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 MOUNT SEIR, 
 
 SINAI AND WESTERN PALESTINE.
 
 1
 
 loface title page. 
 
 Frontiiipif.ee. 
 
 GrRAND Gorge of the Wadt el 'Ain. 
 Sands^one Tor resting on granitic base in the centre of the picture.
 
 1 / 
 
 ti''''^'^' 
 
 MOUNT SEIR, 
 
 SINAI AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 
 
 BEING A NARRATIVE OF A SCIENTIFIC EXPEDITION. 
 
 EDWARD HULL, MA., LED., F.R.S., 
 
 Director of the Geological Survey of Ireland, 
 Professor of Geology, Royal College of Science, Dublin. 
 
 PV/T/I MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 Pnhlhlied for the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund by 
 
 RICHARD BENTLEY AND SON, 
 
 New Burlington Street. 
 
 1885. 
 
 \All rights 7-esei-zred.]
 
 LONDON : 
 ilAUKISON AND SONS, PHINTEES IN OEDINARY TO HEE MAJESTY, 
 
 ST. mabtin's lane.
 
 Jitscnption, 
 
 TO THE 
 
 RT. HON. THE EARL OF DUFFERIN, K.P., D.C.L, F.R.S., 
 
 THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED BY THE ATTTHOR IN GRATEFUL 
 
 RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICES WHICH HIS LORDSHIP 
 
 RENDERED TO THE EXPEDITION IN 1884, AND OF 
 
 THE INTEREST WHICH HE HAS EVINCED IN 
 
 THE PROGRESS AND SUCCESS OF THE 
 
 INVESTIGATIONS CARRIED OUT 
 
 BT THE COMMITTEE 
 
 OF THE 
 
 "PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND." 
 
 2092627
 
 PREFACE 
 
 The outcome of an Expedition is a book; and in the preparation 
 of this narrative, whicli has been a labour of love, I have many 
 friends to thank for their assistance. But I must here confine 
 my special acknowledgment to two composite bodies, namely, the 
 members of the Expedition, and the Committee and Secretary of 
 the " Palestine Exploration Fund," who have endeavoured to meet 
 my wishes in every vraj. 
 
 For the defects which may be found in the book itself, I can 
 only plead the pressure on my time from many engagements. 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
 Dublin, 
 
 lO^Zi October, 1884.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Project of a Scientific Expedition under the auspices of the Committee of the 
 Palestine Exploration Fund. — Members of the Expedition. — Its scope and 
 intention. — AiTangeraents with Messrs. T. Cook and Son. — Preparations 
 for the journey. — Apparatus. — Departure and route to Venice. — Em- 
 barkation on board the " Tanjore." — -The Adriatic and Brindisi. — Fellow- 
 passengers. — The Mediterranean. — Splendid effects by night .. pages 1-10. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Arrival at Port Said. — General Sir^. Wood and party. — Leave taking of fellow 
 passengers. — We proceed by steamer to Alexandria. — Mr. Le Mesurier's 
 proposals for preventing the silting up of the Ship Canal. — The harbour of 
 Alexandria. — Courtesy of Her Majesty's Consul, Mr. Cookson.^ — Condition of 
 Alexandria since the bombardment. — Pompey's Pillar. — Leave Alexandria 
 for Cau'o. — The Nile Delta. — Habits and mode of cultivation by the 
 Egyptians. — Mehemet Ali's plan for encouraging the planting of the palm. — 
 Cause of the fertility of Egypt. — Source of sediments in the Nile 
 waters. — Visit to the Pyramids. — Their present condition owing to the 
 removal of the outer casings. — Mr. Hart's adventure. — The great bakh- 
 sheesh question. — The Sphinx, and Temple of the Sphinx. — Visit to Jebel 
 Mokattam with Dr. Schweinfurth. — View from the summit. — The Art 
 Museum, Cairo. — Nile oscillations. — Arrival of the Towara Arabs. — 
 Departure from Cairo, and journey to Suez. — Visit to Jebel Attakah. — 
 Arab sailors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 11-27- 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Arrival at Moses' Wells. — First Sabbath in the Desert. — Our camp and its 
 furniture. — Start on Monday morning " on the track of tlie Israelites." — 
 Proposed route through tlie Sinaitic Peninsula. — Geological questions to be 
 determined. — Group of Egyptian vultures. — Taset Bisher. — The scene of 
 Prof. Palmer's murder. — Account tliereof from our Arabs. — Camp at 
 Wady Sudur. — Desert scenery. — The jerboa. — Beauty of tlic desert melon. — 
 My camel and liis driver, Sala. — Jebel Hamam. — Wady Gharandel, the
 
 V. 
 
