THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 203 



"December 27, 1> 



" We spend the day in a careful examination of the 

 port of Suez and the mouth of the canal. When the 

 tide is low, we go out to the islets and to what look 

 like beds of rocks, but which we find to be r< -mains 

 of ancient masonry. We break off fragments at tin- 

 spot which probably formed the floating-dock of 

 ancient Chlysma. I intend to have it analysed by 

 M. Le Play, sending him at the same time sp<-< -imcns 

 of the stone and materials which may be taken from tin- 

 h lio u ring mountains. In a small island near the 

 port the East India Company has formed a eemet< i \ , 

 but it has been found necessary to surround it with a 

 wall, as the Arab women who had no children used to 

 go and steal the bones of the Christians, which, worn 

 as amulets, are considered to ensure child-bearing. 



u We dined with Mr. West, the English consul, 

 and our dinner is composed of mutton from Calcutta, 

 potatoes from Bombay, green peas from England, 

 poultry from Egypt, water from the Ganges, wine from 

 France, coffee from Moka, and tea from China." 



"December 28, 1854. 



" We mount our horses at eight and ride off to the 

 principal gorge of Mount Attaka, where St. Anthony 

 is said to have lived in a grotto, which is no longer to 

 be seen. When one leaves Suez, it seems as if the 

 mountain is within half an hour's ride, but it takes 

 us at least three hours. 



