The depth of the bed of the Canal below the natural surface of the ground in the first part or first dam, as far as the north of Tell el Zondieh, is 7 _metres_, that is to say, at the level of the low waters of the river, and at 14 _metres_ above the level of low water in the Mediterranean, the fall of the Canal has been fixed at 0,03 in a 1000 _metres_, in order to secure a speed that shall not exceed O _m._, 65 per second, and that shall not destroy the banks of the Canal. This arrangement will enable us to supply, during the high waters of the increase, a volume of water for inundating the lands, of 40 to 50 _cubic metres_ per second, or 3,500,000 to 4,000,000 _cubic metres per diem_. As the inundation has to be continued during 100 days at the most, and each _feddan_ of land ought to have a quantity of 8,400 _cubic metres_ of water, that is to say, two _cubic metres_ of water to each _square metre_ of land, 47,600 _feddans_ might thus be inundated during the 100 days. This quantity of water is given to irrigate the lands and leave upon them the deposits of the river, or the mud which is the manure of the Egyptian soil; but when the lands which the Company will bring into cultivation have been thus improved by two or three complete inundations, there will be a greater disposable quantity of water, and the number of _feddans_ to be brought into cultivation may be augmented. The lands being thus fertilised and cultivated in two ways; first by inundations as we have just said, afterwards by irrigation during the second part of the year, that is to say, during the low waters; then in order to secure sufficient water for the Canal of which the receipt of water is above the actual low water, steam machines will be employed at the backwater of the barrage. In order to have during the heats of summer a volume of water that shall be sufficient for the irrigation of 60,000 _feddans_ (24,000 _hectares_), for the loss by evaporation, and the waste at the last locks of Lake Timsah, there will be required— _met. cub._ _per diem_ 1,200,000 For the passage of the locks, the dimensions of which are:—length 54 _met._ breadth 12 _met._ mean fall 3 _met._ Taking forty passages _per diem_, the amount will be 80,000 For evaporation, infiltration and other losses, say 15 _per cent._ of the serviceable quantity, viz. 192,000 --------- Total quantity of water to be supplied _per diem_ 1,472,000 =========