[p.470] Suez remained there, I set out accompanied only by my guide and
another Arab, whom he had engaged, and who afterwards proved through the
whole journey a most serviceable, courageous, and honest companion. We
left Suez early in the morning: the tide was then at flood, and we were
obliged to make the tour of the whole creek to the N. of the town, which
at low water can be forded. In winter time, and immediately after the
rainy season, this circuit is rendered still greater, because the low
grounds to the northward of the creek are then inundated, and become so
swampy that the camels cannot pass them. We rode one hour and three
quarters in a straight line northwards, after passing, close by the
town, several mounds of rubbish, which afford no object of curiosity
except a few large stones, supposed to be the ruins of Clysma or
Arsinoë. We then turned eastwards, just at the point where the remains
of the ancient canal are very distinctly visible: two swellings of the
ground, of which the eastern is about eight or ten feet high, and the
western somewhat less, run in a straight line northwards, parallel with
each other, at the distance of about twenty-five feet. They begin at a
few hundred paces to the N.W. of high-water mark, from whence northwards
the ground is covered by a saline crust. We turned the point of this
inlet, and halted for a short time at the wells of Ayoun Mousa, under
the date trees. The water of these wells is copious, but one only
affords sweet water, and this is so often rendered muddy by the passage
of Arabs, whose camels descend into the wells, that it is seldom fit to
supply a provision to the traveller, much less for shipping. We rested,
at two hours and three quarters from the wells, in the plain called El
Kordhye [Arabic].
April 26th.We proceeded over a barren sandy and gravelly plain, called
El Ahtha [Arabic], direction S. by E. For about an hour the plain was
uneven; we then entered upon a widely-extended flat, in which we
continued S.S.E. Low mountains, the commencement