See also:

• FERDINAND
• FERDINAND (1577-1650)
• FERDINAND (COLOGNE)
• FERDINAND (Span. Fernando or Hernando; Ital. Ferdinando or Ferrante; in O. H. Ger. Herinand, i.e. " brave in the host," from O. H. G. Heri, "army," A. S. here, Mod. Ger. Heer, and the Goth. nan]jan, " to dare ")
• FERDINAND, MAXIMILIAN KARL LEOPOLD MARIA

FERDINAND DE See also:

• FERDINAND DE LESSEPS (1805-1894)

LESSEPS (1805-1894)  . See also:

• FRENCH
• FRENCH, DANIEL CHESTER (1850– )
• FRENCH, NICHOLAS (1604-1678)

French diplomatist and maker of the See also:

• SUEZ

Suez See also:

• CANAL
• CANAL (from Lat. canalis, " channel " and " kennel " being doublets of the word)

Canal, was See also:

• BORN, IGNAZ, EDLER VON (1742–1791)

born at See also:

• VERSAILLES

Versailles on the 19th of See also:

• NOVEMBER (Lat. novem, nine)

November 1805 . The origin of his See also:

• FAMILY

family has been traced back as far as the end of the 14th See also:

• CENTURY (from Lat. centuria, a division of a hundred men)

century . His ancestors, it is believed, came from See also:

• SCOTLAND
• SCOTLAND, CHURCH OF
• SCOTLAND, EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF

Scotland, and settled at See also:

• BAYONNE

Bayonne when that region was occupied by the See also:

• ENGLISH

English . One of his See also:

• GREAT

great-grandfathers was See also:

• TOWN

town clerk and at the same See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time secretary to See also:

• QUEEN
• QUEEN (O.E. cwen, wife, related to "quean," O.E. cwene, a hussy; cf. Gr. yvvi7: from root gan-, to produce; cf. genus, " kin," &c.)

Queen See also:

• ANNE (1665-1714)
• ANNE (1693-1740)

Anne of Neuberg, widow of See also:

• CHARLES
• CHARLES (1270-1325)
• CHARLES (1421-1461)
• CHARLES (1525-1574)
• CHARLES (c. 1319-1364)
• CHARLES (Fr. Charles; Span. Carlos; Ital. Carlo; Ger. Karl; derived from O.H.G. Charal,latinized as Carolus, meaning originally " man ": cf. Mod.Ger., Kerl," fellow," A.S. ceorl, Mod. Eng. " churl ")
• CHARLES (KARL EITEL ZEPHYRIN LUDWIG; in Rum. CAROL)
• CHARLES [KARL ALEXANDER] (1712-1780)
• CHARLES, ELIZABETH (1828-1896)
• CHARLES, JACQUES ALEXANDRE CESAR (1746-1823)
• CHARLES, THOMAS (1755-1814)

Charles II. of See also:

• SPAIN
• SPAIN (Espana)

Spain, exiled to Bayonne after the See also:

• ACCESSION (from Lat. accedere, to go to, to approach)

accession of See also:

• PHILIP
• PHILIP (Gr.'FiXtrsro , fond of horses, from dn)^eiv, to love, and limos, horse; Lat. Philip pus, whence e.g. M. H. Ger. Philippes, Dutch Filips, and, with dropping of the final s, It. Filippo, Fr. Philippe, Ger. Philipp, Sp. Felipe)
• PHILIP, JOHN (1775-1851)
• PHILIP, KING (c. 1639-1676)
• PHILIP, LANOGRAVE OF HESSE (1504-1567)

Philip V . From the See also:

• MIDDLE

middle of the 18th century the ancestors of See also:

• FERDINAND
• FERDINAND (1577-1650)
• FERDINAND (COLOGNE)
• FERDINAND (Span. Fernando or Hernando; Ital. Ferdinando or Ferrante; in O. H. Ger. Herinand, i.e. " brave in the host," from O. H. G. Heri, "army," A. S. here, Mod. Ger. Heer, and the Goth. nan]jan, " to dare ")
• FERDINAND, MAXIMILIAN KARL LEOPOLD MARIA

Ferdinand de See also:

• LESSEPS, FERDINAND DE (1805-1894)

Lesseps followed the See also:

• DIPLOMATIC

diplomatic career, and he himself occupied with real distinction several posts in the same calling from 1825 to 1849 . His See also:

• UNCLE

uncle was ennobled by See also:

• KING
• KING (O. Eng. cyning, abbreviated into cyng, cing; cf. O. H. G. chun- kuning, chun- kunig, M.H.G. kiinic, kiinec, kiinc, Mod. Ger. Konig, O. Norse konungr, kongr, Swed. konung, kung)
• KING [OF OCKHAM], PETER KING, 1ST BARON (1669-1734)
• KING, CHARLES WILLIAM (1818-1888)
• KING, CLARENCE (1842–1901)
• KING, EDWARD (1612–1637)
• KING, EDWARD (1829–1910)
• KING, HENRY (1591-1669)
• KING, RUFUS (1755–1827)
• KING, THOMAS (1730–1805)
• KING, WILLIAM (1650-1729)
• KING, WILLIAM (1663–1712)