 X CONTENTS. 
 
 Elim of the Bible.— The Wady Amarah, the Marah of the Eible.— Cause of 
 the "bitterness" of the waters. — Evidences of ancient lakes. — The deposits 
 of Wady Useit. — The date palm. — Arab mode of planting. — Tea-aces formed 
 by torrent action ,, .. .. .. .. .. pages 28-39. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The sandstone district of Ramleh. — Its position with reference to the limestone 
 region on the one hand, and to the granite region on the other. — Character 
 of the sandy plain. — Teniperatui-e in shade at noon. — Camp in the Wady 
 Nasb. — Fossil hunting. — A weU in the wilderness. — Natural pyramids of 
 sandstone, near the Wady Suwig. — Turquoise mines. — Palmer and Drake's 
 camping ground in the Wady Kamileh. — Habits of wild animals 
 
 pages 40-44. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Granitic Region. — Contrast of features with the region of sandstone. — Remnants 
 of the latter formation. — The Wady Berk, desolate scenery. — The Zygophyl- 
 lum or erymtli of the Arabs. — Remarkable dykes of trap-rock. — Camp in 
 Wady Lebweh, at a height of 3,800 feet. — First glimpse of Serbal. — Plants of 
 the desert. — Natural gardens. — Heights of the mountains of the Peninsula. — 
 View of the mountains of Sinai from tlte Wady Berrah. — Character of the 
 Wady es Sheikh. — Grrove of tamarisks. — Ancient lake-beds. — Kitchener's 
 triangulation from the granite ridge. — Grand gorge of th e Wady el Watiy eh. — 
 Rocks of porphyry. — Camp near the Convent of St. Catherine 
 
 pages 45-50. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Mount Sinai. — Ras Sufsafeh, "the Mountain that can be touched." — Excursion 
 to Mount Sinai. — Wady es Sheikh. — Ascent of Jebel Musa. — The cleft in the 
 rock. — Character of the scenery and view from the summit. — Old church 
 of the Empress Helena. — The Coney. — The Pilgrims' road. — Deceptive 
 view of the convent. — Elijah's Cave. — Entomological torments in camp. — 
 The Ibex, or "Wild Goat" of the Bible. — We retrace our steps, through 
 the Gorge of Watiyeh. — The Ain el Akhdar. — The Wady el Zelegah, its 
 character and remarkable scenery. — Pyramids and tors of sandstone. — 
 Great landsUps. — Fossiliferous strata. — Jerboa burrowings. — Narrow escape 
 from a fall.— The W4dy el Biyar ; terraces of alluvial gravel. — Jebel el 
 Berg and Jebel el Ain . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 51-57. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Grand gorge of the Wady el Ain. — Probable route of the Israelites. — Fine 
 springs of water. — Walls of granite capped by sandstone. — Effects of 
 water erosion. — Results of a thunderstorm. — Our Sunday camp in the
 
 / 
 
 CONTENTS. XI 
 
 Wacly el Ain. — Strange conduct of English engineers. — Apparent attempt to 
 forestall our party. — Bernhard Heilpern is dispatched to Akabah by forced 
 inarches. — Jebei el Aradeli. — Entrance of the Wady el Tihyeh. — Wells in 
 sandstone rock. — March towards the table-land of the Tih .. pages 58-61. 
 
 CHAPTER Till. 
 
