[142] Rubino’s “Statistical Story of the Suez Canal,” in the ‘Journal’ of the Royal Statistical Society for 1887. [143] ‘Mémoire sur le Canal des deux Mers.’ [144] ‘Quarterly Review,’ January 1856, p. 257. [145] Since then, of course, this difficulty has been conquered by the use of steam dredgers. [146] This letter is reproduced from an excellent article on the subject of the Suez Canal in _Engineering_ of December 7, 1883, p. 52. [147] In 1886 the transit and navigation receipts were over 2,500,000_l._ [148] The following are the details of the contracts for works on Suez Canal:— ──────────────────────┬─────────────────── Dussaud frères, │ Aiton, Glasgow. Marseilles. │ ──────────────────────┼─────────────────── _20th October, 1863._ │ _13th January, 1864._ 250,000 blocks of │ 21,700,000 cubic artificial stone of │ metres of 1 cubic metre │ excavations each (35⅓ cubic │ at 1·35 fr. feet), and weighing │ The plant ceded 20 tons, at │ to the contractor 40 frs. each. │ by the company 10,000,000 frs. │ brings the price 400,000_l._ │ up to 1·60 fr. │ 34,720,000 frs. │ 1,388,800_l._ │ Contract │ afterwards │ cancelled, and │ transferred │ to Borel and │ Levalley. ──────────────────────┼─────────────────── Couvreux, Paris. │ Borel and Levalley, │ Paris. ──────────────────────┼─────────────────── _1st October, 1863._ │ _1st April, 1864._ 9,000,000 cubic │ 24,500,000 cubic metres of │ metres of excavations at │ excavations at 1·60 frs. │ 2·28 frs. 14,000,000 frs. │ 56,000,000 frs. 560,000_l._ │ 2,240,000_l._ Enlargement and │ Continuation and deepening of the │ completion of 53 great El Guisr │ miles of cutting trench, over 8 │ from Lake Timsah miles long. │ to Red Sea. │ │ _Second contract._ │ Transfer of Aiton’s │ contract. ──────────────────────┴─────────────────── [149] We do not, of course, include the Panama Canal, which is not, and may never be, completed. [150] One long trough dredger, set to work in June 1885, weighed 760 tons. [151] It is stated that the number of these baskets used at the trench of El Guisr alone would, if extended in line, reach three times round the world. Of course when the fellaheen were withdrawn in 1864 these baskets were less largely used.