King See also:

• LOUIS
• LOUIS (804–876)
• LOUIS (893–911)
• LOUIS, JOSEPH DOMINIQUE, BARON (1755-1837)
• LOUIS, or LEWIS (from the Frankish Chlodowich, Chlodwig, Latinized as Chlodowius, Lodhuwicus, Lodhuvicus, whence-in the Strassburg oath of 842-0. Fr. Lodhuwigs, then Chlovis, Loys and later Louis, whence Span. Luiz and—through the Angevin kings—Hungarian

Louis XVI., and his See also:

• FATHER

father was made a See also:

• COUNT (Lat. comes, gen. comitis, Fr. comte, Ital. conte, Span. conde)

count by See also:

• NAPOLEON

Napoleon I . His father, Mathieu de Lesseps (1774-1832), was in the consular service; his See also:

• MOTHER

mother, See also:

• CATHERINE
• CATHERINE, SAINT

Catherine de Grivegnee, was See also:

• SPANISH

Spanish, and aunt of the countess of Montijo, mother of the empress See also:

• EUGENIE

Eugenie . His first years were spent in See also:

• ITALY
• ITALY (Italia)

Italy, where his father was occupied with his consular duties . He was educated at the See also:

• COLLEGE (Collegium)

College of See also:

• HENRY
• HENRY (1129-1195)
• HENRY (c. 1108-1139)
• HENRY (c. 1174–1216)
• HENRY (Fr. Henri; Span. Enrique; Ger. Heinrich; Mid. H. Ger. Heinrich and Heimrich; O.H.G. Haimi- or Heimirih, i.e. " prince, or chief of the house," from O.H.G. heim, the Eng. home, and rih, Goth. reiks; compare Lat. rex " king "—" rich," therefore " mig
• HENRY, EDWARD LAMSON (1841– )
• HENRY, JAMES (1798-1876)
• HENRY, JOSEPH (1797-1878)
• HENRY, MATTHEW (1662-1714)
• HENRY, PATRICK (1736–1799)
• HENRY, PRINCE OF BATTENBERG (1858-1896)
• HENRY, ROBERT (1718-1790)
• HENRY, VICTOR (1850– )
• HENRY, WILLIAM (1795-1836)

Henry IV. in See also:

• PARIS
• PARIS (also called ALEXANDROS)
• PARIS, ALEXIS PAULIN (1800-x881)
• PARIS, BRUNO PAULIN GASTON (1839-1903)
• PARIS, FRANCOIS DE (169o-1727)
• PARIS, LOUIS PHILIPPE ALBERT
• PARIS, TREATIES OF (1814-1815)

Paris . From the See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age of 18 years to 20 he was employed in the See also:

• COMMISSARY (from Med. Lat. commissaries, one to whom a charge or trust is committed)

commissary See also:

• DEPARTMENT (Fr. departement, from departir, to separate into parts)

department of the See also:

• ARMY
• ARMY (from Fr. armee, Lat. armata)

army . From 1825 to 1827 he acted as assistant See also:

• VICE

vice-See also:

• CONSUL
• CONSUL (in Gr. generally ihraros,ashortened form of errpavgybs 8hraeos, i.e. praetor maximus)

consul at See also:

• LISBON (Lisboa)

Lisbon, where his uncle, See also:

• BARTHELEMY
• BARTHELEMY, ANATOLE
• BARTHELEMY, AUGUSTE MARSEILLE (1796–1867)
• BARTHELEMY, FRANCOIS, MARQUIS DE (1747 or 1750-1830)
• BARTHELEMY, JEAN JACQUES (1716–1795)

Barthelemy de Lesseps, was the French See also:

• CHARGE
• CHARGE (through the Fr. from the Late Lat. carricare, to load in a carrus or wagon; cf. " cargo ")

charge d'affaires .

This uncle was an old See also:

• COMPANION (through the O. Fr. compaignon or compagnon, from the Late Lat. companio,—cum, with, and panis, bread,—one who shares meals with another; the word has been wrongly derived from the Late Lat. compagnus, one of the same pages or district)

companion of La Perouse and a survivor of the expedition in which that navigator perished . In 1828 Ferdinand was sent as an assist-See also:

• ANT
• ANT (O. Eng. aemete, from Teutonic a, privative, and maitan, cut or bite off, i.e. " the biter off "; aemete in Middle English became differentiated in dialect use to (mete, then amte, and so ant, and also to emete, whence the synonym " emmet," now only u

ant vice-consul to See also:

• TUNIS

Tunis, where his father was consul-See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general . He courageously aided the See also:

• ESCAPE (in mid. Eng. eschape or escape, from the O. Fr. eschapper, modern echapper, and escaper, low Lat. escapium, from ex, out of, and cappa, cape, cloak; cf. for the sense development the Gr. iichueoOat, literally to put off one's clothes, hence to sli

escape of Youssouff, pursued by the soldiers of the See also:

