42 MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 



the dreary desert at a funereal pace ; nothing was to 

 be seen but burning sands, or barren hills of a brown 

 calcined colour, like the cinders on the side of 

 Vesuvius. There was no water, brackish or sweet ; 

 nor the traces of any living creature ; neither ser- 

 pent nor lizard, antelope nor ostrich. In four days 

 they reached Cosseir, " a small mud village de- 

 fended by a square fort with a few pieces of can- 

 non." Here one of his attendants, Abd-el-gin, had 

 nearly fallen a victim to the fury of the Arabs ; 

 but by the address and intrepidity of Bruce, he was 

 recovered from their hands when almost strangled 

 by means of a hair rope passed round his neck. 



While at this place, Bruce determined to attempt 

 a survey of the Red Sea, which was then but 

 imperfectly known to European navigators. Having 

 provided a vessel for the purpose, he embarked with 

 his party, and proceeded along the Egyptian coast 

 as far as the entrance to the gulf of Suez. The 

 rais or captain had the reputation of being a saint, 

 but his absurdities were too ridiculous to impose 

 upon any body save the ignorant Arabs. To calm 

 the fears of his passengers, he gravely assumed Bruce, 

 that any rock which stood in his way would either 

 jump aside at their approach, or else turn soft like 

 a sponge. His miraculous virtues, however, were 

 not proof against storms, for after muking a short 

 excursion to Jibel Zumrud, the emerald mines 

 described b} T Pliny, a violent tempest of wind and 

 rain obliged them to return to Cosseir; the rais 



