The English Bulldog and French Poodle in Africa: The History of the Imperial Conflicts Between France and Great Britain across the African Continent by Charles River Editors

Author:Charles River Editors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Charles River Editors
Published: 2020-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

The Suez Canal

In December 1798, Napoleon spent 10 days in Suez, accompanied by several engineers and scientists, including Jacques-Marie le Père, during which time the practicalities of constructing a canal were examined. Jacques le Père was placed in charge of the initial survey, and the results that were returned to him showed that the waters of the Red Sea, at high tide, were nearly 33 feet above those of the Mediterranean at low tide. These results were completely incorrect - there is no appreciable difference between the levels of the two - but that error would take generations to be rectified. The mistake put a damper over any plans to proceed with the project. A complicated system of locks would be required to overcome the difficulty, and that was more than Napoleon was interested in pursuing. The great general eventually turned his mind to other adventures, leaving the scientific and artistic concerns of the expedition to the scientists and the artists. Every detail, including the varying levels of the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, were meticulously recorded in the encyclopedic Description d’Egypte, but in the end, Napoleon left Egyptian shores with no serious attempt made to dig the canal.

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