• BEY (a modern Turk. word, the older form being beg, cf. Pers. baig)

bey, of whom he was one of the See also:

• OFFICERS

officers, for violation of the seraglio See also:

• LAW
• LAW (0. Eng. lagu, M. Eng. lawe; from an old Teutonic root lag, " lie," what lies fixed or evenly; cf. Lat. lex, Fr. loi)
• LAW, JOHN (1671—1729)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)

law . Youssouff acknowledged this See also:

• PROTECTION

protection given by a Frenchman by distinguishing himself in the ranks of the French army at the time of the See also:

• CONQUEST

conquest of See also:

• ALGERIA
• ALGERIA (Algerie)

Algeria . Ferdinand de Lesseps was also entrusted by his father with See also:

• MISSIONS (Lat. missio, a sending)

missions to See also:

• MARSHAL (med. Lat. marescalcus, from O.H.Ger. marah, horse, and scalc, servant)

Marshal Count See also:

• CLAUSEL (more correctly CLAUZEL), BERTRAND, COUNT (1772–1842)

Clausel, general-in-See also:

• CHIEF (from Fr. chef, head, Lat. caput)

chief of the army of occupation in Algeria . The marshal wrote to Mathieu de Lesseps on the 18th of See also:

• DECEMBER (Lat. decent, ten)

December 1830: " I have had the See also:

• PLEASURE (through Fr. plaisir from Lat. placere, to please; Gr. rlbovii)

pleasure of See also:

• MEETING (from " to meet," to come together, assemble, 0. Eng. metals ; cf. Du. moeten, Swed. mota, Goth. gamotjan, &c., derivatives of the Teut. word for a meeting, seen in O. Eng. Wit, moot, an assembly of the people; cf. witanagemot)

meeting your son, who gives promise of sustaining with great See also:

• CREDIT (Lat. credere, to believe)

credit the name he bears." In 1832 Ferdinand de Lesseps was appointed vice-consul at See also:

• ALEXANDRIA
• ALEXANDRIA (Arab. Iskenderia)

Alexandria . To the placing in See also:

• QUARANTINE (Fr. quarantaine, a period of forty days 1)

quarantine of the See also:

• VESSEL (O. Fr. vaissel, from a rare Lat. vascellum, dim. of vas, vase, urn)

vessel which took him to See also:

• EGYPT

Egypt is due the origin of his great conception of a canal across the See also:

• ISTHMUS (Gr.io0pbs, neck)

isthmus of Suez . In See also:

• ORDER
• ORDER (through Fr. ordre, for earlier ordene, from Lat. ordo, ordinis, rank, service, arrangement; the ultimate source is generally taken to be the root seen in Lat. oriri, rise, arise, begin; cf. " origin ")
• ORDER, HOLY

order to help him to while away the time at the See also:

• LAZARETTO

lazaretto, M . Mimaut, consul-general of See also:

• FRANCE
• FRANCE, ANATOLE (1844– )

France at Alexandria, sent him several books, among which was the memoir written upon the Suez Canal, according to See also:

• BONAPARTE

Bonaparte's instructions, by the See also:

• CIVIL

civil engineer Lapere, one of the scientific members of the French expedition . This See also:

• WORK

work struck de Lesseps's See also:

• IMAGINATION

imagination, and gave him the See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea of piercing the See also:

• AFRICAN

African isthmus . This idea, moreover, was conceived in circumstances that were to prepare the way for its realization . Mehemet See also:

• ALI

Ali, who was the See also:

• VICEROY (from O. Fr. viceroy, mod. viceroi, i.e. Lat. vice, in place of, and roy or roi, king)

viceroy of Egypt, owed his position, to a certain extent, to the recommendations made in his behalf to the French See also:

• GOVERNMENT
• GOVERNMENT (0. Fr. governement, mod. gouvernement, O. Fr. governer, mod. gouverner, from Lat. gubernare, to steer a ship, guide, rule; cf. Gr. xv(3epvav)

government by Mathieu de Lesseps, who was consul-general in Egypt when Mehemet Ali was a See also:

• SIMPLE

simple See also:

• COLONEL (derived either from Lat. column, Fr. colonne, column, or Lat. corona, a crown)

colonel .

