To His Excellency Admiral Rigault de Genouilly
Minister of the Navy and the Colonies
Paris
Ismailia, 18th November, 1869
Dear Admiral,
On arrival in Ismailia, I had the honour of announcing, by telegraph,
the anchoring of the Aigle in this harbour. Today, I am confirming,
by dispatch, and letting you know in a few hurriedly-written and
confidential words, my impressions of the first part of this voyage.
The yacht only managed it after surmounting the greatest of problems
and I am not exaggerating when I say to Your Excellency that her
arrival here was an amazing feat.
The canal has nearly 22 metres of navigable channel, the Aigle
measures 19 not counting the paddle-wheels. Some curves are quite
narrow requiring more than a little concentration to get round
as even the slightest yaw which is nearly inevitable due to
the backflow of water caused by the backwash is enough to run
you aground.
A near mathematical precision is required to follow the channel
and Your Excellency will agree when I tell you that the Aigle
had to pass several dredgers which she met along the route with
only 25 centimetres to spare and had to cross the general markers
nearly touching both banks with her paddles and sometimes even
having to run along the buoys.
At the sill of El Guisr, the canal has only been dug to 4.8 metres
with a width of 4 metres and the Aigle counts 4.71 at the back.
It was at this point that the starboard wheel hit the bank causing
three blades to break and damaging some articulations.
The engineers of the Company who were aboard, together with M.
de Lesseps, seemed worried about the outcome of the mission which
they had made the Aigle take on, in my opinion, a little prematurely,
in all respects. The very day of the inauguration, a increased
number of men and dredgers were working at widening the most
difficult passages.
I am led to think that the section between Ismailia and Suez is
easier. I am no less uneasy about the outcome of this section
of the canal than I am about the return journey. I have earnestly
invited the engineers to get the 4.8 m bottoms, of which I have
already had the honour of speaking to Your Excellency, dug immediately
and to widen the canal in this section.
It is to be hoped, Admiral, that the Aigle’s successful crossing
of the Isthmus will not only justify the Empress’s presence but
also bring the Company the capital indispensable to the completion
of the work because, even if today the connection between the
Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea is fact, I am no less of the
conviction that the canal is currently only useful for medium-sized
vessels and not for high tonnage ones and certainly not for ships
as big as the Aigle.
I summarise my thoughts, Admiral, in saying that, from now on,
the canal will not be really practical until it is doubled in
width, it is made deeper and that some of its curves are made
less sharp.
Everyone on board has perfectly understood the difficulties and
dangers of the manoeuvres that the Aigle had to undertake for
the crossing; the Empress’s impression of the affair made her
come on bridge in tears to congratulate me. Her Majesty was so
emotional all day that in the evening, when we had dropped anchor,
she had a nervous fit which luckily only lasted a few moments.
She is, nevertheless, in excellent health.
I remain, Sir, your most devoted servant,
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The Captain of the Aigle
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