the Isthmus of Suez, and at the head of which were MM. Négrelli, Robert Stephenson and Talabot, caused a complete survey to be made by French engineers, under the direction of M. Bourdaloue, well known for his improved methods of levelling, and his numerous labours in that particular branch. These able and experienced surveyors, provided with good instruments, and accompanied by a numerous staff, were formed into several divisions, which operated separately, and thus were able to obtain divers verifications. To give still greater facility and more security to the operations of the engineers, His Highness the viceroy, who had generously provided for all the requirements of the expedition, condescended to make choice of one of us to direct the whole of the operations, with the assistance of a brigade of Egyptian Engineers and a Company of artillerymen, who assisted in all the operations of levelling and verification.