The viceroy therefore welcomed Ferdinand affectionately, while Said Pacha, Mehemet's son, began those friendly relations that he did not forget later, when he gave him the concession for making the Suez Canal . In 1833 Ferdinand de Lesseps was sent as consul to See also:

• CAIRO
• CAIRO (Arabic Misr-al-Kahira, or simply Misr)

Cairo, and soon afterwards given the management of the consulate-general at Alexandria, a See also:

• POST

post that he held until 1837 . While he was there a terrible epidemic of the See also:

• PLAGUE (in Gr. Xotµos; in Lat. pestis, pestilentia)

plague See also:

• BROKE, or BROOKE, ARTHUR (d. 1563)
• BROKE, SIR PHILIP BOWES VERE, BART

broke out and lasted for two years, carrying off more than a third of the inhabitants of Cairo and Alexandria . During this time he went from one See also:

• CITY (through Fr. cite, from Lat. civitas)

city to the other, according as the danger was more pressing, and constantly displayed an admirable zeal and an imperturbable See also:

• ENERGY (from the Gr. ivipyela; iv, in, ipyov, work)

energy . Towards the See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close of the See also:

• YEAR

year 1837 he returned to France, and on the 21st of December married Mlle Agathe Delamalle, daughter of the government prosecuting See also:

• ATTORNEY (from O. Fr. atorne, a person appointed to act for another, from atourner, legal Lat. attornare, attorn, literally to turn over to another or commit business to another)

attorney at the See also:

• COURT
• COURT (from the O. Fr. court, Late Lat. cortis, curtis, a popular form of class. Lat. cohors, gen. cohortis; the mod. Fr. form tour is due to the influence of the Lat. curia, the word used in medieval documents to translate " court " in the feudal sense)
• COURT, ANTOINE (1696-176o)

court of See also:

• ANGERS

Angers . By this See also:

• MARRIAGE

marriage M. de Lesseps became the father of five sons . In 1839 he was appointed consul at See also:

• ROTTERDAM

Rotterdam, and in the following year transferred to See also:

• MALAGA

Malaga, the See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place of origin of his mother's family . In 1842 he was sent to See also:

• BARCELONA

Barcelona, and soon afterwards promoted to the grade of consul-general . In the course of a bloody insurrection in See also:

• CATALONIA (Cataluna)

Catalonia, which ended in the See also:

• BOMBARDMENT

bombardment of Barcelona, Ferdinand de Lesseps showed the most persistent bravery, rescuing from See also:

• DEATH

death, without distinction, the men belonging to the See also:

• RIVAL

rival factions, and protecting and sending away not only the Frenchmen who were in danger, but foreigners of all nationalities . From 1848 to 1849 he was See also:

• MINISTER (Lat. minister, servant)

minister of France at See also:

• MADRID

Madrid . In the latter year the government of the French See also:

• REPUBLIC (Lat. respublica, a commonweal or common-wealth)

Republic confided to him a See also:

• MISSION

mission to See also:

• ROME
• ROME (Roma)

Rome at the moment when it was a question whether the expelled See also:

• POPE (Gr. irarraas, post-classical Lat. papa, father)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1688–1744)
• POPE, ALEXANDER (1763-1835)
• POPE, JANE (1742-1818)
• POPE, JOHN (1822-1892)
• POPE, SIR THOMAS (c. 1507-1559)

pope would return to the Vatican with or without bloodshed . Following his See also:

• INTERPRETATION (from Lat. interpretari, to expound, explain, inter pres, an agent, go-between, interpreter; inter, between, and the root pret-, possibly connected with that seen either in Greek 4 p4'ew, to speak, or irpa-rrecv, to do)

interpretation of the instructions he had received, de Lesseps began negotiations with the existing government at Rome, according to which See also:

• PIUS

Pius IX. should See also:

• PEACE
• PEACE, BREACH OF THE

peace-fully re-enter the Vatican and the See also:

• INDEPENDENCE
• INDEPENDENCE, DECLARATION OF
• INDEPENDENCE, WAR OF

independence of the See also:

• ROMANS
• ROMANS, EPISTLE TO THE

Romans be assured at the same time .

But while he was negotiating, the elections in France had caused a See also:

• CHANGE (derived through the Fr. from the Late Lat. cambium, cambiare, to barter; the ultimate derivation is probably from the root which appears in the Gr. «a urmu', to bend)

change in the See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign policy of the government . His course was disapproved; he was re-called and brought before the See also:

• COUNCIL (Lat. concilium, from cum, together, and the root cal, to call)

council of See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state, which blamed his conduct without giving him a See also:

• CHANCE (through the O. Fr. cheance, from the Late Lat. cadentia, things happening, from cadere, to fall out, happen; cf. " case ")

chance to justify himself . Rome, attacked by the French army, was taken by See also:

• ASSAULT (from Lat. ad, to or on, and saltare, to leap)

assault after a See also:

• MONTH
• MONTH (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. Mond, Du. maand, Dan. maaned, &c., and cognate with Lat. mensis, Gr. µi7v, &c., in other branches of the Indo-Germanic family; all ultimately from the root seen in the word for the moon in nearly all those languages

month's sanguinary See also:

• SIEGE (0. Fr. sege, siege, mod. siege, seat, ultimately from sedere, to sit, cf. Class. Lat. obsidium, a siege)

siege . M. de Lesseps then retired from the diplomatic service, and never afterwards occupied any public See also:

• OFFICE (from Lat. officium, " duty," " service," a shortened form of opifacium, from facere, " to do," and either the stem of opes, " wealth," " aid," or opus, " work ")

office . In 1853 he lost his wife and daughter at a few days' See also:

• INTERVAL

interval . Perhaps his energy would not have been sufficient to sustain him against these repeated blows of destiny if, in 1854, the accession to the viceroyalty of Egypt of his old friend, Said Pacha, had not given a new impulse to the ideas that had haunted him for the last twenty-two years concerning the Suez Canal . Said Pacha invited M. de Lesseps to pay him a visit, and on the 7th of November 1854 he landed at Alexandria; on the 3oth of the same month Said Pacha signed the concession authorizing M. de Lesseps to See also:

• PIERCE, FRANKLIN (1804—1869)

pierce the isthmus of Suez . A first See also:

• SCHEME (Lat. schema, Gr. oxfjya, figure, form, from the root axe, seen in exeiv, to have, hold, to be of such shape, form, &c.)

scheme, indicated by him, was immediately See also:

• DRAWN

drawn out by two French See also:

• ENGINEERS, MILITARY

engineers who were in the See also:

• EGYPTIAN

Egyptian service, MM . Linant Bey and Mougel Bey . This project, differing from others that had been previously presented or that were in opposition to it, provided for a See also:

• DIRECT

direct communication between the Mediterranean and the Red See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

Sea . After being slightly modified, the See also:

• PLAN
• PLAN (from Lat. planes, flat)

plan was adopted in 1856 by an See also:

• INTERNATIONAL, THE

international See also:

• COMMISSION (from Lat. commissio, committere)

commission of civil engineers to which it had been submitted . Encouraged by this approval, de Lesseps no longer allowed anything to stop him .

He listened to no adverse See also:

• CRITICISM
• CRITICISM (from the Gr. KpiTrlS, a judge, Kpivew, to decide, to give an authoritative opinion)

criticism and receded before no obstacle . Neither the opposition of See also:

• LORD
• LORD (O. Eng. hldford, i.e. hldfweard, the warder or keeper of bread, hlIf, loaf; the word is not represented in any other Teutonic language)
• LORD, JOHN (1810-1894)

Lord See also:

• PALMERSTON
• PALMERSTON, HENRY JOHN TEMPLE, 3RD VISCOUNT (1784-1865)

Palmerston, who considered the projected disturbance as too See also:

• RADICAL (Lat. radix, a root)

radical not to endanger the commercial position of Great See also:

• BRITAIN (Gr. Hperavuml vi7vot, Bperravia; Lat. Britannia, rarely Britannia)

Britain, nor the opinions entertained, in France as well as in See also:

• ENGLAND
• ENGLAND, THE CHURCH OF

England, that the sea in front of See also:

• PORT

Port Said was full of mud which would obstruct the entrance to the canal, that the sands from the See also:

• DESERT

desert would fill the trenches—no adverse See also:

• ARGUMENT

argument, in a word, could dishearten Ferdinand de Lesseps . His faith made him believe that his adversaries were in the wrong; but how great must have been this faith, which permitted him to undertake the work at a time when See also:

• MECHANICAL

mechanical appliances for the See also:

• EXECUTION (from Lat. ex-sequor, exsecutus, follow or carry out)

execution of such an undertaking did not exist, and when for the utilization of the proposed canal there was as yet no See also:

• STEAM
• STEAM (0. Eng. steam, vapour, smoke, cf. Du. steam; the origin is unknown)

steam See also:

• MERCANTILE (or COMMERCIAL) AGENCIES

mercantile marine ! Impelled by his convictions and See also:

• TALENT (Lat. talentum, adaptation of Gr. TaXavrov, balance, ! Recollections of a First Visit to the Alps (1841); Vacation Rambles weight, from root raX-, to lift, as in rXi vac, to bear, 1-aXas, and Thoughts, comprising recollections of three Continental

talent, supported by the See also:

• EMPEROR (Fr. empereur, from the Lat. imperator)

emperor Napoleon III. and the empress Eugenie, he succeeded in rousing the patriotism of the French and obtaining by their subscriptions more than See also:

• HALF

half of the See also:

• CAPITAL (i.e. capital stock or fund)
• CAPITAL (Lat. caput, head)

capital of two See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred millions of francs which he needed in order to See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form a See also:

• COMPANY

company . The Egyptian government subscribed for eighty millions' See also:

• WORTH
• WORTH, CHARLES FREDERICK (1825-1895)

worth of shares . The company was organized at the end of 1858 . On the 25th of See also:

• APRIL

April 1859 the first See also:

• BLOW, JOHN (1648-1708)

blow of the pickaxe was given by Lesseps at Port Said, and on the 17th of November 1869 the canal was officially opened by the See also:

• KHEDIVE

Khedive, See also:

• ISMAIL (1830-1895)

Ismail Pacha (see SUEZ CANAL) . While in the interests of his canal Lesseps had resisted the opposition of See also:

• BRITISH

British See also:

• DIPLOMACY (Fr. diplomatic)

diplomacy to an enterprise which threatened to give to France See also:

• CONTROL (Fr. contrdle, older form contre rolle, from Med. Lat. contra-rotulus, a counter roll or copy of a document used to check the original; there is no instance in English of the use of " control " in this, its literal, meaning)

control of the shortest route to See also:

