The Land of Midian (Revisited) Volume II Part 21

Feb. 7. 6a.m. 30.13 - - 62 57 19 In main cabin. Still; fresh air; no wind.

Heavy clouds from west, covering east-west mountains. West mottled; north and south clear.

3p.m. 30.10 - 71 66 62 25 In main cabin. Cool breeze. Hot sun. Cloudy and clear.

Drops of rain at sunset. Wind west. Heavy rain twice at night; after midnight wetted deck. Rain at 'Akabah from west, with clouds and winds.

FROM EL-'AKABAIT, GOING SOUTH.

Rise of tide off El-'Akabah town, one foot.

Feb. 8. 7a.m. 30.20 - 56 63 61 3 On deck. Dry and wet bulbs in main cabin. At sunrise heavy purple clouds drifting over plain, covering hills on both sides. Cold, raw, wet wind. Rain on Sinai to north-west and south- west. Saw rainbow. Wind gradually turning to east (favourable). Play of light and shade over plains and hills.

Noon. 30.15 - 65 64 57 22 In main cabin. Glorious day. Blue sky; bluer sea. Strong breeze.

Cloudy and clear.

3p.m. 30.16 - 67 65 58 25 In main cabin. After noon wind gradually fell, and sky cleared; became much warmer.

Steamer (five and a half knots) beat the sailing tender. North perfectly clear; south and east, fleecy clouds. Sun clear and warm.

At sunset red cirri. Wind increased greatly. Waves following us, high and hollow. Bad night. Wind and water high. At midnight(?), rode with head to gale. February 9th, four a.m., turned south. Six a.m. stood for Makna (right angles, and nearly "turned turtle").

ON BOARD "MUKHBIR."

Feb. 9. 7a.m. 30.22 - - 64 26 26 In main cabin, off Sharm Dabbah. Sky quite clear.

North wind colder than ever, yet we are going south. Beginning of dangerous gale which lasted till February 13th. Ugly hollow sea.

1p.m. 30.15 - - 66 58 28 In main cabin. Out of 'Akabah Gulf. Pa.s.sed into a summer sea. Under lee of Tiran. On deck 63 degrees (F.).

3p.m. 30.11 - - 69 59 27 In main cabin, rounding south of Jezirat Tiran.

Sky all clear, except wind cirri over 'Akabah Gulf and to west.

At nine p.m. halo round moon, and far from it--bad sign! Before midnight gusts began. Increased at one a.m. (February 10). At four a.m. very violent north wind from El-'Akabah.

Feb. 10 7a.m. 30.07 - - 69 65 30 In cabin of Mukhbir, south of Tiran. Water ruffled. Clouds everywhere. Rain on the coast. Felt raw. Mottled sky.

Noon. 30.03 - - 72 64 38 In cabin at Tiran. Sun out at nine a.m. Clouds and clear. Windy sky.

Cirri to west and north- west. Dark clouds to leeward.

3p.m. 29.94 - - 74 65 25 In cabin at Tiran. Rain- storm to south-west.

Wind north. Sky cloudy and clear. Cool breeze, not high.

At four p.m. a few large drops fell. Heavy rain at El-'Akabah and on east coast. Sand-veil over Sinaitic sh.o.r.e. Six p.m., wind gusty. Rain-clouds all over coast. Wind becoming warm. At 1.15 a.m. (February 11), terrible rush and fall of rain. Wind westing. Mild at first. Five a.m., hard Gharbi, threatening Azyab. All mist--could hardly see the sh.o.r.e.

Feb. 11. 7a.m. 29.82 - - 71 67 35 To windward of Tiran.

Howling west wind. Sun like pale cheese.

Aneroid falling. After seven a.m. the storm broke, and we narrowly escaped a wreck in two places, Tiran and Sinafir. Crisis of gale.

Noon. 29.80 - - 70 60 30 In Sinafir port, main cabin. Wind west, bending to south on falling.

3p.m. 28.20 - - 72 65 24 In main cabin. Mist and sand. English sun. Wind west and warm. Sea green and breaking.

At five p.m. the sand-mist began to clear off. Wind died away, then turned north and north-north-east. Light scud over moon, going slowly. Patches of blue, and stars. Barometer rising fast. Perfectly still night till midnight, when it began to blow, about the setting of the moon. At Suez, during the gale, red dust prevented ships seeing one another; and at Cairo trees were uprooted.

AT SINaFIR ISLAND.

Feb. 12 " 30.13 - - 68 62 31 In main cabin. At 3.30 a.m. a violent Ayli, like that of El-'Akabah, began to blow. Gusts and shivering water. Swept off all sand-fog.

Noon. 30.17 - - 73 64 27 In main cabin. Howling wind. Sea less, because of ebb. Breeze fresh.

Sky clear to south; few white clouds to north- east and west. Sun bright and warm.

3p.m. 30.14 - - 75 65 24 In cabin. Wind violent as ever, and cold from north.

During the night the wind blew from all possible directions; north-east, and at one time due west.

LEFT SINaFIR FOR SOUTH.

Feb. 13. " 30.18 - - 66 60 36 In main cabin. Howling north wind till four a.m., then milder.

Hardly a speck of cloud.

Fresh cool air from north. Sea very blue.

All sail set. Mist- clouds on tallest peaks of coast-range. Wind diminished as we went south. Cirri everywhere, zenith and on horizon.

Noon. 30.12 - - 69 59 26 On deck. Soft pleasant air; before cold and hard. Influence of El'Akabah. Thermometer on deck 69 degrees (F.).

3p.m 30.10 - - 71 62 20 On board. Sky milky everywhere with cirri.

Wind north-west, going west.

Red sunset. Distant halo round moon--cleared off soon (a good sign), and not well marked. Light westerly gale (No. 2).

AT SHARM YaHaRR.

Feb. 14. 7a.m. 30.06 - - 64 58 22 In cabin (open).

Splendid morning. Wind west, set in hard before noon. Milk-and-water sky. Should have been kept at Sinafir.

Noon. 30.04 - - 71 60 20 West wind increased. Sky clear; but SHaRR Mountains cloudy-- condensing moisture.

3p.m. 30.02 - - 71 60 20 In cabin. North-west wind strong. Moved ship.

Heavy black clouds on mountains.

ON BOARD "MUKHBIR" AT SHARM YaHaRR.

Feb 15. " 30.10 - - 66 58 30 In cabin.

Noon. 30.13 - 72 - - 35 In cabin.

3p.m. 30.14 - 75 - - 26 On deck. Clouds above the mountains.

Cold north-west breeze at five p.m. Sea high. Aneroid observations at Sulphur Mountain--foot, 30.14; top, 29.90; difference .24 = 250 feet.

Feb. 16. 7.30a.m. 30.23 - - 63 55 20 In cabin. Aneroid unusually high. Clear and cloudy at mountains.

Cool air and light breeze.