I 
221 
Journey to Cairo-. 
On Thursday the 11th of June, at three o'clock in 
the afternoon, I left Suez to join the caravan, which 
was encamped round about Bir Suez, or the Well of 
Suez, distant about an hour's march to the north-east 
of the town. 
The Bir Suez is a well, dug in the form of a paral- 
lelogram, the longest sides of which are nearly fifteen 
feet in length, and the shortest eleven feet. Its depth is 
about eighteen feet, and its sides are built of stone. 
Across the top of the well are several j| eams placed 
horizontally; upon these the persons stand Who draw 
up the water, which in reality is briny, but is the only 
water existing in this desert. 
Round the well there is a stone wall flanked with 
towers, forming a court nearly 50 feet in diameter. This 
wall is falling to decay, and there are large breaches 
upon all its sides. On a part of this wall there is a 
marble tablet, bearing an inscription which is nearly 
effaced. To the north-west of the well, is a reservoir 
thirty- six feet square, which is also in ruins. 
The camel drivers drew the water up in leathern 
i buckets to give to their beasts. The men who com- 
posed the caravan had taken in their supply at Suez, 
which was to last them until their arrival at Cairo. 
The weather had been serene, notwithstanding a 
strong and unpleasant north wind. At sun-set the ther- 
mometer in the tent marked 37° of Reaumur. 
The country around is a large plain terminated by 
the mountains Djebel Attaka in Africa, to the S. W.; 
and by those of Arabia, at a great distance, to the 
east. 
