Our people shouted, scolded, and pushed each other to get the best places; camels, horses, asses, and men rushed pell-mell towards the well, and happy was he who could seize upon a little water.

There are barracks near this well, and soldiers are posted here to promote peace--by means of the stick.
The little town of Suez lies spread out on the sea-shore, and can be very distinctly seen from here.

The unhappy inhabitants are compelled to draw their supplies either from this well, or from one on the sea-coast four miles below Suez.

In the first case the water is brought on camels, horses, or asses; in the second it is transported by sea in boats or small ships.
The Red Sea is here rather narrow, and surrounded by sand of a yellowish-brown hue; immediately beyond the isthmus is the continuation of the great Libyan Desert.

The mountain-range of Mokattam skirts the plain on the right, from Cairo to the Red Sea.
We quite lose sight of this range until within the last ten or twelve hours before reaching Suez.