"AYOON MOOSA"—THE WELLS OF MOSES.
"That spot," said the Doctor, "is known as 'Ayoon Moosa,' or 'The Wells of Moses.' It is an oasis, where several wells or springs have existed for thousands of years, and it is supposed that the Israelites halted there and made a camp after their deliverance from Egypt. As the pursuing army of Pharaoh had been destroyed before their eyes, they were out of danger and in no hurry to move on. The place has borne the name of 'The Wells of Moses' from time immemorial; there is a tradition that the largest of them was opened by the divining-rod of the great leader of the Hebrews in their escape from captivity, and is identical with Marah, described in Exodus, xv. 23. The wells are pools of water fed by springs which bubble in their centre; the water in all of them is too brackish to be agreeable to the taste, but the camels drink it readily, and the spot is an important halting place for caravans going to or from the desert."
The Doctor farther explained that Suez was formerly supplied with water from these wells, which was brought in goat-skins and casks on the backs of camels. The springs are seven or eight miles from Suez in a direct line, and the easiest way of reaching them is by a sail or row boat to the landing place, about two miles from the oasis. Since the opening of the fresh-water canal in 1863 this business of supplying the city has ceased, and the water is principally used for irrigating the gardens in the oasis. Most of the fresh vegetables eaten in Suez are grown around the springs, and there is a hotel there, with a fairly good restaurant attached to it. The residents of Suez make frequent excursions to the Wells of Moses, and almost any day a group of camels may be seen kneeling around the principal springs.
Our friends returned along the quay to Suez, and strolled through some of the streets of the town. There was not much to be seen, as the shops are neither numerous nor well stocked, and evidently are not blessed with an enormous business. They visited a mosque, where they were obliged to take off their shoes, according to the custom of the East, before they could pass the door-way; the custodian supplied them with slippers, so that they were not required to walk around in their stockinged feet. When you go on a sight-seeing tour in an Egyptian city, it is well to carry your own slippers along, or intrust them to your guide, as the Moslems are rigid enforcers of the rule prohibiting you to wear your boots inside a mosque.
PREACHING IN A MOSQUE.
The principal attraction in the mosque was a group to whom a mollah, or priest, was delivering a lecture. The speaker stood in a high pulpit which was reached by a small ladder, and his hearers stood below him or squatted on the floor. What he said was unintelligible to our friends, as he was speaking in Arabic, which was to them an unknown tongue. The audience was apparently interested in his remarks, and paid no attention to the strangers except to scowl at them. In some of the mosques of the East Christians are not admitted; this was the rule half a century ago, but at present it is very generally broken down, and the hated infidel may visit the mosques of the principal cities of Egypt and Turkey, provided he pays for the privilege.