246 LEAVE BOMBAY FOR SUEZ. 



We now resumed the writing of our journal. Upon 

 paper, the scenes and incidents of our expedition in India 

 were found more interesting than they had been while 

 merely holding them in the slippery hand of memory 

 such is the power of written language, which can invest, 

 what at the first glance seems dull and insipid, with all 

 the rainbow enchantment of fancy. The even tenor of 

 the voyage through the Indian ocean was not marred by 

 either rough weather or unpleasant occurence. We passed 

 within sight of many isles, which appeared like shinning 

 emeralds upon the bosom of the deep. In this tropical 

 sea, all the childish recollections of islands far upon the 

 ocean where good and evil genii have their abode, and 

 where true lovers receive rapturous compensation for all 

 the trials to which they have been subjected come back 

 to the mind during such a voyage as that in which we 

 were now engaged. In the evening we occasionally sat 

 upon deck to view the gorgeous sunset ! and if at such a 

 time we happened to be passing one of these verdant, I 

 fancied that instead of riding the waves in a steam-ship, 

 the magical wonder of those days I was seated upon the 

 back of of one of those splendid and intelligent dolphins 

 which are said to have obeyed the commands of genii, in 

 the Arabian tales. 



At length we entered the Red Sea, and I found myself 

 voyaging between shores, hallowed by sacred aud histo- 