 Region of the Tih. — Disappearance of the limestone escarpment. — Dislocations 
 of the strata. — Desert partridges. — Ibraham's views about Bedawins. — The 
 Sheikh prefers not to " settle down." — The story of the Dabour tribe. — 
 Camp in the Thieves' Valley. — Extensive pasturage. — Coldness of the 
 morning air. — Escarpment of Turf-er-R\ikn. — Ridge of porphyry. — Great 
 fault in the strata. — The Haj Road. — Descent to the shores of the Gulf of 
 Akabah. — We find our tents pitched behind the palm-grove. — Bernhard 
 Heilpern has been successful. — Interview with Sheikh Mahomed. — The 
 Sheikh's brother Ali. — Negotiations for convoy along the Arabah Valley. — 
 A hitch occiu's in the terms. — Mahomed is resolute. — Sealing the " Instru- 
 ment." — -Prospect of going to Gaza. — Great disappointment. — We dismiss 
 our Towara guides with presents . . . . . . . . pages 62-70. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Description of Akabah. — The Elath of the Bible. — Palm trees. — Position of 
 Ezion Geber. — Waters of the gulf, shelly gravel of the beach. — Natural 
 fertility of the soil. — Character of the inhabitants. — Suspicions regarding 
 Mahomed. — Measures for " keeping him straight." — He spurns our offer of 
 a revolver.— Advent Sunday. — Ai'rival of pilgrims from Mecca. — Start from 
 Akabah on Monday morning. — Great thunderstorm. — The camp breaks up 
 in confusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 71-74. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The Wady el Arabah. — Its importance in Israelitish history. — Its relations to 
 the Jordanic depression. — Position of the great fault.— Site of Ezion 
 Geber. — Raised sea beach of the Arabah VaUey. — Appearance of our 
 Alowin guides. — Abundance of game. — Magnificent eagle. — Sketch of the 
 geological structure of the Arabah Valley. — Its general aspect. — Absence of 
 streams. — Original physical condition. — The wells of Ain el Ghudyan. — 
 Camp near centre of Ai-abah Valley.— Grand scenery. — The "saddle" of 
 Wady el Arabah. — The Wady Gharandel. — Footprints of wild animals on 
 the desert sands pages 75-84.
 
 V 
 
 Xll CONTEXTS. 
 
 CHAPTER Xr. 
 
 l\'tra and Mount Hor. — Level of the watershed or saddle of the Arabah Valley. 
 — Question of practicability of a ship-canal. — Appearance and structure of 
 Mount Hor (Jebel Haroun). — The mosque of Aaron's tomb. — Kitchener 
 and Armstrong triangulate from the summit. — Proposal to steal a march. — 
 Sheikh All protests. — Camp at entrance to Wadj Haroun. — Oleander 
 trees. — We dispatch a messenger to Sheikh Arari. — Sheikli Abdullah arrives 
 from Pefcra. — Exorbitant demands. — Major Kitchener produces his firman. 
 — Dispute as to terms, and rupture of negociations.- — We strike out tents. — 
 Ultimately the Petra Sheikhs give in. — Statement of original demands, and 
 ultimate terms. — Early start for Mount Hor and Petra. — Remarkable 
 appearance of the tableland of the Tih. — Flock of vultures. — Abdullah's 
 conversation with Ibraham. — DiiEcult pass; grand scenery. — Sandstone 
 clills and terraces. — Petra and its architectural remains. — Marvellous effects 
 cf colouring. — Return of our party to the camp. — Results of the day's 
 work. — Altitude of Mount Hor. — Exciting scene with the Petra Arabs 
 
 pages 85-90. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Arabah Valley west of Mount Hor. — Jebels Jerafeh and Magrah. — Effects 
 of floods. — First glimpse of the hills of Judaea. — Sheikh Ali proposes to 
 conduct us down to the shore of the Salt Sea. — Agreeable surprise, and 
 idtimate arrangements. — Ain Abu Werideh.^ — Ancient Salt Sea terraces. — 
 Semifossil shells. — Samrat Fiddan. — Ancient gravel beach. — Terraces of the 
 Wady el Jeib.— Camp at Wady Suweirah. — We dispatch a messenger to 
 Jerusalem. — Suspicious conduct of Sheikh Ali. — Scenery of the Wady 
 Suweirah. — Petra Arabs on our ti-ack ; we think it better to move on. — 
 Thunderstorm. — Disintegration of the rocks of the Arabah Valley. — Forma- 
 tion of the physical features. — Ancient ruins of the Wady T'lah. — 
 Remarkable terraces of the ancient sea.— Camp at the edge of The Ghor 
 
