Page 26 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

I.] TOR TO SUEZ. 0

by Sooltan Selim, may still be observed at a

short distance to the southward of the town.
During the invasion of Egypt in 1800, the
French had some intention of forming an
outpost here; but their stay in the country
was too brief to allow of their carrying that
design into effect.
T6r* at present consists of two villages,
one of which, now completely fallen to decay,
was formerly inhabited by the Arabs; the
other, only a few yards distant, styled Beled

el Naisar, or the Christian Town, contains
about forty wretched houses, occupied by a
few families of Greek Christians, whose prin­
cipal support is derived from furnishing the
Hajj boats! with supplies; a few employ

* Sir Horae Pophara remarks that camels may be obtained
here to proceed to Suez in three days: a Bedowin, carrying de­
spatches on a fleet dromedary, will do so ; but the distance is one
hundred and eighty miles, and too long, as will be seen from my
narrative, to be performed in that time, without greater fatigue
than most travellers would bo desirous of encountering without
some urgent cause.
+ In various parts of the world, I have often, as a general re­
mark, had occasion to observe that, however unsightly or incon­
sistent with European ideas may be the form and construction of
their several boats, yet, upon examination and reflection, we shall
find them best adapted to surmount the local difficulties which
they may have to encounter. I cannot, however, extend this