On the 9th of March 1538, about 2000 men landed from the gallies with their arms and marched off for the mountains, meaning to desert; but when about six miles from the shore they were met by a Sanjiak, accompanied by 27 horse[215], designed for the garrison of Suez.  The deserters were immediately surrounded by the horse, who killed about 200 of them, and all the rest were stripped and carried on board the gallies, where they were chained to the oars.  On the 15th of June Solyman Pacha arrived at Suez, where he pitched his tents and rested eight days.  In the mean time the fleet was got in readiness, and the soldiers received their pay, being five gold ducats to each and ten maydins, or 215 maydins in all.  Part of the men belonging to the large Venetian galley, in which the author of this journal served, were distributed on board the fleet; seventy in one half galley, seventy in another, and eighteen in the galley of the Kiahya, who likewise had along with him the Venetian consul.  The rest of these men were distributed in two galleons which carried the powder, saltpetre, brimstone, ball, meal, biscuit, and other necessaries for the fleet.  The Pacha likewise sent his treasure on board the gallies, which was contained in forty-two chests, covered with ox hides and oil-cloth.  On the 20th, he issued orders for every one to embark in two days.  On the 22d the Pacha embarked, and dropt down four miles below Suez to the point of Pharaoh, where he anchored in four fathoms water on a good bottom.  This place is seven miles from the pits of Moses.  Seven men died here.

[Footnote 215:  This is surely some mistake, it being next to impossible that so few men should surround and overpower so great a number of armed soldiers.—­Astl.  I. 89. d.]

On the 27th of June the whole fleet left Suez with the wind at N.W. and before night cast anchor at a place called Korondol, 60 miles from Suez; at which place Moses divided the sea by stretching out his rod, and Pharaoh was drowned with all his host.  At this place, which may be considered the commencement of the Red Sea, we had 12 fathoms water, and lay at anchor all night.  Leaving Korondol on the 28th, we sailed 33 leagues to the S.E. and cast anchor two hours before night at a place called Tor, where there are many Fransciscan friars who supplied the fleet with water.  This place is a days journey and a half from Mount Sinai, where is the church and monastery of St Catharine, in which the body of that saint is reposited.  We remained five days at Tor, in five fathoms water.  We departed from Tor on the 3d of July, and came behind a dry sand bank about a mile from the shore and 40 miles from Tor, where we cast anchor in 12 fathoms water at a place named Kharas, where we remained two days to inspect the two ships which carried the stores.  Leaving Kharas on the 5th, we came to an island named Soridan 40 miles from the coast, the whole days course from sunrise to sunset being