many pray for us, and that God is with us. 24.—­This day our journeyings on camels commenced and continued till we came to Jerusalem.  It is a strange mode of conveyance.  You have seen a camel kneeling; it is in this condition that you mount; suddenly it rises first on its fore feet, and then on its hind feet.  It requires great skill to hold yourself on during this operation; one time I was thrown fair over its head, but quite unhurt.  When you find yourself exalted on the hunch of a camel, it is somwhat of the feeling of an aeronaut, as if you were bidding farewell to sublunary things; but when he begins to move, with solemn pace and slow, you are reminded of your terrestrial origin, and that a wrong balance or turn to the side will soon bring you down from your giddy height.  You have no stirrup, and generally only your bed for your saddle; you may either sit as on horseback, or as on a sidesaddle,—­the latter is the pleasanter, though not the safer of the two.  The camel goes about three miles an hour, and the step is so long that the motion is quite peculiar.  You bend your head toward your knees every step.  With a vertical sun above and a burning sand below, you may believe it is a very fatiguing mode of journeying.  However, we thought of Rebecca and Abraham’s servant (Gen. 24.), and listened with delight to the wild Bedouin’s plaintive song.  That night (24) we slept at Menagie, a Bedouin mud village:  palm-trees and three wells, and an ocean of sand, formed the only objects of interest. 25.—­Up by sunrise, and proceeded as before.  The only event this day was Dr. Black’s fall from his camel, which greatly alarmed us.  He had fallen asleep, which you are very apt to do.  We encamped and used every restorative, so that we were able to proceed the same evening to Gonatre, a miserable Arab post, having a governor.  Not a tree. 26.—­The Sabbath dawned sweetly; thermometer 92 deg. in tent; could only lie on the mat and read psalms.  Evening.—­Gathered governor and Bedouins to hear some words of eternal life, Ibrahim interpreting. 27.—­Two very long stages brought us to Katieh; thankful to God for his goodness, while we pitched by the date-trees. 28.—­Spent the day at Katieh; interesting interviews with governor, a kind Arab; thermometer 96 deg. in tent.  Same evening, proceeded through a greener desert, among flocks of goats and sheep, and encamped by a well, Bir-el-Abd. 29.—­Another hot day in the desert; came in sight of the sea, which gave us a refreshing breeze; bathed in the salt lake, as hot as a warm bath.  Evening.—­Encampment at Abugilbany. 30.—­This was our last day in the Egyptian wilderness.  We entered on a much more mountainous region.  The heat very great; we literally panted for a breath of wind.  The Bedouins begged handkerchiefs to cover their heads, and often cast themselves under a bush for shade.  Towards sunset, we came down on the old ruins of Rhinoculura, now buried in the sand; and soon after our camels kneeled down at the gates