In General, However, They Touch
At Tor, For A Supply; Those Lying In The Harbour Might Fill Their Casks
At
The well of Abou Szoueyra [Arabic], about seven hours to the south of
Ayoun Mousa, and about half an hour
From the sea shore, where the water
is good; but Arabs will seldom give themselves so much trouble for
water, and will rather drink what is at hand, though bad, than go to a
distance for good.
Ships, after delivering their cargoes at Suez, frequently proceed to
Cosseir, to take in corn for the Hedjaz. They first touch at Tor for
water, and then stand over to the western coast, anchoring in the creeks
every evening till they reach their destination. The coast they sail
along is barren, and without water, and no Arabs are seen. At one or two
days sail from Suez is an ancient Coptic convent, now abandoned, called
Deir Zafaran or Deir El Araba [Arabic]; it stands on the declivity of
the mountain, at about one hour from the sea. Some wild date-trees grow
there. At the foot of the mountain are several wells three or four feet
deep, upon the surface of whose waters naphtha or petroleum is sometimes
found in the month of November, which is skimmed off by the hand; it is
of a deep brownish black colour, and of the same fluidity as turpentine,
which it resembles in smell. This substance, which is known
[p.469] under the name of Zeit el Djebel [Arabic], mountain oil, is
collected principally by the Christians of Tor, and by the Arabs Heteim,
of the eastern shore of the Red sea; it is greatly esteemed in Egypt as
a cure for sores and rheumatism, and is sold at Suez and Tor, at from
one to two dollars per pound.
Niebuhr, travelling in 1762, says that Suez derives its provisions in
great part from Mount Sinai and Ghaza: this is not the case now. From
Mount Sinai it obtains nothing but charcoal, and a few fruits and dates
in the autumn; dried fruits of the growth of Damascus are the only
import from Ghaza. The town is supplied with provisions from Cairo;
vegetables are found only at the time of the arrival of the caravan.
Every article is of the worst quality, and twenty-five per cent. dearer
than at Cairo. Syrian, Turkish, and Moggrebyn pilgrims are constantly
seen here, waiting for the departure of ships to the Hedjaz. I found
three vessels in the harbour, and it may be calculated that one sails to
the southward every fortnight. No Europeans are settled here; but an
English agent is expected next year, to meet the ships from Bombay,
according to a treaty made with the Pasha, by several English houses,
who wished to open a direct communication between India and Egypt.[In
May, 1817, a small fleet arrived at Suez direct from Bombay, which was
composed of English ships, and of others belonging to Mohammed Ali
Pasha: among the articles imported were two elephants destined by the
Pasha as presents to the Porte. This has been the first attempt within
the last forty years to open a direct trade between India and Egypt, and
will be as profitable to the Pasha as it must be ruinous to his
subjects. The cargoes of these ships and the coffee which he imports
from Yemen, are distributed by him among the merchants of Cairo, in
proportion to their supposed capital in trade, and they are obliged to
take the articles off his hands at the highest prices which they bear in
the Bazar. If this trade is encreased by the Pasha, it will entirely
prevent the merchants from importing goods on their own account from
Djidda, the quantity they are thus obliged to take from the Pasha being
fully sufficient for the consumption of Egypt.]
April 15th.—As the small caravan with which I had come to
EL AHTHA
[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
WADY WARDAN
[p.471] of the chain of Tyh, run parallel with the road, to the left,
about eight miles distant; they are inhabited by Terabein.
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