• INDIA
• INDIA, FRENCH

India, he acted loyally towards Great Britain after Lord See also:

• BEACONSFIELD
• BEACONSFIELD, BENJAMIN DISRAELI, EARL OF

Beaconsfield had acquired the Suez shares belonging to the Khedive, by frankly admitting to the See also:

• BOARD (O. Eng. bord)

board of See also:

• DIRECTORS

directors of the company three representatives of the British government . The consolidation of interests which resulted, and which has been See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed by the addition in 1884 of seven other British directors, chosen from among See also:

• SHIPPING

shipping merchants and business men, has augmented, for the benefit of all concerned, the commercial See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of the enterprise . Ferdinand de Lesseps steadily endeavoured to keep out of politics . If in 1869 he appeared to deviate from this principle by being a See also:

• CANDIDATE

candidate at See also:

• MARSEILLES

Marseilles for the See also:

• CORPS (pronounced as in French, from which it is taken, being a late spelling of tors, from Lat. corpus, a body; cf. " corpse ")

Corps Legislatif, it was because he yielded to the entreaties of the Imperial government in order to strengthen its See also:

• GOODWILL

goodwill for the Suez 1 Canal . Once this goodwill had been shown, he See also:

• BORE

bore no malice towards those who rendered him his See also:

• LIBERTY (Lat. libertas, from liber, free)

liberty by preferring See also:

• GAMBETTA, LEON (1838-1882)

Gambetta .

He afterwards declined the other candidatures that were offered him: for the See also:

• SENATE (Lat. senatus, from root sen-, as in senex, old; the root is the Sanskrit sana, cf. Gr. 'vos; the same element appears in senor, seigneur, seneschal)

Senate in 1876, and for the Chamber in 1877 . In 1873 he became interested in a project for uniting See also:

• EUROPE

Europe and See also:

• ASIA

Asia by a railway to Bombay, with a See also:

• BRANCH (from the Fr. branche, late Lat. branca, an animal's paw)

branch to See also:

• PEKING, or PEKIN

Peking . He subsequently encouraged See also:

• MAJOR
• MAJOR (Lat. for " greater ")
• MAJOR (or MAIR), JOHN (1470-1550)

Major Roudaire, who wished to transform the See also:

• SAHARA

Sahara desert into an inland sea . The king of the Belgians having formed an International African Society, de Lesseps accepted the See also:

• PRESIDENCY

presidency of the French See also:

• COMMITTEE (from commute, an Anglo-Fr. past participle of commettre, Lat. committere, to entrust; the modern Fr. equivalent comite is derived from the Eng.)

committee, facilitated M. de Brazza's explorations, and acquired stations that he subsequently abandoned to the French government . These stations were the starting-point of French See also:

• CONGO

Congo . In 1879 a See also:

• CONGRESS (Lat. congressus, coming together, from congredi; cum, with, and gradus, step)

congress assembled in the rooms of the See also:

• GEOGRAPHICAL

Geographical Society at Paris, under the presidency of See also:

• ADMIRAL

Admiral de la Ronciere le Noury, and voted in favour of the making of the See also:

• PANAMA

Panama Canal . Public See also:

• OPINION (Lat. opinio, from opinari, to think)

opinion, it may be declared, designated Ferdinand de Lesseps as the See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head of the enterprise . It was upon that occasion that Gambetta bestowed upon him the See also:

• TITLE (0. Fr. title, mod. titre, from Lat. titulus)

title of Le See also:

• GRAND

Grand See also:

• FRANCAIS, ANTOINE, COUNT (1756-1836)

Francais . He was not a See also:

• MAN
• MAN, ISLE OF (anc. Mona)

man to shirk responsibility, and notwithstanding that he had reached the age of 74, he undertook to carry out the Panama Canal project (see PANAMA CANAL and FRANCE: See also:

• HISTORY

History) . Politics, which de Lesseps had always avoided, was his greatest enemy in this See also:

• MATTER

matter . The winding-up of the Panama Company having been declared in the month of December 1888, the adversaries of the French Republic, seeking for a See also:

• SCANDAL

scandal that would imperil the government, hoped to bring about the See also:

• PROSECUTION

prosecution of the directors of the Panama Company . Their attacks were so vigorously made that the government was obliged, in self-See also:

• DEFENCE
• DEFENCE (Lat. defendere, to defend)

defence, to have judicial proceedings taken against Ferdinand de Lesseps, his son Charles (b .

