The Suez Canal and Red Sea. 253 



roguish eyes which they levelled at the passing foreigners ; 

 bronze-legged Egyptians engaged in their favourite occupa- 

 tion of doing nothing ; patriarchal Turks squatting on their 

 hams ; groups of ebony-faced men from all the torrid regions 

 round the Khedive's dominion; wearers of turbans, fez, 

 skull-cap, and nature's own wool ; garments of many colours 

 and varying degrees of cleanliness, and vagabonds of every 

 description these were to be seen swarming in the main 

 street of the Arab community outside of Port Said. 



In a mosque we saw the faithful at their devotions. It 

 was a very rude temple. The long-bearded individual who 

 ascended the dovecote-looking perch to announce the hour 

 of prayer might have been improved by soap and water, but 

 from the earnest response made to his declaration I suspect 

 his harsh accents were 



"Blest as the Muezzin's strains from Mecca's wall 

 To pilgrims pure and prostrate at his call. " 



The council which administers the affairs of the Suez Canal 

 Company last year mooted the necessity of increased ex- 

 penditure for the purpose of rendering more easy and more 

 rapid the passage of the canal. That this hits the blot you 

 perceive before you have advanced a mile from Port Said. 

 In the early days of the undertaking two objections were 

 made : it was predicted that in a short time the channel 

 must inevitably be filled by drifting sand, and it was declared 

 that the narrowness of the canal would prove a fatal bar to 

 prosperity. The first prediction need not now be considered 

 for a moment, since it has been abundantly proved that there 

 need be no apprehensions on that score. As to the question 

 of narrowness, that is at the present time an all-important 

 consideration. 



The business of the company has increased at such a ratio 



