Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/767

* SUEZ CANAL. 665 SUFFOLK. generally use portable apparatus which thej' hire upon entering and return upon leaving the eanal. Tile efl'ect of tliis system of ligliting so as to permit niglit navigation luis been virtually to double the carrying eajiaoity of the eanal. Traffic and Kevexue. The toll charged for the passage of the canal was 10 francs per ton and 10 francs per passenger when the canal was lirst opened. Various changes were made in succeeding years, and in 1003 the toll was 8'^ francs per net ton for loaded vessels. 7 francs for empty sliips, and 10 francs per ])assenger. The accompanying table shows the traffic of the canal from ISO!) to 1900. inclusive: YEARS Vessels " Gross toiiTiajje Net tonnage Transit receipts 1869 10 486 1,494 2.026 3.624 3,389 3,434 3.441 10,558 654,915 2,940,708 4,344,-520 8,985,412 9,749,129 11,833,637 13,699.238 6,576 436,609 2,009,984 3,057,422 6,335,753 6,890,094 8,448,383 9.738,157 Francs 54,460 1870 5 159.327 1876 28,886,302 1880 39.84,484 1885 62.207,439 66.984 000 1895 78.10-'i,718 1900 90,623.608 In 1899, according to the United States Con- sular Reports, the tonnage passing the canal was 9,893,022, and the revenue was $17,510,142; in 1900 the corresponding figures were 9,738,152 tons and $17,480,356. History. The plan of a water connection between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea goes back to early Egyptian history. Such a canal seems to have been constructed in the reigns of Seti I. and Kameses II. (about B.C. 1350-1300). extend- ing from the Nile to Lake Timsah and thence to the Red Sea. When this had been choked up by the sands in the course of ages, a new eanal was begun by Neclio, a son of Psamnietichus I. (about B.c, 600). between Bubastis on the Nile and the Red Sea, but was left unfin- ished till the time of i)arius Hystaspis (B.C. 521-486), who completed the work. About the beginning of the Christian Era the canal was no longer navigable, but it was probably restored under Trajan. The last restoration was made in the seventh century by Amru, the Jlohanimedan conqueror of Egypt, who connected Cairo with the Red Sea. During Napoleon's invasion of Egypt (1798-99) the project of piercing the isthmus was carried to the extent of preliminary surveys being made, but, owing to a miscalculation on the part of the engineers which seemed greatly to enhance the difficulties of the worl-c. the execution of the plan Avas delayed till the French were forced to abandon Egypt. An international com- mission of engineers made a preliminary survey in 1846 to ascertain the practicability of a level- water canal. The English engineer on the commis- sion. George Stephenson, strongly opposed a canal and recommended to his Government a railroad from Cairo to Suez, and this was constructed by British capital in 1858. By the terms of the De Lesseps concession (see above) the canal was to be constructed without expense to Egypt, which was to receive 15 per cent, of the gross receipts for ninety-nine years, at the expiration of which period the canal was to revert to the Egyptian Government. When, however. De Lesseps found it impossible to enlist the large amount of capi- tal necessary, he turned to Said Pasha, secured from him a large loan for preliminary work and promoting, and later a subscription for nearly half of the stock, which was about £17,000,000. Said was not able to pay his subscription and his warrants had to be cashed in London. The Egyptian Govcnunent had agreed to furnish labor at a nominal price, the fellaheen to be well treated and their health to be cared for. The violation of the latter condition on the part of the canal company aroused a protest in the name of humanity, especially from England, which had never looked with favor on the canal and sug- gested to the Sultan that the work be stopped. His approval of the concession, as suzerain, which had been provided for in the original contract with Egypt, had never been obtained. He now approved the concession, but decided that the fellaheen nuist not be forced to do the work. The comjiany complained of the Egyptian Govern- ment's compliance with this order from Constan- tino]i!e as a breach of contract, made heavy claims for dama,ges, induced the Khedive to ac- cept Napoleon III. as arbitrator, and on this and a later claim wrung from the exhausted resources of Egypt over eighty million francs. The direct and indirect cost of the canal to Eg-pt is esti- mated at about $85,000,000. In 1875" Ismail Pa- sha (q.v. ) appealed to Europe for aid in his financial difficulties. Among other measures that were taken was the sale of his canal stock to England. 176.602 shares, for £4.000.000. This made England, which had originally opposed the canal project, the lieavie>t owner in it, and com- bined with the general financial assistance ren- dered to Egypt gave that power a direct interest in Egv'ptian affairs. A very short time sufficed to show that the canal was' of the utmost value as the passageway between England and her Oriental possessions. England and France at first exercised together th.-it tutelage over Egypt which the financial situation rendered necessary. Later events led England to assume this respon- sibility alone. The Suez Canal was the key to this political development, as it has become in part to the complicated situation in the near East. See Ea.stern Question; Egypt. SUFFOLK, suf'ok. A southeastern maritime county of England, bounded on the east by the North Sea, on the north bv Norfolk, and on the south by Essex (Jlap: England. G 4). Area, 1489 square miles. Population, in 1891, 37J.235; in 1901, 384,198. The surface is for the most ]iart flat, falling away into marshes on the north- western and northeastern borders. The tribu- taries of the Waveney and of the Stour, together with the river Lark, an affluent of the Great Ouse, and the Gipping. with its estuary, the Orwell, are the chief streams. The soil is of various kinds, some of which are very productive for the ordinary crops. Capital, Ipswich. SUFFOLK. A town and the county-seat of Nansemond County. Va.. 22 miles south- west of Norfolk : on the Nansemond River, and on the Norfolk and Western, the Seaboard Air Line, the Southern, the Atlantic Coast Line, and the Suffolk and Carolina railroads (Map: Vir- ginia. H 5). It is an important railroad centre, and one of the largest peanut-cleaning markets in the State. There are car works, a stove foun- dry, various wood-working mills, iron works, hosiery mills, and brick plants. The surround- ing region is fertile and is well adapted to farm- ing. Population, in 1890, 3354; in 1900, .3827.