The published sections along the lines of borings put down show the different strata cut through by the proposed canal. The Nile Valley, along the line of the inlet canal, consists of hard clay 6 to 10 metres thick, lying on coarse sand. Along the outlet canal sandy clays and clays alternate to a depth of 10 metres. On entering the desert sands and sandy conglomerate, with gypsum and salt, are met with below the surface, then a yellow marl with salts, and finally a plastic black clay overlying the Parisian limestone. These beds are most extensive in the narrow neck of land between the Nile Valley and the Fayûm and to some 10 kilometres to the south of it. They rise to + 70 metres. There are some other marls inside the Wadi Rayan or in the adjacent depressions and as they have to be traversed by the canals form a serious factor, being easily dissolved in water; in consequence Willcocks chose the alignment of the inlet canal along the Bahr Belama where the extent of these beds would only be 2·5 kilometres against 9 kilometres on the alternative route marked on the plan. A narrow neck of land, some 15 kilometres in length, runs between the Fayûm and the depressions traversed by the proposed Wadi Rayan canal; this neck is the continuation of the salty marls and clays, but the limestone is near the surface and is overlain by a thin deposit of sand and pebbles, with freshwater shells on its northern slope at + 22·50 metres; the southern slope is entirely devoid of them. Willcocks points out that it is evident the ancient Mœris rose to + 22·50 metres but its water never penetrated into the Wadi Rayan. The report goes into details of inlet and outlet canals, discharge, necessary masonry works, cost, and compares the different reservoir schemes. After a careful review of the whole question, the scheme, while considered perfectly feasible as far as available data went, was abandoned by Sir William Garstin[22] in favour of the less costly and more useful Nubian reservoir. [Illustration: PLATE III. EL WADI, RAVINE NEAR QASR GEBALI.] [Sidenote: Schweinfurth’s report on the probable salt-content in Wadi Rayan Reservoir.]