DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4995#0066
LECTURE ON EGYPT. 41
plutonic action in the numerous heaps of cinder, or
scorias, and in the deep blue or red-coloured stones,
aud in wood which has been metamorphosed after sili-
cification.
My professional duties frequently took me up the Soudan
Nile, and once as far as the second cataract at Wady
Haifa, to commence the Soudan Bail way. The Second
cataract, though much longer, and having a greater
fall than the First, is characterised by the same divided
channels and rocky islands round which the rapid cur-
rent foams and surges. Crocodiles abound at the
former cataract, but are never seen at the latter.
The discoveries in equatorial Africa during the last
twenty years naturally led to the consideration of the
means of providing improved communication for the
population and produce of those vast districts. The
•River Nile is an available navigation, notwithstanding
the interruption of the first Cataract, as far south as
Wady Haifa; beyond that point the constant succes-
sion of cataracts makes it practically useless, and con-
sequently all goods traffic and personal communication
are limited to camel caravans and the electric telegraph.
The late Khedive instructed me to make the requi-
site surveys and investigations so as to advise the
Egyptian Government on the important question of
providing the best access to these newly-discovered
regions which had been claimed as a part of the
Egyptian territory; and the claim had been unques-
tioned.
plutonic action in the numerous heaps of cinder, or
scorias, and in the deep blue or red-coloured stones,
aud in wood which has been metamorphosed after sili-
cification.
My professional duties frequently took me up the Soudan
Nile, and once as far as the second cataract at Wady
Haifa, to commence the Soudan Bail way. The Second
cataract, though much longer, and having a greater
fall than the First, is characterised by the same divided
channels and rocky islands round which the rapid cur-
rent foams and surges. Crocodiles abound at the
former cataract, but are never seen at the latter.
The discoveries in equatorial Africa during the last
twenty years naturally led to the consideration of the
means of providing improved communication for the
population and produce of those vast districts. The
•River Nile is an available navigation, notwithstanding
the interruption of the first Cataract, as far south as
Wady Haifa; beyond that point the constant succes-
sion of cataracts makes it practically useless, and con-
sequently all goods traffic and personal communication
are limited to camel caravans and the electric telegraph.
The late Khedive instructed me to make the requi-
site surveys and investigations so as to advise the
Egyptian Government on the important question of
providing the best access to these newly-discovered
regions which had been claimed as a part of the
Egyptian territory; and the claim had been unques-
tioned.