 pages 97-107. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 The Gh&r and Salt Sea. — Descent into The Ghor. — Ancient teiTace. — Problem 
 requiring solution. — Appearance of Jebel Usdum. — Arab camps. — Group of 
 Arab children. — Our progress barred by Arab cavalry. — Interview between 
 Kitchener and Arari. — They come to terms. — Arrival at the village of Es 
 Safieh. — Vegetation of The Ghor. — Cultivation of the ground by the 
 Ghawarneh. — Our camp in The Ghor. — Visit to the shore of the Salt Sea. — 
 Nocturnal experiences. — Chorus of jackals. — Jebel es Somrah and Wady el 
 Hessi. — Habits of the Ghawarneh. — Herds of camels. — Invitation from the 
 Sheikh of Kerak politely declined. — Visit of the Petra Arabs. — Excursion 
 into the mountains. — Barometric pressure in The Ghor. — Unwelcome tiduigs 
 of quarantine. — Hopes deferred. — News from Jerusalem and disappoint- 
 ment. — Prospect of Christmas by the Salt Sea. — Hassani again dispatdied to
 
 CONTEXT^;. xni 
 
 Jerusalem. — Visit to ancient ruins. — Strange way of viewing a landscape. — 
 Our Alowin guides. — Character of the Arabs. — Ruins of Lebrusch. — 
 Gorgeous effects of colour. — New disappointments and fresh surprises. — 
 Arrival of party of Arabs from Cairo with letter from the Consul-General. — 
 Christmas Day in the Wilderness. — Depression of the mental barometer. — 
 Mr. Laurence entertains the Arabs with electrical experiments. — Christmas 
 dinner. — Visit of Slieikh Arari of Petra. — Arrival of horses and mules from 
 Jerusalem. — Peremptory orders to proceed to Gaza for quarantine. — Prepa- 
 rations for an early start for the opposite side of The Ghor. — We part witli 
 Sheikh Ali pages 108-128. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 March from Es Safieh, and cross the Slimy Plain. — Jebel Usdum ; its beds of 
 rock salt. — Hart and Laurence explore the upper surface. — Mr. Hart's 
 accoimt of the structure of Jebel Usdum. — Evidences that the waters of 
 the Salt Sea are still leceding. — Wady Muliauwat. — Barometric reading 
 by the shore of the sea. — The Wady Zuweii'ah. —Difficult pathway. — 
 Ancient bed of the Salt Sea filling in old valleys in the limestone. — -Ancient 
 ruins. — A march in darkness. — Camp at Wady el Abd. — Our Arabs enter- 
 tain us to coffee. — Flocks of the Jahalin Arabs. — Large cairn. — Remarkable 
 view therefrom.— The Wilderness of Pai-an. — Camp at Tel el Milh (Mola- 
 dah). — Evidences of former habitations. — The ancient wells. — Arrival at 
 Beersheba. — Abraham's Wells. — Captain Conder's discovery. — Traces of ex- 
 tensive ruins. — Desolation of the land. — Tel Abu Hareireh. — Camels used 
 for ploughing. — Great extent of cultivated land. — Xcav formation of .'sand- 
 stone. — Geological structure of Western Palestine. — Old sea-beds with shells. 
 — Major Kitchener leaves the party for Egypt. — " The Lily of the Field." 
 — Incident at Khurbet el Baha. — The Sheikh of the Tihyaha. — Large 
 herd of gazelles. — First view of Gaza and of the Mediterranean. — Arrival 
 at our quarantine camp. — ilr. Schapira's kind offices. — We communicate 
 with Lord Dufferin pages 129-143. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Amongst the Philistines. — Arrival of the mctlical officer. — Telegram from Lord 
 Dufferin. — Release on the fifth day. — We square accoimts with the doctor. 
 — Start from Gaza. — Ancient olive-grove. — Extensive sand-hills and their 
 devastating effects. — Camp at El Medjet. — Large olive trees. — Ashdod 
 (Asdud). — The great highway of Philistia. — Arrival at Jaffa. — Take up 
 our quarters at the Jerusalem Hotel. — Natural breakwater. — Calcareous 
 rock in course of formation.— Start for Ramleh.- — ^Pretty gardei.s and 
 remarkable tower. — A group of lepers. — The Lepers' Hospital at Jerusalem. 
 — Bab-el-Wiidy good botanical ground. — Remarkable features of the central 
 table-land of Juda?a. — Effects of cultivation. — Kulonieh (or Emmaus).— 
 We enter the Gate of Jtrusalcm . . . . . . . . pages 1 11-151.
 
 XIV CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XVT. 
 
