STORY OF SEVEN VIRGINS. 19 our chief capture being a ground-shark weighing eleven pounds. The amount and variety of fish in these waters are something extraordinary, and many of them are of the most gorgeous colours ; but, to meet with much success, it is necessary to go some little distance outside the harbour, where we found the water often unpleasantly rough when anchored and fishing from a small boat ; and we were, moreover, so busy making preparations for our departure, that we had no time for lengthy excursions.

One afternoon some of the Greeks of the place, together with Mr. Bewley, went off to a sandy island to shoot sand-grouse that some Arab boys had caught. It was quite Hurlingham in Africa; but the birds were thrown up in the air, instead of being released from traps, and very difficult shots they proved.

The derivation of the word Souakim, or Souakin (for it is spelled indifferently both ways), is a curious one. In the language of the country, it is called Sowagin (Anglice\ " together with the gin, or fairy"). The story runs, that seven virgins inhabited an island in the Red Sea, where there were no men, or people of any kind except themselves. Some fishermen one day visited the island, and found the women enceinte. Their offspring colonised the mainland, and founded Souakim ; and the present inhabitants are descended from them. The ladies declared that genii were the fathers of their children.

We were very glad to turn our backs on Souakim, and make a start for the interior, which we did on Dec. 15, about two o'clock in the afternoon. We left behind the two officers of the " Blues," who had travelled with us from Suez : they were busy buying camels, always a very slow and troublesome undertaking. They got off, however, soon after we did, and by following the bed of Khor Baraka, and the Anseba, reached Keren. From thence they made their way to Furfur, on the