that ancient _Elana_ and modern _Toro_ are the same,
appears from this, that from thence to Suez both on the Arabian and
Egyptian coasts of the Elanitic Gulf, not only is there no memorial or
remains of any other ancient town, and the barrenness of the country,
want of water, and rough craggy mountains, make it evident that in no
other place could there be any habitation. Hence, considering that
Ptolomy places Elana on the coast of _Arabia Petrea_, near adjoining to
mount Sinai, and makes no mention of any town between it and the _City
of Heroes_ on the upmost extremity of the Elanitic Gulf where the sea
ends; and as on this shore of Arabia there is neither town, village, nor
habitation, coming so near the position assigned to _Elana_ as _Toro_,
and as it is impossible to inhabit between _Toro_ and _Suez_, it seems
just to conclude that _Toro_ and _Elana_ are the same place. The port of
_Toro_ seems likewise that mentioned in holy writ under the name of
_Ailan_, where Solomon, king of Israel, caused the ships to be built
which sailed to _Tarsis_ and _Ophir_ to bring gold and silver for the
temple of Jerusalem: for taking away the second letter from _Ailan_, the
ancient names are almost the same. Nor is it reasonable that it should
be in any other place, as the timber for the navy of Solomon was brought
from Lebanon and Antelibanus; and to avoid expences they would
necessarily carry it to the nearest port, especially as the Jews then
possessed the region of Idumea, and that part of the coast of Arabia
Petrea which is between Toro and Suez. Strabo holds that _Elana_ and
_Ailan_ are the same city; and when treating of this city in another
place, he says, that from the port of _Gaza_ it is 1260 furlongs to the
city of Ailan, which is situated on the _inwardest_ part of the Arabic
Gulf[315]; "and there are two, one towards Gaza and Arabia, called the
Sinus Elaniticus, from the city Elana which stands upon it; the other on
the Egyptian side towards the _City of Heroes_ and the way from
_Pelusium_ to this gulf is very small." This is what I would pick out
from ancient authors.

[Footnote 313: Don Juan entirely mistakes this point of antiquity, in
consequence of not having learnt that there was another and eastern gulf
at the head of the Red Sea; the _Bahr-akkaba_ or real _Sinus
Elaniticus_, on which is the town of _Ayla_, assuredly the ancient
_Elana_ or _Aylan_.--E.]

[Footnote 314: If this observation be exact, the great pr