connecting the Mediterranean with the Red Sea. The canal is 100 miles
in length, and through it an uninterrupted communication is
established whereby large sailing vessels and steamers may pass from
sea to sea, and thus avoid the long and dangerous voyage around the
Cape of Good Hope.


To whom is the world indebted for this canal?

This great work owes its inception and completion to the enterprise
and indomitable energy of Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was born at
Versailles, France, on the 19th November, 1805. In January, 1856, he
obtained a charter from the Egyptian Government for a company to
construct the canal, and began work in 1859. Though beset by many
difficulties, the persistent energy of De Lesseps fought its way to
success, and in 1869 he had the satisfaction of seeing the waters of
the Mediterranean and the Red Sea mingle in the Bitter Lakes. He has
since been engaged in many engineering projects, the latest being a
canal across the Isthmus of Panama to connect the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans.

_Inception_, beginning.

_Indomitable_, not to be subdued.

_Persistent_, inclined to hold firm.


What is a Suspension Bridge?