The Arabs Terabein Are The Conductors Of The Caravans To Ghaza, And
Khalyl (Hebron), The Latter Of Which Is Eight Days Distant.
At this time
the freight per camel’s load was eighteen Patacks, or four dollars and a
half.
These caravans bring the manufactures of Damascus, soap, glass-
ware, tobacco, and dried fruits, which are shipped at Suez for the
Hedjaz and Yemen.
The eastern part of the town of Suez is completely in ruins, but near
the shore are some well built Khans, and in the inhabited part of the
town are several good private houses. The aspect of Suez is that of an
Arabian, and not an Egyptian town, and even in the barren waste, which
surrounds it, it resembles Yembo and Djidda; the same motley crowds are
met with in the streets, and the greater part of the shop-keepers are
from Arabia or Syria. The air is bad, occasioned by the saline nature of
the earth, and the extensive low grounds on the north and north-east
sides, which are filled
[p.468] with stagnant waters by the tides. The inhabitants endeavour to
counteract the influence of this bad atmosphere by drinking brandy
freely; the mortality is not diminished by such a remedy, and fevers of
a malignant kind prevail during the spring and summer.
The water of the well of Naba, though called sweet, has a very
indifferent taste, and becomes putrid in a few days if kept in skins.
The government has made a sort of monopoly of it; but its distribution
is very irregular, and affrays often happen at the well, particularly
when ships are on the point of sailing. 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.
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