1900] Our Pilgrim Friends 357 



the cabin, and got the captain to consent, though there was a difficulty 

 in finding men to man the boat, as all the ship's crew (there were only 

 five of them), odd men picked up at Suez, were frightened at the 

 drowning of the sailor on Thursday, and I volunteered myself, if 

 necessary, to go, and with me Suliman to run on with the news to 

 Tor; and Cockerell also would have gone and Miss Lawrence, but 

 there was no boat large enough for us all, and at last it was decided 

 that Suliman alone should go, with five of the ship's crew. He was 

 very unwilling, as he is terribly afraid of the sea', but I persuaded 

 him there was really no great danger. He bid me a solemn farewell, 

 taking off most of his clothes and handing over to me his money and 

 his passport. Then the ship's crew would have nothing to do with the 

 Caspian sea-dog as their commander, and at one time the whole plan 

 seemed as if it would break down, for Captain Ross was without 

 resource or power of command. At last, however, just on the turn of 

 the high tide, they got the boat launched and across the reef, and so to 

 the shore in safety. We were able to watch them till they landed. So 

 Suliman at least is out of danger, and may bring us help from Tor. 

 The boat was the last one left, as one was lost on Thursday, and the 

 two others were destroyed last night by the sea. Some of the ship's 

 company are making a raft, in case things come to the worst. Except 

 the lack of drinking water, however, I don't think there is much im- 

 mediate danger, as the wind has moderated and the sky has become 

 clear. The difficulty is that there is no means now of getting the 

 pilgrims on shore, even if it is calm, as we have not a boat left, and 

 are without water. We ourselves fortunately have with us three 

 quart bottles of water, which are still intact, and a large number of 

 oranges, but unless help comes to-morrow or next day, it will fare 

 badly with all of us. One of the pilgrims, though very amiable to us, 

 has told me the captain's throat ought to be cut. They all think he 

 is hiding water, though that is not the case. There never was a ship, 

 however, sent to sea worse found, or with a more incapable captain. 



" We have made special friends with two of the pilgrims, Russian 

 subjects, one a Tartar, living at St. Petersburgh, formerly an Alem 

 of Bokhara, who has spoken to me in high praise of Sheykh Jemal 

 el Din. He is a very superior man, in a snuff-coloured robe. The 

 other, a Mongol from the Crimea, who has been a student for the last 

 fourteen years at the Azhar at Cairo. This one is a thick-set heavy 

 man of the true Chinese type, or rather of the Mongol type, from 

 which Chinamen derive their features. These have taken up their 

 quarters next to us, and they are very polite to us — with them most 

 of their friends. We have distributed a few of our oranges among 

 them ; all complain of thirst. The most interesting of all, however, is 

 an Arab from Medina, a Muhajjer who affects the character of a wely. 



