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(SUEZ CANAL) VETCH, James.
Inquiry into the Means of Establishing a Ship Navigation between the Mediterranean and Red Seas.
First edition. Uncommon, this copy inscribed "from the Author" to the Institute of Civil Engineers on the title page. Vetch was a Royal Engineers officer who served in the Peninsular War and from 1819 to 1823 was employed on the Ordnance Survey, surveying in Ireland, Orkney and the Shetlands. Subsequently he worked for the Birmingham and Gloucester Railway Company, and on drainage projects for the borough of Leeds and at Windsor Castle. "In 1843 Vetch published an Enquiry into the means of establishing a ship navigation between the Mediterranean and Red seas, after having worked on the problem since 1839. The work ran through several editions and attracted much public attention, but the government, and especially Palmerston, opposed the plan as contrary to the political interests of the country. Twelve years later Ferdinand de Lesseps, a former French diplomat who is usually credited with being the inspiration behind the Suez Canal, which opened in 1869, published his scheme, printing Vetch's opinions as an appendix to his work …In July 1846 he was appointed consulting engineer to the Admiralty on all questions relating to the harbours, rivers, and navigable waters of the United Kingdom. In 1847 he was appointed to the new harbour conservancy board at the Admiralty, and in 1853 was appointed sole conservator of harbours. He published reports between 1847 and 1859 on several harbours in the United Kingdom. From 1849 to 1853 Vetch held the time-consuming honorary office of metropolitan commissioner of sewers. " (ODNB) Boxed together with a copy of Paul Borde's L'Isthme de Suez, Paris, 1870.
Octavo, original green diagonal combed cloth, title gilt to the upper board. In an oatmeal cloth drop-back box, leather label to the spine. Folding map at the rear, routes inked in colours. Bookplate of the Institution of Civil Engineers, recording its presentation by the author, to the front pastedown, their ink stamp verso of the title page, subsequent bookplate of Henry Blackmer. Cloth a little damp-spotted, neatly recased, hinges repaired, lightly browned, else very good
