t
of the Crimean War and could not advance money for ventures. England
was opposed to a canal that would let anybody have a chance at India,
and the English government did everything possible to prevent the
Frenchman from obtaining funds. He failed in Europe, for he could not
get enough even for a survey of the canal. Nothing daunted, he went
back to Egypt and borrowed money enough from Said to survey the canal
and to exploit it through Europe. Then came much planning and more
concessions, and much stock jobbing; but by 1860 the French company was
again without money. Again the appeal was made to Said, and not
without avail; for he subscribed for more than one-third or the total
capital stock and promised to advance money for the construction
work--and all for a project that was not to cost Egypt anything. That
was the beginning of Egypt's bondage to the money lenders of Europe,
for Said had to borrow the money he gave to the canal."

ISMAIL PASHA WAS EASY

"In 1863 the magnificently extravagant Ismail Pasha came to the throne
of Mehemet Ali. He burned with ambition to make himself the greatest
ruler in the world, and the canal was a darling of his heart. He was
the ready and willing victim of the loan sharks of Europe, and he would
sign anything in the way of an obligation if there was a little yellow
gold in sight.

"Meanwhile the canal was progressing slowly. Ismail ordered the
Egyptian peasants to do the work under the ancient _corvee_ system.
Every three months 25,000 drafted fellaheen went to the big ditch to
dig. Every three months a miserable remnant of the preceding 25,000
left the dead bodies of their comrades beneath the dump heaps.

"The Suez Canal was dug for the most part by those poor creatures who
scooped up the sand and dirt with their bare hands and carried it up
the steep banks to the dumps in palm-leaf baskets of their own making.
Task masters with cruel whips of hippopotamus hide punished the sick
and the fainting, as well as the lazy. There were no sanitary
precautions, and the men died by the thousands.

"This horrible condition of affairs aroused the indignation of John
Bull, who protested to the sultan. The sultan ordered the employment
of fellaheen labor to be stopped. Then De Lesseps and the canal ring
descended upon Ismail and held him responsible for damages. The case
was left to the arbitration of Napoleon III., who decided for the canal
ring, and Ismail was forced to