by the greatness of the expense or the fear of laying
great part of Egypt under water, for some of that country lies lower than
sea.

Distant from Rondelo a hundred and thirty leagues is the Isle of Suaquem,
where the Bassa of that country chooses his residence, for the
convenience of receiving the tribute with greater exactness, there being
a large trade carried on here with the Abyssins. The Turks of Suaquem
have gardens on the firm land, not above a musket shot from the island,
which supply them with many excellent herbs and fruits, of which I doubt
whether there be not a greater quantity on this little spot than on the
whole coast of Africa besides, from Melinda to Suez. For if we except
the dates which grow between Suez and Suaquem, the ground does not yield
the least product; all the necessaries of life, even water, is wanting.
Nothing can support itself in this region of barrenness but ostriches,
which devour stones, or anything they meet with; they lay a great number
of eggs, part of which they break to feed their young with. These fowls,
of which I have seen many, are very tame, and when they are pursued,
stretch out their wings, and run with amazing swiftness. As they have
cloven feet, they sometimes strike up the stones when they run, which
gave occasion to the notion that they threw stones at the hunters, a
relation equally to be credited with those of their eating fire and
digesting iron. Those feathers which are so much valued grow under their
wings: the shell of their eggs powdered is an excellent remedy for sore
eyes.

The burning wind spoken of in the sacred writings, I take to be that
which the natives term arur, and the Arabs uri, which blowing in the
spring, brings with it so excessive a heat, that the whole country seems
a burning oven; so that there is no travelling here in this dreadful
season, nor is this the only danger to which the unhappy passenger is
exposed in these uncomfortable regions. There blows in the months of
June, July, and August, another wind, which raises mountains of sand and
carries them through the air; all that can be done in this case is when a
cloud of sand rises, to mark where it is likely to fall, and to retire as
far off as possible; but it is very usual for men to be taken
unexpectedly, and smothered in the dust. One day I found the body of a
Christian, whom I knew, upon the sand; he had doubtless been choked by
these winds. I recommended his soul to the divin