 Kind reception by friends. — Geological structure of district. — Marble and 
 building-stone of Jervisalem. — Succession of strata. — Visit to Solomon's 
 Pools. — Signs of progress. — Ancient aqueduct. — Generous offer of Lady 
 Burdett-Coutts. — Turkish obstinacy. — Explorations of Colonels Wilson and 
 Warren. — The Pools. — The " Gardens of Solomon." — Mr. Meshullam's 
 successful industry. — Bethlehem. — The Convent and Church of the 
 Nativity. — The Well of David. — The Cave of Adullam. — Ecturn to Jeru- 
 salem, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pages 152-158. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Visit to Jericho and the Jordan. — The Mount of Ohves. — Our young Sheikh. — 
 Bethany. — The Wady Sidr, remarkable contortions of strata. — Russian 
 pilgrims. — Wady Kelt (Brook Cherith). — View from the edge of The Ghor. — 
 Camp at Ancient Jericho, and the warm baths of Ain es Sultan. — Terraces 
 of the ancient Salt Sea. — The fords of Jordan. — Cause of the turgidity of 
 the water. — Russian pilgrims. — A gallop across the plain . . pages 159-164. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Rettn-n by Mar Saba. — Wady Kiieiserah. — What has become of Sodom and 
 Gomorrah ? — The tomb of Moses. — Good wells. — Descent into Wady 
 Mukalik. — Bed of an ancient lake. — Contortions in the strata and their 
 curious appearance. — Chase after a rvmaMay horse. — Difficult road. — Mode 
 of formation of the ridges and valleys. — Arrival at our camp at Mar Saba. — 
 Remarkable gorge of the Kedron. — Evidence of a former rainy period. — 
 Fault at entrance to the gorge. — Cliffs of the Valley of Hinnom. — Arrival 
 at Jerusalem. — Preparations for joiu'uey northwards . . pages 165-169. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Snowed up in Jerusalem. — Fall of temperature and westerly gale. — Effects of 
 the snow-fall. — The country becomes impassable. — Sufferings of the 
 people. — A last view over Jerusalem and its surroundings. — Remarkable 
 transparency of the air. — Departure for Jaffa. — Appearance of the country 
 under snow. — Arrival at Jafia .. .. .. r. pages 170-174. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Homeward Bound. — Passage to Beyrut. — The snow-clad Lebanon.— Visit to 
 Dr. Bliss and H.B.M. Consul-General. — Visit to Miss Taylor's School. — 
 Lokandel el Motram. — Sail for Cyprus. — Return home by Smyrna and 
 Constantinople. — Visit to Lord Dufferin. — The Oriental Express. — Arrival 
 in London. — Warm reception by the Committee of the Palestine Exploration 
 Fmid pages 175-177.
 
 CONTENTS. XV 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Summary of Scientific Results : 1. Kitchener's Triangulation of the Wady el 
 Arabah. — 2. Rectifications of the Salt Sea borders. — 3. G-eological recon- 
 naissance along the route. — 4. Collections of Fossils at Wady Nasb and 
 elsewhere. — 5. Determinations of the geological ages of the two sandstone 
 formations. — 6. The determination of the position of the Great Jordan 
 VaUey and Arabah fault. — 7. Determination of the ancient levels of the 
 Red Sea, the Mediterranean, and the Salt Sea (Dead Sea). — 8. The 
 recognition of ancient lake beds in Arabia Petraea, &c. — 9. Evidences of a 
 former " Pluvial period." — 10. Connection between the volcanic eruptions of 
 Northern Palestine and Syria with the Glacial epoch. — 11. Determination of 
 the Isolations of the strata of Jebel Usdum with those of the Ancient Salt 
 Sea. — 12. Construction of a new geological map of the whole region visited. — 
 13. Series of Meteorological observations by Mr. Laurence. — 14. Series of 
 photographs by Dr. E. G. Hull. — 15. Collection of plants by Mr. Hart 
 
 pages 178-184. 
 
 CHAPTER XXII. 
 
