ce, which is considered to be nearly midway across
the desert, had only been raised a few inches from the ground; there
were tents, however, for the accommodation of travellers, which we
infinitely preferred. The one we occupied was of sufficient size to
admit the whole party--that is, the four ladies, the baby, and its
female attendant. There were divans on either side, to spread the beds
upon, and the openings at each end made the whole delightfully cool.

We found Ali, the servant sent on in the morning, very busy
superintending the cookery for dinner, which was performed in the open
air. The share of bread and apples given to me upon the road I now
bestowed upon my donkeys, not having reflected at the time that
the drivers would be glad of it; so the next day, when the usual
distributions were made, I gave the grapes, &c. to the donkey-men,
who stuffed them into their usual repository, the bosoms of their blue
shirts, and seemed very well pleased to get them.

The adjoining tent was occupied by two gentlemen, passengers of the
_Berenice_; their servant, a European, brought to some of our people
the alarming intelligence that the steamers would leave Suez in the
course of a few hours, and that our utmost speed would scarcely permit
us to arrive in time. Distrusting this information, we sent to inquire
into its truth, and learned that no danger of the kind was to be
apprehended, as the steamer required repair, the engines being out of
order, and the coal having ignited twice on the voyage up the Red Sea.

Whatever may be the cause, whether from sheer misconception or
an intention to mislead, it is almost impossible to rely upon any
intelligence given concerning the sailing of vessels and other
events, about which it would appear very possible to obtain authentic
information. From the time of our landing at Alexandria, we had been
tormented by reports which, if true, rendered it more than probable
that we should be too late for the steamer appointed to convey the
Government mails to Bombay. Not one of these reports turned out to be
correct, and those who acted upon them sustained much discomfort in
hurrying across the desert.

We were, as usual, rather late the following morning; our dear little
play-thing, the baby, bore the journey wonderfully; but it seemed very
requisite that she should have good and unbroken sleep at night, and
we found so little inconvenience in travelling in the day-time, that
we could make