Page 18 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

TRAVELS

IN
/
THE PROVINCE OF OMAN,

&C.

CHAPTER I.
JOURNEY FROM TOR TO SUEZ*.

Origin of the Survey of the Shores of the Red Sea—Sir Home
Popham—Captain Court—Defects of the Old Maps— Wrecks
in the Arabian Gulf—Historical Reminiscences of the Red
Sea—Journey from T6r to Suez—Description of T6r—Malum
Nicoli—Environs—El Wadi—Priest of Mount Sinai—Impreg­
nation of the Date Palm—Mohammed AH—Baths of Moses,
their Waters—Dr. Shaw—Sir Frederick Hennikcr—Excursion
to the Jebel Makateb, or Written Mountain—Niebuhr—
Haunted Caves—Anecdote of the Bedowins—Abu Soowarah—
Inscriptions.
In 1829, the Bombay government, in pur­

suance of orders from the Court of Directors,
relative to the establishment of a steam com­

munication between India and Europe, di­
rected that two vessels should be despatched
to complete a survey of the Red Sea. The
Benares and Palinurus were selected for this
* Properly Suwe'is, i. e>, “ the little mouth.”
VOL. II. 1>