ept on
improving, building better and better boats and making longer and longer
voyages; they found islands and the shores of far-off mainlands; they
carried back the products of those lands, and so Commerce was born.

"They made at last their ships meet the caravans from the East; the ideas
as well as the products of the East and West were brought together;
manufactories were established, robes and dyed garments and flashing
blades were made that became immortal, and those people made such an
impression on the world, as brave and capable and alert men of affairs,
that the impression still remains; even as the strong and true men of
Venice renewed the impression twenty-five hundred years later.

"The same spirit worked three thousand years ago that has been at work
in making the transformation from the bungling ships that Nelson fought
Trafalgar with to this ship under our feet, from the carrying up of ore
from the deep mines on the heads of peons to the hoisting engine and
safety cage of to-day."

"That is good, Jim," said Jordan, "it is ther soul of man, after all,
soul of courage that counts 'nd all ther advancement is only because we
has better tools ter work with than ther old-timers hed."

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE SOUL IN THE CLAY.

At Port Said the travelers left the French steamer to wait for the
English ship which was on the way from Southampton. It came in on the
evening of their arrival, and they went on board. They were glad to do
so, for the few hours in Port Said convinced them that it was a tougher
place than they had ever seen on the frontier.

At daylight next morning the ship proceeded on her way through the canal.

Our travelers were on the deck, watching the scenery.

Finally Jordan said: "This looks like Arizony, only more so. Arizony
looks as though thar war a strike among the mechanics and it war never
finished. This looks like it were finished once and then ther perprieter,
not bein' satisfied with ther contractor's job, smashed it. They tell me
ther mustang is ther blood-horse run down by starvation 'nd abuse, 'nd
in-breedin', but mostly from in-breedin'. This country looks ez though it
hed been ruined ther same way precisely. I shouldn't wonder but it wur
true. Them old Faros wuz big fellers; so war Sesostris and ther hull race
of the old chaps from ther Shepherd Kings down, and they useter call this
'the granary of the world,' didn't they?

"And old Cambysis cum here on a robbin'