Chapter 1441: In the Future, a Great Canal Will Be Here
Chapter 1441: In the Future, a Great Canal Will Be Here
Even though Muhammad Ali was usually a man of great composure, he could not help but widen his eyes in surprise. "You mean... an iron smeltery?"
Talleyrand nodded. "Indeed. And not just any factory, but one capable of producing high-quality steel suitable for cannons.
"Oh, you need not worry about the technical side. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has specially granted your factory permission to join the French Iron and Steel Technology Association. For a modest annual license fee, you will have access to all the necessary technology."
He said it as if it were a simple matter, but Joseph would certainly never allow high-end technologies like blast furnace heating or alloy steel to be shared with Egypt.
In truth, just providing common European technologies like blast furnace ironmaking and crucible steelmaking would be enough for Egypt to dominate the Middle East.
"I truly do not know how to praise His Highness's generosity!" Muhammad Ali began, but halfway through, his excitement dimmed significantly. "However, even with an iron smeltery, Egypt lacks sufficient iron ore."
At present, Egypt only possessed two very small iron mines in the Southern Desert. Not only was their output low and quality poor, but the extraction costs were prohibitively high.
Talleyrand dismissed the concern with a wave of his hand. "The Ouenza Iron Mine in Algiers was completed last year. Iron ore from there can be loaded onto ships at the Port of Annaba and reach the Port of Alexandria in less than a week."
Talleyrand, however, continued his pitch fluently. "Not just iron ore; you can also purchase coal from the Port of Marseille.
"Of course, you could use charcoal for your smeltery, but as you know, a blast furnace using coke is over twenty times more productive than one using charcoal. Furthermore, the cost of purchasing coal in bulk from Marseille should be significantly lower than the cost of gathering wood from across your country and transporting it to Cairo."
Muhammad Ali's eyes widened even further.
Egypt had almost no forest resources to speak of. If they truly tried to smelt iron by cutting down trees, the banks of the Nile River would be stripped bare within a few years.
The French had even prepared the coal for him!
Talleyrand went on: "Furthermore, the Crown Prince has authorized Egypt to join the French Textile Industry Association, which will grant you access to the new carding machines.
"This way, in the future, Egypt can export cotton slivers directly to our country instead of raw cotton.
"Oh, and there are also steam water pumps and stone fertilizer, which you will be able to purchase through the Port of Marseille. His Highness hopes you can use these tools to rapidly expand the area dedicated to cotton cultivation."
Currently, cotton was Egypt's most vital economic resource.
If Egypt acquired steam carding machines, they could efficiently de-seed raw cotton and process it into cotton slivers.
Cotton slivers could be used directly for weaving and were much easier to stack and transport. This alone could increase the profits of the Egyptian cotton industry by a quarter.
As for the water pumps and stone fertilizer, they would help Egypt reclaim arid land further from the Nile. This would directly bolster the treasury's revenue.
Muhammad Ali felt his head spinning with the sheer scale of this unexpected windfall.
Previously, his mind had been entirely occupied with how to break away from the Ottoman Sultan and become the King of Egypt. Now, with the massive aid provided by France, forget about merely controlling Egypt—he felt confident enough to march all the way to Kostantiniyye and become the Sultan himself!
However, he was well aware that since France was investing so heavily, he would have to offer equivalent benefits in return.
Thus, he stood up, filled Talleyrand's coffee cup, and asked with a respectful expression, "My dearest friend, I wonder what I must do to repay the Crown Prince for his generosity, which is as endless as the waters of the Nile?"
"His Highness only wishes for his Egyptian friends to enjoy greater order and prosperity." Talleyrand offered a few polite platitudes before shifting his tone. "Of course, in recent years, the Ottoman Sultan has increasingly disregarded his trade agreements with our country. He has not only increased taxes and fees on goods entering Anatolia and the Levant but even engages in frequent private trade with the British.
"All of this is because Kostantiniyye holds a monopoly over the markets of the Eastern Mediterranean. His Highness hopes that Egypt can become a necessary trade competitor."
He paused, his voice becoming even more casual. "Oh, additionally, His Highness wishes to secure a channel for communication with India that does not rely on the Ottomans. As you know, a shipment of supplies our country sent to Mysore recently vanished without explanation in the Arabian Sea."
"You mean... controlling the Red Sea trade route?"
"It is not that serious." Talleyrand smiled and waved his hand. "Our country only needs to lease the city area of Suez."
Muhammad Ali quickly asked, "Then what about Port Ibrahim?"
"That will naturally remain your port, provided our merchant ships can use it normally."
Muhammad Ali breathed a sigh of relief.
Suez was merely an ancient city with a population of just over three thousand. At most, it could serve as a transit warehouse for Red Sea trade.
The actual port for departure was Port Ibrahim, located to the east of the city.
In fact, let alone Muhammad Ali, even Talleyrand was quite puzzled as to why the Crown Prince didn't want Port Ibrahim and instead only wanted a crumbling old city.
At this moment, perhaps only Joseph in the entire world knew that the current Port Ibrahim, the most important port on the northern side of the Red Sea, was actually a "defective product"—its water depth was severely insufficient, making it impossible for larger ships to pass. Furthermore, the coastline was jagged and lacked breakwaters.
In history, after the Suez Canal was excavated, French experts discovered that a new port had to be built to meet the navigational needs of the canal's design.
Ultimately, they re-planned Port Taufiq in the suburbs a few kilometers from Suez to serve as the canal's auxiliary port. Port Ibrahim subsequently fell into decline.
And the suburbs of Suez were entirely within the French lease area.
"How could I refuse such a trivial request from His Highness?" Muhammad Ali nodded immediately. "His Highness may appoint a Governor of Suez at any time."
Currently, the Sinai Peninsula hardly acknowledged his rule, so Suez was essentially Egypt's eastern border. The city of Suez was just a patch of remote wasteland; it didn't matter if it was leased or even given to France outright.
Talleyrand seemed to suddenly remember something and took a sip of his coffee. "By the way, our country also hopes to obtain a trade post on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean."
Muhammad Ali's heart tightened. Were the French eyeing the Port of Alexandria?
That was the heart of Egypt's maritime trade.
He was just about to suggest they could establish a post at Port Rashid when he heard Talleyrand say, "Therefore, perhaps you could lease Famarah to our country as well."
Muhammad Ali was momentarily stunned. "Huh? Where did you say?"
"Famarah."
The man who would be King of Egypt frowned, clearly unable to recall where that was.
Talleyrand prompted him, "It is the beach at the easternmost edge of Lake Manzala."
Muhammad Ali cautiously consulted a map and confirmed that the place was indeed a godforsaken wasteland, also adjacent to the Sinai Peninsula. He immediately and readily agreed.
What he did not know was that in the future, a port named Port Said would rise from those desolate sands.
It would also serve as the northern gateway to the Suez Canal.
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