ADVENTURES AT SEA. 189 



troublesome. By day one lives in a perpetual conflict 

 with the sun, from whose rays head and back must 

 be carefully protected. By night the hoped for cool- 

 ing is entirely wanting. The splendour of the starry 

 southern heavens with the truly Egyptian darkness of 

 the nights is indeed imposing, but it does not make 

 up for the desired refreshing breeze. 



One night, as I was in my test -room supervising 

 the insulation of the cable between Cosseir and Suakim, 

 I suddenly heard loud shouting and violent commotion 

 on board. The man at the ship's head, entrusted with 

 the continuous soundings, had fallen overboard. As 

 the whole deck was well lighted with gas, many 

 of the people busy there could see the man calling 

 lustily for help in the water and throw him life -belts, 

 kept ready everywhere on board. The vessel was 

 stopped and boats put out, which disappeared for an 

 uncomfortably long time in the darkness of the night. 

 At last they returned triumphant. The man had kept 

 himself afloat by swimming, and had been lucky enough 

 not to be seized by any of the numerous sharks, which 

 disport themselves in the Red Sea, and are said to 

 have an especial appetite for white people, whilst they 

 rarely molest the black. He was trembling violently 

 when brought on board, and had his knife still open 

 in his hand. Questioned as to what had befallen him, 

 he related that he had been surrounded by a number 

 of sharks, but luckily had been able to draw his knife, 

 and defend himself till the boats arrived. We all felt 

 a cold shiver at the vivid description of his perils 



