Jacques-Marie Le Père
Encyclopedia
Jacques-Marie Le Père was a French civil engineer.
, built by Necho II
between the River Nile and Suez Gulf and improved by Ptolemy II, he was commissioned by Bonaparte to edit an account of the Canal. He was made a member of the Institut d'Égypte
on 22 August 1798, in the mathematics section.
With his brother Gratien
and other engineers working alongside them, he carried out three building programmes (from 19 January to 5 February 1799, in September 1799, and finally in November to December 1799) to measure the levels
of the isthmus, in difficult conditions due to Bedouin attacks and the lack of water. In the rain, he concluded that there was a 9 m difference between the levels of the Mediterranean and Red Sea
, an error which persisted until the measurements carried out by Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
in 1847.
After his return to France, he spent a long time as divisional inspector of 'ponts et chaussées' in Paris, then as inspector of Paris from 1822 to 1830.
Life
He accompanied the French Campaign in Egypt and Syria, was director of 'Ponts et Chaussées' (bridges and roads) in Egypt. After accompanying the expedition to the remains of the Canal of the PharaohsCanal of the Pharaohs
The Canal of the Pharaohs also called the Ancient Suez Canal or Necho's Canal is the forerunner of the Suez Canal, constructed in ancient times. It followed a different course than its modern counterpart, by linking the Nile to the Red Sea via the Wadi Tumilat. Work begun under the Pharaohs...
, built by Necho II
Necho II
Necho II was a king of the Twenty-sixth dynasty of Egypt .Necho II is most likely the pharaoh mentioned in several books of the Bible . The Book of Kings states that Necho met King Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah at Megiddo and killed him...
between the River Nile and Suez Gulf and improved by Ptolemy II, he was commissioned by Bonaparte to edit an account of the Canal. He was made a member of the Institut d'Égypte
Institut d'Égypte
The Institut d’Égypte was a learned academy formed by Napoleon Bonaparte to carry out research during his Egyptian campaign.-Early work:It first met on 24 August 1798, with Gaspard Monge as president, Bonaparte himself as vice-president and Joseph Fourier and Costaz as secretaries...
on 22 August 1798, in the mathematics section.
With his brother Gratien
Gratien Le Père
Gratien Le Père was a French civil engineer.A former classmate of Bonaparte at Brienne, he became an engineer of 'Ponts et Chaussées'...
and other engineers working alongside them, he carried out three building programmes (from 19 January to 5 February 1799, in September 1799, and finally in November to December 1799) to measure the levels
Levelling
Levelling or leveling is a branch of surveying, the object of which is1) To find the elevation of a given point with respect to the given or assumed Datum.2) to establish a point at a given elevation with respect to the given or assumed Datum....
of the isthmus, in difficult conditions due to Bedouin attacks and the lack of water. In the rain, he concluded that there was a 9 m difference between the levels of the Mediterranean and Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
, an error which persisted until the measurements carried out by Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
Paul-Adrien Bourdaloue
Paul Adrien Bourdaloue was a French civil engineer and topographer, who proposed the first orthometric levelling of France.-Life:...
in 1847.
After his return to France, he spent a long time as divisional inspector of 'ponts et chaussées' in Paris, then as inspector of Paris from 1822 to 1830.
Works
- Mémoire sur la communication de la mer des Indes à la Méditerranée par la mer Rouge et l’isthme de Soueys, in Description de l'ÉgypteDescription de l'EgypteDescription de l'Égypte is the title of several books.* Description de l'Égypte - Description de l'Égypte ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française Pub; First Edition , L'Imprimerie Imperiale, 1809-1813; l'Imprimerie...
, l'État moderne, vol XI, Paris, Imprimerie Panckouke, 1822. - Mémoire sur la vallée du Nil et le nilomètre de l'île de Roudah, in Description de l'Égypte, l'État moderne II (2e Partie) (p. 527 - 570), Imprimerie Royale, Paris, 1822