42 
MEMOIR OF BRUCE. 
the dreary desert at a funereal pace ; nothing was to 
he seen hut burning sands, or barren hills of a brown 
calcined colour-, like the cinders on the side of 
Vesuvius. There was no water, brackish or sweet; 
nor the traces of any living creature ; neither ser- 
pent nor lizard, antelope nor ostrich. In four days 
they reached Cosseir, “ a small mud village de- 
fended by a square fort with a few pieces of can- 
non.” Here one of his attendants, Abd-el-gin, had 
nearly fallen a victim to the fury of the Arabs ; 
but by the address and intrepidity of Bruce, he was 
recovered from their hands when almost strangled 
by means of a hair rope passed round his neck. 
While at this place, Bruce determined to attempt 
a survey of the Red Sea, which was then but 
imperfectly known to European navigators. Having 
provided a vessel for the purpose, he embarked with 
his party, and proceeded along the Egyptian coast 
as far as the entrance to the gulf of Suez. The 
rais or captain had the reputation of being a saint, 
but his absurdities were too ridiculous to impose 
upon any body save the ignorant Arabs. To calm 
the fears of his passengers, he gravely assured Bruce, 
that any rock which stood in his way would either 
jump aside at their approach, or else turn soft like 
a sponge. His miraculous virtues, however, were 
not proof against storms, for after making a short 
excursion to Jib el Zumrud, the emerald mines 
described by Pliny, a violent tempest of wind and 
rain obliged them to return to Cosseir; the rais 
