The British and the Suez Canal

Originally, the British were opposed to the idea of the canal. They thought that it wouldn't work and repeatedly called it a "stagnant ditch". Even as work on the canal progressed, the British continued to criticize it. Articles in newspapers such as the Edinburgh Review continued to put down France's efforts. Eventually, people started to believe that the canal wouldn't succeed even though progress was evident.
The British may have continued to put down the French because they didn't want them to have access to something like the Suez Canal. They may have also thought that it was physically impossible for a canal to be indestructible in that area. Finally, many years after the canal was finished, the British began to use it.