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 j 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 aifairs 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 



