266 SEA FISHING, ing him hanging over the vessel's side, a tempting bait for the voracious sharks.

There were two other steamers in port at the time, the "Khartoum," a gunboat, and a small Egyptian vessel. The latter was about to start for Belool, a place a little to the north of Assab Bay (the new Italian colony), where there was to be an inquiry into the massacre, about a year before, of seventeen Italians in that country ; and I believe the Italian consul was going about it himself.

Besides the servants we had brought with us from Egypt, we were taking Achmet and the cook-boy as far as Souakim, and we made up altogether a large party ; the only first-class passenger besides ourselves was a Frenchman, M. Michel, for several years the head custom-house officer at Massawa, who had just been dismissed, and his place filled by a native. Mr.

Brewster, who held the same post at Souakim, had already gone ; his position, too, being filled by an Egyptian. I imagine the government will find the revenue from these places considerably decreased, in consequence. During the passage to Souakim we caught seven fish by hanging out lines from the stern, the hooks being simply dressed with wdiite rag. Three varieties were caught, among them some small tunny, and a fish very like a pike.