SrOR T IN ABYSSINIA. 2 5 1 



here that pilgrims and travellers disembark, and get 

 their camels to start for Mount Sinai. 



I went on shore in the afternoon and bought some 

 provisions at a Greek store there, and by a most un- 

 expected chance found some of Fortnum and Mason's 

 preserved soups at this out-of-the-way place ; they 

 had been part of the cargo of a ship that had been 

 wrecked in the Gulf of Suez. The goods had been 

 bought by some Greeks of the Suez Bazaar, then 

 sent down to Tur. I went to see the old Russian 

 gentleman who makes arrangements for all travellers 

 to Mount Sinai. I bought some tortoiseshell from 

 him, and also purchased a pretty good collection of 

 coral and Red Sea shells from a Greek who was 

 hanging about, and who also sold me three beautiful 

 little sponges. Cordock, the French captain, and 

 I walked out to a grove of date-palm trees not 

 far off; the mountains in the distance were covered 

 with a strange purple haze, peculiar to the Red Sea, 

 and afforded a magnificent appearance. These hills 

 reminded me very much of the scenery of the back- 

 ground of some of Gustave Dore's illustrations. 



April 10. —We weighed anchor at seven o'clock in 

 the morning ; but it was still very rough. The P. & O. 

 ship passed us about five P.M. We had just enough coal 

 to last us thirty hours, and we had to run one 

 hundred and twenty-five miles. Thank God ! the 



