]
_Wednesday, April 18th_.--In the morning, at daylight, we were off
Jebel Teir, Mussawa Island, Annesley Bay lying 60 miles to the west.
Our position was about 60 miles to the south-west of Mussawa Zoulia,
where the expedition under Lord Napier of Magdala landed in 1867. At
noon we had sailed 221 miles, a most unexpected run in the Red Sea. In
the afternoon it fell calm, but the wind freshened again, and we went
on sailing until after midnight.
_Thursday, April 19th_.--We commenced steaming at 1 a.m., stopped,
however, at 5 a.m., and sailed all day. Yesterday we were surrounded
by some beautiful blue birds, who hovered about us and settled at
intervals on the masts and yards. During the night two were caught
napping by the men, and in the course of to-day two more, hotly
pursued by a hawk, took refuge on board and were also captured. One
was given to me. It appears to be a very beautiful kind of jay, with
feathers of the most brilliant shades of blue. The men have killed
their birds for the sake of the skins, but I mean to try and keep mine
alive. At Colombo several birds and two curiously starred tortoises
were added to our collection; and we took on board at Aden a gazelle,
a black cockatoo, and a green monkey.
We passed Souakim to-day, the port of Nubia.
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