1849) and his co-workers See also:

• FONTANE, THEODOR (1819-1898)

Fontane and Cottu . Charles de Lesseps, a victim offered to the fury of the politicians, tried to divert the See also:

• STORM (in O. Eng..storm, and so in Du. and Low Ger.; in O. H. Ger. and mod. Ger. Sturm; the root is probably that seen in " stir," to rouse, move, disturb, cf. Ger. storen)
• STORM, THEODOR WOLDSEN (1817-1888)

storm upon his head and prevent it from reaching his father . He managed to draw down upon himself alone the See also:

• BURDEN, or BURTHEN

burden of the condemnations pronounced . One of the consequences of the persecutions of which he was the See also:

• OBJECT

object was to oblige him to spend three years, from 1896 to 1899, in England, where his participation in the management of the Suez Canal had won for him some strong friendships, and where he was able to see the great respect in which the memory and name of his father were held by Englishmen . Ferdinand de Lesseps died at La Chenaie on the 7th of December 1894 . He had contracted a second marriage in 1869 with Mlle Autard de Bragard, daughter of a former See also:

• MAGISTRATE (Lat. magistratus, from magister, master, properly a public office, hence the person holding such an office)

magistrate of See also:

• MAURITIUS

Mauritius; and eleven out of twelve See also:

• CHILDREN, LAW RELATING TO

children of this marriage survived him . M. de Lesseps was a member of the French See also:

• ACADEMY, GREEK
• ACADEMY, ROYAL

Academy, of the Academy of Sciences, of numerous scientific See also:

• SOCIETIES, LEARNED

societies, Grand See also:

• CROSS

Cross of the See also:

• LEGION (Lat. legio)

Legion of See also:

• HONOUR (Lat. honos or lwnor, honoris; in English the word was spelled with or without the u indifferently until the 17th century, but during the 18th century it became fashion-able to spell the word " honor "; Johnson's and Webster's Dictionaries stereoty

Honour and of the See also:

• STAR

Star of India, and had received the freedom of the City of See also:

• LONDON

London . According to some accounts he was unconscious of the disastrous events that took place during the closing months of his See also:

• LIFE

life . Others See also:

• REPORT (O.Fr. report or raport, modern rapport, from O.Fr. reporter, mod. rap porter, Lat. reportare, to bring back, in poetical use only, of bringing back an account, news, &c.)

report that, feeling himself powerless to scatter the gathered clouds, and aware of his See also:

• PHYSICAL

physical feebleness, he had had the moral courage to pass in the eyes of his family, which he did not wish to afflict, as the dupe of the efforts they employed to conceal the truth from him . This last version would not be surprising if we relied upon the following portrait, sketched by a See also:

• PERSON, OFFENCES AGAINST THE

person who knew him intimately:—" Simple in his tastes, never thinking of himself, constantly preoccupied about others, supremely See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind, he did not and would not recognize such a thing as evil . Of a confiding nature, he was inclined to judgesothers by himself . This naturally affectionate abandonmen'T that every one See also:

• FELT (cognate with Ger. Filz, Du. vilt, Swed. and Dan. fill; the root is unknown; the word has given Med. Lat. filtrum, " filter ")

felt in him had procured him profound attachments and rare devotions .

He showed, while making the Suez Canal, what a See also:

• GIFT (a common Teutonic word, cf. Ger. die Gift, gift, das Gift, poison, formed from the Teut. stem gab-, to give, cf. Dutch geven, Ger. geben; in O. Eng. the word appears with initial y, the guttural of later English is due to Scandinavian influence)

gift he possessed for levying the pacific armies he See also:

• CON

con-ducted . He set See also:

• DUTY (from " due," that which is owing, O. Fr. deu, dil, past participle of devoir; Lat. debere, debitum; cf. " debt ")

duty above everything, had in the highest degree a reverence for honour, and placed his indomitable courage at the service of everything that was beneficial with an abnegation that nothing could See also:

• TIRE

tire . His marvellous physical and moral See also:

• EQUILIBRIUM (from the Lat. aequus, equal, and libra, a balance)

equilibrium gave him an evenness of See also:

• TEMPER (from Lat. temperare, to mingle or compound in due proportion, to qualify, rule, regulate, to be moderate, formed from tempos, time, fit or due season)

temper which alwaysrenaered his society charming . Whatever his cares, his work or his troubles, I have never noticed in him aught but generous impulses and a love of humanity carried even to those heroic imprudences of which they alone are capable who devote them-selves to the amelioration of humanity." No doubt this eulogy requires some reservations . The striking and universal success which crowned his work on the Suez Canal gave him an absoluteness of thought which brooked no See also:

• CONTRADICTION, PRINCIPLE OF (principium contradictionis)

contradiction, a despotic temper before which every one must See also:

• BOW (pronounced " bo ")

bow, and against which, when he had once taken a See also:

• RESOLUTION

resolution, nothing could prevail, not even the most authoritative opposition or the most legitimate entreaties . He had resolved to construct the Panama Canal without locks, to make it an uninterrupted navigable way . All attempts to dissuade him from this resolution failed before his tenacious will . At his advanced age he went with his youngest See also:

• CHILD
• CHILD, FRANCIS JAMES (1825-1896)
• CHILD, L
• CHILD, LYDIA MARIA (1802-1880)
• CHILD, SIR FRANCIS (1642-1713)
• CHILD, SIR JOHN (d. 1690)
• CHILD, SIR JOSIAH (163o - 1699)

child to Panama to see with his own eyes the See also:

• FIELD (a word common to many West German languages, cf. Ger. Feld, Dutch veld, possibly cognate with O.E. f olde, the earth, and ultimately with root of the Gr. irAaror, broad)
• FIELD, CYRUS WEST (1819-1892)
• FIELD, DAVID DUDLEY (18o5-1894)
• FIELD, EUGENE (1850-1895)
• FIELD, FREDERICK (18o1—1885)
• FIELD, HENRY MARTYN (1822-1907)
• FIELD, JOHN (1782—1837)
• FIELD, MARSHALL (183 1906)
• FIELD, NATHAN (1587—1633)
• FIELD, STEPHEN JOHNSON (1816-1899)
• FIELD, WILLIAM VENTRIS FIELD, BARON (1813-1907)

field of his new enterprise . He there beheld the See also:

• CULEBRA

Culebra and the See also:

• CHAGRES

Chagres; he saw the See also:

• MOUNTAIN (0. Fr. montaigne; popular Lat. montanea, an adjectival form from the classical mons, montis, whence Eng. " mount," a form usually used along with the name of an individual mountain, e.g. Mt Everest)
• MOUNTAIN, THE (La Montagne)

mountain and the stream, those two greatest obstacles of nature that sought to See also:

• BAR
• BAR (0. Fr. barre, Late Lat. barra, origin unknown)
• BAR, CONFEDERATION OF
• BAR, FRANCOIS DE (1538-1606)
• BAR, THE

bar his route . He paid no heed to them, but began the struggle against the Culebra and the Chagres . It was against them that was broken his invincible will, sweeping away in the defeat the work of Panama, his own See also:

• FORTUNE, ROBERT (1813-188o)

fortune, his fame and almost an See also:

• ATOM (Gr. &rows, indivisible, from a- privative, and TE,aPfw, to cut)

atom of his honour . But this atom, only grazed by calumny, has already been restored to him by posterity, for he died poor, having been the first to suffer by the disaster to his illusions .

See also:

• POLITICAL

Political See also:

• AGITATORS, or ADJUTATORS

agitators, in order to See also:

• SAP

sap the See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power of the Opportunist party, did not hesitate to See also:

• DRAG (from the Old Eng. dragan, to draw; the word preserves the g which phonetically developed into w)

drag in the mud one of the greatest citizens of France . But when the Panama " scandal " has been forgotten, for centuries to come the traveller in saluting the statue of Ferdinand de Lesseps at the entrance of the Suez Canal will pay See also:

• HOMAGE (from homo, through the Low Lat. hominaticum, which occurs in a document of 1035)

homage to one of the most powerful embodiments of the creative See also:

• GENIUS (from Lat. genere, gignere)

genius of the 19th century . See G . See also:

• BARNETT, JOHN (1802–1890)
• BARNETT, SAMUEL AUGUSTUS (1844– )

Barnett See also:

• SMITH
• SMITH, ADAM (1723–1790)
• SMITH, ALEXANDER (183o-1867)
• SMITH, ANDREW JACKSON (1815-1897)
• SMITH, CHARLES EMORY (1842–1908)
• SMITH, CHARLES FERGUSON (1807–1862)
• SMITH, CHARLOTTE (1749-1806)
• SMITH, COLVIN (1795—1875)
• SMITH, EDMUND KIRBY (1824-1893)
• SMITH, G
• SMITH, GEORGE (1789-1846)
• SMITH, GEORGE (184o-1876)
• SMITH, GEORGE ADAM (1856- )
• SMITH, GERRIT (1797–1874)
• SMITH, GOLDWIN (1823-191o)
• SMITH, HENRY BOYNTON (1815-1877)
• SMITH, HENRY JOHN STEPHEN (1826-1883)
• SMITH, HENRY PRESERVED (1847– )
• SMITH, JAMES (1775–1839)
• SMITH, JOHN (1579-1631)
• SMITH, JOHN RAPHAEL (1752–1812)
• SMITH, JOSEPH, JR
• SMITH, MORGAN LEWIS (1822–1874)
• SMITH, RICHARD BAIRD (1818-1861)
• SMITH, ROBERT (1689-1768)
• SMITH, SIR HENRY GEORGE WAKELYN
• SMITH, SIR THOMAS (1513-1577)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM (1813-1893)
• SMITH, SIR WILLIAM SIDNEY (1764-1840)
• SMITH, SYDNEY (1771-1845)
• SMITH, THOMAS SOUTHWOOD (1788-1861)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (1769-1839)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (c. 1730-1819)
• SMITH, WILLIAM (fl. 1596)
• SMITH, WILLIAM FARRAR (1824—1903)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1808—1872)
• SMITH, WILLIAM HENRY (1825—1891)
• SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON (1846-'894)

Smith, The Life and Enterprises of Ferdinand de Lesseps (London, 1893) ; and Souvenirs de guarante ans, by Ferdinand de Lesseps (trans. by C . B . See also:

• PITMAN

Pitman) .