strong east wind and the wall of waters. At the point near Suez a
shoal extends quite across the sea. For several days this wind had
borne back the shallow waters, descending as it did from the rugged
mountain-slopes, and opening or sweeping back the deep as it were.
Then the tide came, thrust forward in accumulated volume, until it
made a real wall of waters that stood up in a huge crested, angry
foam. It was sufficiently like to cause the explorer to apprehend
the possibility of finding Pharaoh by traveling the same watery road.
Another question that has puzzled scholars found a solution in the
American's observation. Smith's _Bible Dictionary_ discusses learnedly
the name of this curious gulf, written [Greek: ae eruthra thalassa]
in the Septuagint. The _Dictionary_ surmises that the name was derived
from the red western mountains, red coral zoophytes, etc., and appears
to give little weight to the real and natural reason which came under
our American's notice. On one occasion the diver observed, while
under sea, that the curious wavering shadows, which cross the lustrous
golden floor like Frauenhofer's lines on the spectrum, began to change
and lose themselves. A purple glory of intermingled colors darkened
the violet curtains of the sea-chambers, reddening all glints and
tinges with an angry fire. Instead of that lustrous, golden firmament,
the thallassphere darkened to crimson and opal. The walls grew purple,
the floor as red as blood: the deep itself was purpled with the venous
hue of deoxidized life-currents.

The view on the surface was even more magnificent. The sea at first
assumed the light tawny or yellowish red of sherry wine. Anon this
wine-color grew instinct with richer radiance: as far as eye could
see, and flashing in the crystalline splendor of the Arabian sun, was
a glorious sea of rose. The dusky red sandstone hills, with a border
of white sand and green and flowered foliage, like an elaborately