Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

CANALS OF EGYPT AND CHINA. 449
wind. Afterwards, at the village of Leme- than 1000 miles apart in the interior ef the
dis. it spreads to the breadth of about 55 country. The artificial channels of naviyards, and keeps this breadth for 2A gation pass in a northerly and southerly
leagues, where the banks are 13 feet direction across the territory lying between
above the bottom of the canal, and 10 the natural streams, thus making lines of
above the surface of the ground. Passing communication between these principal
over 2 leagues more, towards Alexandria rivers and their various branches, which
to Gabel, the breadth is contracted to 22A form the natural channels of transportayards. It continues of about this breadth tion in the easterly and westerly direction.
for 4 leagues, and is very regular. Be- As these canals pass over the summits of
yond Leloha, it widens, varying in the the intermediate territories between the
first half league fiom 109 to 273 yards in great streams, the different parts of the
breadth. Near Beda, it is 55 yards wide, canals must be upon different levels, and
and the banks 23 feet high. Passing on there must, accordingly, be some means
towards Alexandria, the country sinks by for boats to pass fronm one level to anothdegrees, until the bottom of the canal is er, which they do mostly by means of
on a level with the adjacent territory, and inclined planes and rollers, over which
then rises above it, the canal being here they are drawn by men. The ascent and
formed by embankments; but, fbr a league descent, at some of these planes, is 15 feet.
before arriving at Alexandria, the ground The banks of the canals are, in many
rises again, so that the canal is here formed instances, lined with fieestone, and conby an excavation in the ground. It passes tain sluices to let the water off for irrigatvery near the lake Aboukir, on the left, in ing the country and supplying the towns.
the course we have been following, and and in many parts, also, they are beautifully
is separated from it, near the western ex- ornamented with trees. The barque in
trernity of the lake, only by a wall about which Le Compte passed from Nimpo on
20 feet in thickness.-The water must a canal, was 70 feet long and 16 feet
rise 13 feet above the lowest state of the broad. The management, repairs and
Nile to enter the Alexandria canal; and, extension of the canals is a very imporat high water in the Nile, the water in tant branch of the internal economy of
the canal is about 2 feet deep on an the empire, and the description and hisaverage. The distance, in a straight line, tory of these works is said to occupy 40
from Rhamneneh to Alexandria, is about volumes; which does not, however, give
15 leagues, but by the course of the canal, us a very definite idea of the extent of
20. The navigation of this canal con- these records, as we are not told the size
tilues only about 20 or 25 days in the of these volumes. Some of the most exyear, during the highest water of the Nile. tensive of these works have been in opeThe French, when in Egypt, were enabled ration about 2000 years, having been
to navigate this canal fobr six weeks by completed 80 years before the Christian
clearing away about 18 inches of mud era; and, about A. D. 605, it is said there
near Rhameneh, at the eastern extremity. were completed in the empire 1600
This canal, which now passes through leagues of canal.-The Imperial cmaal,
ruins and deserts, and is navigable for on- and the continuation of the line of transly a few days of the year, was, as late as portation between Pekin and Canton, of
the 14th century, bordered by a wealthy which that forms a part, is most frequentand populous territory, and, in the time ly spoken of, though the distance of the
of the Roman and Greek empires, was whole route is variously stated. Maltethe channel of an extensive transportation. Brun, in his Geography, states it at 1660
CANALS OF CHINA. The Chinese seem miles, but it is stated by others at 920.
to have a more extensive inland canal The navigation over this route occupies
navigation than any other nation, if not about 3 months. The part of this line
greater than that of all other nations. called the Imperial canal is said to be
The general course of the rivers is from about 500 miles in length from the vicinity
west to east, the principal of which are of Pekin to the Yellow river, which it
the Yang-tse, or Kiang-keo, to the south, meets about 25 leagues firom the sea, where
the course of which is said to be 2000 the river is about a mile wide and 9 or 10
miles, and its breadth 2. miles at a dis- feet deep. This canal is called the Imperial,
tance of 100 miles firom its mouth; and from its being navigated only by the emthe Yellow rivlr, to the northward, which peror's boats, which Le Compte estimates
is represented to be still longer. These at 1000, of 100 tons burthen each. Betwo rivers empty into the sea, within 100 tween the Yellow river and Canton, the
miles of each otherS though they are more navigation is interrupted, for about 30
38 *