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Chapter 4. The Red Sea

           "Andthespot?"Iasked.

           "ThespotissituatedalittleabovetheIsthmusofSuez,inthearmwhichformerlymadeadeepestuary,whentheRedSeaextendedtotheSaltLakes.Now,whetherthispassageweremiraculousornot,theIsraelites,nevertheless,crossedtheretoreachthePromisedLand,andPharaoh’sarmyperishedpreciselyonthatspot;andIthinkthatexcavationsmadeinthemiddleofthesandwouldbringtolightalargenumberofarmsandinstrumentsofEgyptianorigin."

           "Thatisevident,"Ireplied;"andforthesakeofarchaeologistsletushopethattheseexcavationswillbemadesoonerorlater,whennewtownsareestablishedontheisthmus,aftertheconstructionoftheSuezCanal;acanal,however,veryuselesstoavesselliketheNautilus."

           "Verylikely;butusefultothewholeworld,"saidCaptainNemo."TheancientswellunderstoodtheutilityofacommunicationbetweentheRedSeaandtheMediterraneanfortheircommercialaffairs:buttheydidnotthinkofdiggingacanaldirect,andtooktheNileasanintermediate.VeryprobablythecanalwhichunitedtheNiletotheRedSeawasbegunbySesostris,ifwemaybelievetradition.Onethingiscertain,thatintheyear615beforeJesusChrist,NecosundertooktheworksofanalimentarycanaltothewatersoftheNileacrosstheplainofEgypt,lookingtowardsArabia.Ittookfourdaystogoupthiscanal,anditwassowidethattwotriremescouldgoabreast.ItwascarriedonbyDarius,thesonofHystaspes,andprobablyfinishedbyPtolemyII.Strabosawitnavigated:butitsdeclinefromthepointofdeparture,nearBubastes,totheRedSeawassoslightthatitwasonlynavigableforafewmonthsintheyear.

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