 Some of the remarkable sites visited by the Expedition : 1. The passage of the 
 Red Sea by the Israelites ; Route of the Israelites from Zoan— probable 
 place of the passage ; Explanation by wliich the Bible Narrative may be 
 harmonised with pliysical phenomena. — 2. The Giving of the Law ; Claims 
 of Jebel Musa ; Position of Ras Sufsafeh, and the camping ground of 
 Israel ; The streams of water — their origin ; No evidence of recent 
 volcanic action. — 3. Position of Kadesh, Barnea, and Mount Hor ; Views 
 of Dr. Trumbull ; Mr. Rolands' and Mr. Holland's identification ; View 
 from Mount Hor (Jebel Haroun).— 4. The site of Calvary ; Claims of the 
 Cliurch of the Holy Sepulchre inadmissable ; Evidences in favour of the 
 hill of Jeremiah's Grotto pages 185-192. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 Explanationof the Geological Map .. fiages 193-197. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 1. Major Kitchener's Report pages 199-222. 
 
 2. Mr. George Armstrong's account of the Wady Arabah . . page 222.
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 No. PAGE 
 
 Grand Gorge of the Wiidy el Ain. . .. .. .. Frontispiece. 
 
 1. View of the Mokattam Hills and Suburbs of Cairo from the west 
 
 bank of the Nile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . to face 17 
 
 2. Lake Deposits of the Wad_Y Useit. . .. .. .. .. „ 37 
 
 3. View from the Wady Suwig, Pyramids of red sandstone resting 
 
 on granite and porphyry . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 
 
 4. Sandstone Tor, resting on a basis of granite and poiplnry, seen frcm 
 
 Wady Berrah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4G 
 
 5. Escarpment of Turf-er-Kukn, looking ucrth and west .. to face 65 
 
 6. Geological section along the Haj road above the Gulf of Akabah . . 68 
 
 7. General Section across the Wady el Arabah to illustrate its geological 
 
 structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 
 
 8. Jebel Nachaleagh, (or Jebel Umm Lamel) and the Edomite Mountains 
 
 near Wady Abu Berka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 
 
 9. Ain el Ghiidyan, in the Wady el Arabah .. ., . . to fate 83 
 
 10. Mount Hor (Jebel Haroun), from the watershed of the Wady el 
 
 Arabah .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ., to face 85 
 
 11. Pass between Jebels Ma grah and Jeraf eh .. .. • • » 97 
 
 12. Shells from the ancient bed of the Salt Sea near Ain Abvi Werideh . . 1( 
 
 13. Pass into the Wady el Weibeh 103 
 
 14. Terraces above the descent to the Ghor .. .. .. .. .. 1l6 
 
 15. Geological section through the gorge of the Wady el Hes.si . . . . 114 
 
 16. Ruins of Lebrusch and of ancient town east of the Ghor . . to face 122 
 
 17. Bent joint-planes m rock salt along the face of Jebel Usdum. . . . 130 
 
 18. Abraham's Well, Beersheba . . . . . . . . . . . , 137 
 
 19. Wady Kadeis and Wady Jaifeh, from a sketch by the late Eev. F. W. 
 
 Holland 189 
 
 20. Diagram of Triangulation from Akubah to the Dead Sea .. to face 199 
 
 21. Figures cut on the rock in Wady Zeleka .. . . .. „ 204 
 
 22. Bedouin tribe marks, and Arabic inscriptions in Wady Ghuweir „ 213 
 
 23. Section along the Wady Arabah . . . . . , . . . . „ 222 
 
 GEOLoaiCAL Map . . , . . . . . . . , . , . „ 194 
 
 Map SHOWING EouTE OF THE Expedition ,. .. .. „ 176
 
 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA 
 
 PETR^A, THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, 
 
 AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 "OUTWAED BOUND." 
 
 The work of the Palestine Survey, which had been partly completed in 
 Moab by Captain Conder, E.E,, having been interrupted through the 
 opposition of the Turkish Government, the Executive Committee of 
 the Palestine Exi^loration Fund determined to undertake a geological 
 reconnaissance of Western Palestine and the Jordan Valley, in accordance 
 with the programme of work to be done under the auspices of this 
 admirable Society. The Topographical Survey of Western Palestine had 
 now been completed and published, so that the time seemed ripe for 
 investigating the physical phenomena of Western Palestine, the Valley of 
 the Jordan, and of the deep depression in which lies the Salt Sea.' An 
 offer to undertake this exi^loration having been made to me by Colonel 
 Sir Charles W. Wilson, on the part of the Executive Committee of the 
 Palestine Exploration Fund, I consulted with some friends regarding 
 the nature of the countries to be traversed, climate, and other matters ; 
 and having received sufficiently encouraging replies, I gladly accepted the 
 offer, and began preparations for carrying it out : — the Lords of the Com- 
 mittee of Council having been so good as to grant me three months' 
 special leave of absence from my official duties in Ireland. 
 
