e, and only found out yesterday that we had
done so. It appears that he has a brother living there, whom he was
most anxious to go and see directly the anchor was let go, in the
morning. Unfortunately, he did not speak to us on the subject. He had
never been in anything but a regular steamer before, and could not
believe it possible that the 'Sunbeam' could spread her wings and be
off without any preliminary 'fire-worshipping,' I am very sorry for
the poor man, as he has left all his clothes and the wages he had
earned on board the P. and O. steamer behind him. We must send them
back from Suez, and telegraph to some one to look out for him. The
heat is intense, and we all sleep on deck at night; the sunrises and
sunsets are magnificent.

_Friday, April 20th_.--A little hotter still; there is no wind at all,
and we are obliged to steam. In the morning we passed to the southward
of Jeddo, the port of Mecca. Unfortunately it was so hazy that we
could not distinguish anything whatever of the town or country, only a
line of mountains rearing their heads above the clouds. We had hoped
to be at Suez early on Sunday, but now I fear we shall not arrive
until Monday.

_Saturday, April 21st_.--Hotter and still hotter every day, says the
thermometer, and so we say also. Everybody told us these would be our
two hottest days, and certainly the prediction has been verified. We
did not see a single ship all day, but in the afternoon passed Zambo,
the port of Medina. A little before midnight we made the light on the
Daedalus shoal on the starboard bow.

This being Muriel's fifth birthday, Mabelle and the doctor and the men
have been arranging a surprise for her all day, and none of us were
allowed to go on the port side of the deck, but after dinner we were
taken to a hastily fitted-up theatre, very prettily decorated with
flags and Japanese lanterns. On a throne covered with the Union Jack,
Muriel was seated, the two pugs being on footstools on either side of
her to represent lions _couchant_. Some of the men had blackened their
faces, and gave us a really very excellent Christy Minstrel
entertainment, in which undreamed-of talent came to light. It is very
odd and interesting how one is perpetually finding out something new
about the men. Some of the crew we thought the most unpromising when
we started, have turned out among our best men, always ready and
willing for everything, while others, who at first appeared the best,
have no