n, and the
subject came up again for consideration.

"This time it was the Vicompte de Lesseps, another French engineer, who
took up the subject. He was born at Versailles in 1805, had been
educated for the diplomatic profession, and had served his country
acceptably in this capacity at Lisbon, Cairo, Barcelona, and Madrid. In
1854 he began upon the work, and two years later obtained a concession
of certain privileges for his proposed company, which was duly formed,
and began the actual work of construction in 1860. Nine years after it
was completed, and formally opened with extraordinary ceremonies and
festivities, and has now been in successful operation about twenty-two
years. Queen Victoria of England made the distinguished Frenchman a K.
C. S. I."

"What does that mean, papa?" asked Miss Blanche.

"It is a big distinction, and that is all I know about it," replied the
speaker with a laugh; for he was not student enough to look up what he
did not comprehend.

"Knight Commander of the Star of India," added Louis, who had looked up
the abbreviation.

"Thank you, Mr. Belgrave. From 25,000 to 30,000 men were employed upon
the work. It was delayed by the necessity of completing a fresh-water
canal to Ismailia, about half way through to Suez, and by some trouble
with Ismail, who had succeeded as viceroy. The original capital of the
company was about forty million dollars of our money; but the total
cost, including the auxiliary works required to put it in running order,
was one hundred million dollars. Yet it is good stock to-day; and all
the steamers that used to be obliged to go around Cape Good Hope pass
through the canal, and did so before some of you were born.

"As the commander observed a little while ago, the canal is 100 miles
long. The width of the water surface is from 150 to 300 feet, though it
has changed somewhat since the canal was built. At the bottom it was 72
feet wide, and the shoalest place has 26 feet in depth. As you see
around you, two breakwaters had to be built, involving an immense
amount of labor and expense; for one of them is nearly 7,000, and the
other a little more than 6,000, feet in length.

"The highest level on the isthmus is 52 feet, so that they did not have
to dig very deep anywhere; and there were several depressions in the
level, which made the work still less. The canal passes through three
lakes: first, Menzaleh, 28 miles; Timsah, 5 miles; and the Bitter Lakes,
23 miles.