8.  When all the coal was on board, the ship began to steam slowly along the narrow canal.  No ship is allowed to sail more than four miles an hour, lest the “wash” should break down the banks.

9.  Soon we passed out of the narrow canal into one of the lakes.  Our road was marked by buoys.  Away to right and to left of us stretched the sandy desert.

10.  In the afternoon we passed a station, where I saw a number of camels laden with boxes of goods.  They were going to travel across the sands for many days.

11.  The sun went down in a sky of purple and gold.  Then a large electric light shone forth from our bows.  It threw a broad band of white light on the water and on the banks of the canal.  Where the light touched the sands it seemed to turn them into silver.

12.  In less than twenty-four hours we reached the town at the south end of the canal.  A boat came out from the shore, and this letter is going back with it.—­Love to you all.  Father.

* * * * *

8.  Amongst the Arabs.—­I.

1.  My dear children,—­I am now sailing along the Red Sea.  The weather is very hot.  All over the ship electric fans are hard at work.  In spite of them I cannot keep cool.

2.  Away on the left, or port, side of the ship I see high hills.  They are red in colour, and seem to be baked by the hot sun.  Even through my spy-glass I cannot see a speck of green on them.  All is red and bare.

3.  Beyond the hills lies the land of Arabia.  It is a hot, dry land, in which years sometimes pass without a shower of rain.  There is hardly ever a cloud in the sky, and there is no dew at night.

4.  Much of the land is covered with sand.  Little or nothing will grow.  You know that we call a sandy waste of this kind a desert.

[Illustration:  {Desert oasis}]

5.  Here and there in the desert a few springs are found.  The water of these springs causes grass and trees to grow well.  Around each spring is what looks like an island of green in the midst of a red sea of sand.  A green spot in a desert is called an oasis.

6.  The Arabs live upon these green spots.  Some of them dwell in villages, and some wander from oasis to oasis.  Those who live in villages build their houses of sun-dried bricks; those who wander from place to place live in tents.

[Illustration:  Arabs of the Desert.]

7.  The Arabs are fine, fierce-looking men.  They own flocks of sheep, herds of goats, camels and horses.

8.  An Arab’s tent is woven out of camel’s hair.  So are the ropes of the tent.  The poles are made of palm wood.

9.  Inside the tent there are leather buckets for drawing water.  There are also skin bags for carrying it across the desert.  There are no chairs or tables or beds in the tents.  The Arabs squat upon the ground and sleep on rugs.