198 Mr. A. J. Cholmley on the Birds of 



After four days' sailing we reached Koseir, a very dilapi- 

 dated-looking place, much decayed since the opening of the 

 Suez Canal, as there were many houses, used formerly as 

 consulates and merchants' dwellings, all more or less in a 

 ruinous state. The trade of the place must have been very 

 large, as it is said that 3000 camels used to arrive every day, 

 and it was a point from which pilgrims sailed for Mecca. 



On our way to Berenice we anchored one night in a small 

 bay, where one of our party shot two Ospreys, Avhich fell 

 into the water, and were promptly taken down by some large 

 fishes, probably sharks, which abound in these seas. Another 

 night we stopped just inside Ras Benas, onthe point of which 

 dwells a holy man in a wretched hut, surrounded by desert, 

 with no sign of life or vegetation. Our crew took him, what 

 no doubt he considered, a very handsome present of tallow 

 candles. This night a Booby [Sula fiber) came on board to 

 roost, and was captured. 



The Bay of Berenice, most properly called " Foul Bay " on 

 the charts, is full of coral-reefs, and is a most dangerous place 

 to navigate, many of the reefs being only just below the 

 surface of the water. Two or three of the crew usually stood 

 in the bows when navigation became difficult, and sometimes 

 the captain climbed to the mast-head, whence he directed 

 our course. 



We arrived at Berenice on the 3rd of January. As we 

 came into the bay, two dhows which were anchored there 

 promptly departed; and we could see a few Arabs driving off 

 their camels and sheep, seemingly in a great fright. The 

 slave-trade is still carried on along this coast, the numerous 

 land-locked bays making it singularly adapted for the purpose, 

 while a run of a few hours across the Red Sea to the eastern 

 side places the traders and their goods in safety. The country 

 all round Berenice is nothing but sandy and stony desert, 

 extending for about ten miles to a range of high rocky 

 mountains with a singularly jagged outline. The desert has 

 a few bushes of tamarisk and mesenibryanthemum scattered 

 sparsely about. There were small troops of White Egrets 

 and Spoonbills Avading in the shallow water on the edge 



