ff, Imp. and Roy. Austro-Hung. Ministerial
Councillor, etc. etc. London: Kegan Paul and Co. 1881.]

PREFACE.

Once more I had traced my way to Egypt to pass the winter there. Like
every European who makes a lengthened sojourn in that ancient but
renewed land, I was led to recall the great engineering and other
achievements accomplished within our own time, and also to consider
future projects of development for which the country seems to present so
wide a scope. A great deal has been heard of late on the subject of
improved communication between Egypt and Southern Syria. Proposals for
the construction of a new harbour at Jaffa, for a railway through the
valley of the Jordan, and for harbour works at Beyrout, exercised my
mind in succession; and during my frequent walks in the beautiful
Esbekieh my thoughts were more particularly occupied with the overland
route between Syria and Egypt. Since the wanderings of the Israelites
through the desert, and the flight of the child Jesus, of how many great
events have these countries been the scenes, and what various
recollections are awakened by their names!

Former travels had rendered me familiar with both Egypt and Syria, as
well as with the different lines of communication between them,
excepting the old caravan route over Wadi el Harish, the ancient Torrens
Egyptii. Bearing in mind the bad harbours and dangerous anchorages of
Southern Palestine, I speculated upon the feasibility of a railway
connection round the coast, and, in view of that object, resolved
personally to examine the ground.

Many obstacles, however, presented themselves to the execution of my
intention. One of these arose from the circumstance that, since the
opening of the Suez Canal, the greater part of the traffic between Syria
and Egypt is carried on by the short water route _via_ Jaffa and Port
Said, in consequence of which the old highway, formerly so frequented by
caravans, travellers, and pilgrims, is now deserted and forgotten. Even
the cattle-dealers now prefer to send their stock by steamer from the
great export harbour of Jaffa to Alexandria, so that only a few
camel-drivers are to be met with on the once favourite route. I
therefore found it more expedient to order a caravan of horses and mules
from Jaffa to meet me in El Kantara, which I fixed upon as my starting
point for the desert. The following pages contain a narrative of the
expedition, which was undertaken in March 1878, as no