Thus much for a description of Gibralter, which I should not give at such length were it not a place of peculiar interest. We weighed our anchor once more for Alexandria. Nothing worthy of notice occurred on our passage. We came to anchor four or five miles from the town and were immediately boarded by an officer of customs and put under quarantine, although the captain was allowed on shore to attend to his business. At the expiration of the quarantine (ten days) we weighed anchor and stood further in shore. Capt. Wright seeing the impossibility of procuring a cargo of cotton and rice, proposed visiting the Dead Sea. [234] The Consul, falling in with the idea, and wishing to go himself, procured for the journey horses and asses, the former for the use of the captain and officers, and the latter for the sailors and servants. We started, our company numbering about 30, with our provisions and baggage lashed upon the asses. Soon after crossing the Nile we came into a large prairie of tall grass through which was a straight and narrow path, only wide enough for one to ride at a time. After riding about 15 miles, we came to a little village, chiefly the residence of Copts, (a race of people generally considered as the descendants of the ancient Egyptians, being of a light mulatto color, black eyes, high cheek bones, short nose, large mouth, thick lips and half wooly hair. Some of the females are exceedingly handsome and of graceful and easy carriage.) Here we refreshed ourselves and horses, and amused ourselves by shooting birds of different kinds. After our horses were rested, we proceeded on our way, passing through a piece of woods heavily timbered about a mile in width. This wood was literally filled with birds of every description, some of them possessing musical powers far superior to many of the human family. Beyond this wood in the open field we found a large spring of most delightful clear cold water, with which we filled our skins. The day being nearly spent, we rode as fast as we could urge the animals along. The horses being more fleet than the asses, soon left them behind. It was impossible to increase their speed or even make them retain the old pace except by the most severe beatings. We rode until 11 o'clock before we could overtake those with the horses, when we found[235] them quietly reposing under a thatched roof which had been built by some travelers, or some other persons and deserted. Here we all turned in together, if it could be called "turning in" to camp down on the bare ground without blankets or other bed clothing to protect us from the night air, and musquitoes who were swarming around by thousands. We got but little rest.