eposit their eggs. To pass the island of Perim we sailed
through the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb, or 'Gate of Tears,' thus called
on account of the numerous wrecks which took place there in former
years. Once through the straits, we were fairly in the Red Sea. The
colour of the Red Sea is certainly the bluest of ultramarines. In the
afternoon the town of Mocha Yamen, celebrated alike for its breed of
Arab horses and its coffee, was visible from the masthead. It is a
large white town, full of cupolas and minarets, surrounded with green
as far as irrigation extends, and looking like a pearl set in emeralds
on the margin of the deep blue sea against a background of red and
yellow sand-mountains. Later in the afternoon we passed Great and
Little Hamish, where the P. and O. boat, 'Alma,' was wrecked some
fifteen years ago, and during the night sailed by Jebel Zibayar and
Tukar.

[Illustration: Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb.]

_Wednesday, April 18th_.--In the morning, at daylight, we were off
Jebel Teir, Mussawa Island, Annesley Bay lying 60 miles to the west.
Our position was about 60 miles to the south-west of Mussawa Zoulia,
where the expedition under Lord Napier of Magdala landed in 1867. At
noon we had sailed 221 miles, a most unexpected run in the Red Sea. In
the afternoon it fell calm, but the wind freshened again, and we went
on sailing until after midnight.

_Thursday, April 19th_.--We commenced steaming at 1 a.m., stopped,
however, at 5 a.m., and sailed all day. Yesterday we were surrounded
by some beautiful blue birds, who hovered about us and settled at
intervals on the masts and yards. During the night two were caught
napping by the men, and in the course of to-day two more, hotly
pursued by a hawk, took refuge on board and were also captured. One
was given to me. It appears to be a very beautiful kind of jay, with
feathers of the most brilliant shades of blue. The men have killed
their birds for the sake of the skins, but I mean to try and keep mine
alive. At Colombo several birds and two curiously starred tortoises
were added to our collection; and we took on board at Aden a gazelle,
a black cockatoo, and a green monkey.

We passed Souakim to-day, the port of Nubia. It is about 275 miles, or
25 days' camel-journey, from thence to Berber on the Nile. The road
passes through Korib, and among fine red granite and black basalt
mountains, 4,000 feet high. We left one of the firemen, Tom Dollar,
behind at Aden by mistak