EGYPT, AND SYRIA. 177 
The fea here produces few fifh. Oyfters indeed, and a few others 
of the (hell kind, are feen ; the beft fifh not coining higher than 
Cofsir. Meat is fcarce, bread of an inferior quahty, fometimes 
hardly eatable. Butter and milk are brought in fmall quanti- 
ties by the Arabs. Water is brought from three feveral places. 
Btr Naba, to the northward, affords the beft ; the others are 
yiiun Mitfa and Btr-es-Suez. It is always bought by the fkin at 
a confiderable price, and if a war were to arife with the Arabs, 
none could be found. 
I was very defirous to infpe£t the Eaftern portion of the canal 
cut by Adrian, according to D'Anville, which extends from Bir- 
ket-es-Sheib to Suez, but my Arab guides would not accompany 
me, in fpite of a previous agreement made for that purpofe. 
All confented that marks of the canal exifted, and fome of them 
arofe to my own obfervation. 
The ruins of Arfmoe may yet be recognized in a mount of 
rubbifli in the neighbourhood of Suez. The fpot is now 
called Kolfiim^ and remains exift of a ftone pipe for conveying 
water thither from Bir Naba. A rock, on the African fide of 
the gulf, furnifhes petroleum^ which is brought to Suez, and 
efteemed a cure for bruifes, &c. In croffing the gulf juft be- 
fore Suez, boats are ufed at high water, which comes in rapidly 
to the height of four feet ; at other times camels, horfes, and 
men ford it with fafety. 
At Suez I obferved in the fhallow parts of the adjacent fea, 
a fpecies of weed, which in the funfhine appeared to be red 
A A coral. 
