SUEZ CANAL. Draft letter, [late 1848 or early 1849], “To Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, President of the Republic”; 3½ pages, folio. An interesting proposal urging the future Napoleon III to cut through the Isthmus of Suez, inviting him to take swift action with the new governor of Egypt, in order to outmaneuver the British, and highlighting the strategic importance of such a canal, the cost of which is estimated, along with a proposal to finance the project [the canal was built from 1859 to 1869 under the direction of Ferdinand de Lesseps]. “Prince, your accession to power in France, and that of Abbas in Egypt, may provide the opportunity for an undertaking that would bring glory to the princes who govern both countries. The cutting of the Isthmus of Suez by a direct canal from Suez to Peluza—a project studied on several occasions by skilled engineers—has always been regarded not only as possible but even as technically straightforward. […] Persuading the sovereign of that country to undertake this project and providing him with the necessary means should be the dual objective of direct negotiations entrusted to France’s representative in Egypt […]. However, one may surmise that England has anticipated the canal’s construction in the near future; it has taken precautions against the effects of this eventuality by unlawfully seizing the position of Aden, which it has turned into a second Gibraltar. […] As for the financial question, an easier solution presents itself. It would consist of having the Sovereign of Egypt take out a direct and personal loan guaranteed by France, which would, in this circumstance, be doing nothing more than what it did for Greece. […]. Such are the difficulties to be resolved and the means to be employed to arrive at this solution. And what new glory would the name of Bonaparte—already so great in the East—not receive from the accomplishment of an undertaking that the entire world would applaud with enthusiasm?”… The author of this draft has not been identified.