Ferdinand de Lesseps [pp. 141-142]

LITERATURE, SCIENCE, AND ASR 1
mercial department of the ministry of foreign affairs. During
FERDINAND DE LESSEPS. the latter part of 1828 he was attach to the consul-general at
-~~~~~- ~Tunis, and in 1831 was dispatched by his government as consul
FEW enterprises or names of the present half-century have to Alexandria, in Egypt. Rare work and rapid promotion this
been honored with so large a share of public attention, for our jeune diplomat; but the most eventful period of his
or have become so pleasantly familiar to the public ear, as the long and active career was yet before him.
Suez Shllip-canal and its projector and chief-engineer, M. Ferdi- Seven years subsequent to his appointment at Alexandria,
nand de Lesseps. With the plan, purpose, progress, present and when he was in his thirty-fifth year, he was sent as consul
condition, and future prospects of this great work the readers to Rotterdam. From this place he proceeded to Malaga, in
of APPLETONS' 1839, to negoJOURNVAL have, tiate with the
in a preceding Spanish Governnumber, been ment in behalf
made sufficient- of Frenh
ly familiar.:- -_ _ commerce. In
No student the latter part
of history, or, n- of the same year
deed, of human he was transnature, can rea- (C ferred to the
sonably doubt.. 5/,-/ V consulateatBarthat the personal, elona, where,
quawlite of me i(:!, -: —- -u"i b o h imself
dqualiti ring that and
enter largely in- the two followto the enter- in years, he
prisesnc hvich-was es pecially
cthey ou active, and osig
tien It study. In 184 8
ilence the de- isdtiin xsiroei,so ge- so___',n / ar whi t t he or
ally expressed, h a ett
to know some- take t ep
thing more of M fAalet.Bu
Lesseps himself, i the
He is the son of dvlpeto
ean Bapt,istehs apil
Bar,thel Peyi, Ba- asu no ye t
ron de Lesseps, re;ur edid
who wa s born at not remain May
Cettc, an te b. m. e u e cl ot o w y, dp e s o h French iEyt R
port i n the Gulf rin t
of Ly ons, in the for me position
y ear 1765. Hise inP:::a,. /... in 18B4 el a ine
efance ther was, for w i t
--- s m of the
Fsrench consuae a':"- s oafng ri w hit he re
1on. he acear he was oseint t
panidla;'-~ edxFrenchd mm-~,
ros okno hs voy- iterate the court
cotaiing a e-retre tof
scipio o te xpdiio. n 78 h ws onulatl~on Pri imeiael ate te evluios f 84,;n, in May
stdL n t Peersbr.FoStPeersbr heiwscledlf. the ie follwn er,wsdpaceasnvyoth Frnho
HisoFerdinsd t he subec of ou"kth a ona i aa devSez,alarsopnegotitwthSdPaa for
year,though is,pernei hto man litl pastmdl ingytowadtecoeo ht year eaanfn i nth
ag.on 185hdaeatcit th Fenc osult tLs-estms, prpain for hi rematwr.Tisniehecm ton
bn Twho years sbsqetyfudhmegediteco conur. Hsmsin waacowe withsuces adh
1869.]
141