There were at least twenty individuals in the party, not counting the donkeys; but a good many of the beggars dropped off after a few dozen yards. Their places were taken by others, so that there was no material loss of numbers on arrival at the landing, where the baggage was placed in a boat, after a gift of a couple of francs to a customs official, to save it from inspection. From the shore to the boat was a short journey, and any possible monotony was prevented by the boatmen. They had made a bargain to carry our three friends on board the steamer for five francs; about half-way they stopped rowing and demanded ten francs, which were refused. Then the fellows turned, and threatened to row to the shore again, but the Doctor prevented this performance by proposing to hand them over to the police. They did not proceed until he rose to his feet and shouted for the police-boat, and then they concluded it was best to do as they had agreed. The boatmen of Alexandria are worse than those of any other port of the Mediterranean, and it is a disgrace to the Egyptian Government that they are allowed to continue their practices. [Illustration: VIEW OF ALEXANDRIA FROM THE SEA.] And now behold our friends safely on board the French steamer. The smoke pours from her funnels, the anchor is lifted, the engine throbs, the screw revolves, churning the water into foam--the entrance of the harbor is passed, the shore fades from sight, and Egypt is left behind. _Bon voyage!_ CHAPTER XXI. VOYAGE FROM EGYPT TO PALESTINE.--JOURNEY FROM JAFFA TO RAMLEH. The steamer stopped a few hours at Port Said, the northern terminus of the Suez Canal, and the second morning after her departure from Alexandria she dropped anchor in front of Jaffa. The time at sea between Alexandria and Jaffa is from twenty to thirty hours, according to the speed of the steamer and the state of the weather. There are three companies--one carrying the French flag, one the Austrian, and one the Russian--each making a fortnightly service from Alexandria; and there are several irregular lines, so that a traveller may be reasonably sure of being able to go from Egypt to the Holy Land every four or five days. The French steamers are the best, the Austrian the next in order, and the Russian and the irregular steamers the worst of all. The steamer that carried our friends anchored about a mile from land, and the Doctor explained to the youths that there is no harbor at Jaffa which a ship can enter. In a calm sea, or when the wind blows from the north or east, passengers may land or embark with safety; but if a westerly or southerly wind is blowing a landing is impossible. In winter the prevailing wind is from the west, and many a traveller who takes his ticket for Jaffa in that season has the vexation of being carried past the port, for the simple reason that he cannot be put on shore.