.
The poor monkeys and parrots looked most wretched and unhappy, and had
to be packed away as speedily as possible. Nine monkeys in an empty
wine case seemed very happy and cuddled together for warmth, but the
two larger and more aristocratic members of the party required a box
to themselves. The gazelle had a little tent pitched for him specially
in a sheltered corner, and the birds were all stowed away and battened
over in the smoking fiddle. Dinner was rather a lame pretence, and it
was not long before we all retired, and certainly no one wished to
take his or her mattress on deck to-night. It is the first night I
have slept in a bed on board the yacht for many weeks, and a very
disturbed night it was, for the waves ran high, and we have lately
been sailing so steadily over smooth seas, that we did not know what
to make of this.
_Monday, April 23rd_.--The gale blew as hard as ever, and quite as
dead ahead. About noon we made the island of Shaduan, or isle of
Seals, so named by the ancients, when the sea and gulf abounded with
seals. There are still a few occasionally to be seen to the northward
by the fishermen, and their skins are brought to Suez for sale. We are
making tacks backwards and forwards across the narrow sea, an exciting
amusement for a yachtsman, as it requires constant attention.
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