 I had long taken a deep interest in the physical history of Palestine. 
 I had read nearly everything that had been written on the subject, 
 
 * I prefer this name to that of tlie " Dead Sea," a name of mucli laterorigin, 
 and originating in a misconception. The name " Salt Sea " (Gen. xiv, 3) is 
 peculiarly appropriate to an inland lake of such intense salinity, and was in use 
 at the time when the Pentateuch was written. The Arabic name for this lake 
 is " El Balir Lut," the Sea of Lot. 
 
 B
 
 2 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/I'.A, 
 
 including the gi'eat work of M. Lartet, the geologist attached to the 
 expedition of the Due de Luynes, and had even gone so far as to deliver 
 a public lecture on the physical history of the Jordan Valley and the Salt 
 Sea in the theatre of the Eoyal Dublin Society.' Little did I think, 
 when delivering that lecture, that I should have an opportunity in a few 
 months' time of testing the correctness of my views by actual observation 
 on the spot ! Such, however, was the case ; and within a few weeks I 
 was busily engaged in my preparations for departure for the East. 
 
 It was of first importance to choose suitable companions. The Com- 
 mittee kindly allowed me to select an assistant ; and I gladly accepted the 
 offer of my son, Dr. E. Gordon Hull, to accompany me in that capacity, 
 and, also, as honorary medical officer to the party. Major Kitchener, R.E., 
 then in Egypt, was nominated by the Committee to undertake the topo- 
 graphical survey of the Wady el Arabah, and region to the north as far as 
 the shores of the Salt Sea, so as to join up the triangulation with that of the 
 Ordnance Survey of Palestine f and Mr. Armstrong, formerly Sergeant- 
 Major R.E., who had taken part in nearly the whole of the previous survey, 
 was appointed his assistant. It is scarcely necessary for me to say with what 
 pleasure I received the tidings of the appointment of Major Kitchener 
 as my colleague. I was aware of his great experience in the work of the 
 Palestine Survey, of his knowledge of the character and. customs of the 
 Arab tribes amongst whom we were to travel, and of his ability to con- 
 verse in their language. All this inspired an amount of confidence of 
 ultimate success I should not otherwise have felt, and the result proved 
 that my confidence was well founded. In matters connected with our 
 dealing with the Arabs I readily deferred to his judgment, which I always 
 found to be judicious, while he often acted as spokesman in our negocia- 
 tions with the Sheikhs. 
 
 It was, also, a matter of much importance to the safety of the party, 
 towards the attainment of our objects, that great prudence should be 
 exercised in dealing with the Bedawins ; — at least we supposed so. The 
 unhappy murder of Professor Palmer, Lieut. Gill, and their companions, 
 
 ' An abstract of this lecture appeared in Nature, March, 1883. 
 
 - The Palestine Surrey Map, published en a scale of f of an inch to one 
 statute mile, includes the western shore of the Dead Sea as far as Sebbeb ; from 
 this point the southern boundary runs along Wady Sei;\al, Wady el Milh, Wady 
 es Seba, and the Wady Ghuzzeh, to the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, south of 
 Gaza.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AllABAH, AND WESTERN PxVLESTINE. 3 
 
 by the Bedawins of the Tih, was still fresh in our memories, and sometimes 
 caused a cold thrill when I thought thereon. Some of my more judicious 
 friends, when speaking with me on the prospects of my journey, accom- 
 panied their congratulations and good wishes with gentle hints to beware 
 of the treacherous Bedawin, and " to remember the fate of Palmer." They 
 little thought, kind souls, how they were adding to my own mental 
 anxiety, which I trust I did not allow any one to share, or even suspect. 
 I kept it under lock and key, along with Besant's narrative of that 
 horrible tragedy, and insisted, in reply to my friends, that the circum- 
 stances of Professor Palmer and myself were entirely different (which 
 was undoubtedly the case), and that in the capture and execution of 
 the murderers the Bedawins had received a lesson which they would not 
 readily forget. Such was also the view that my friend and counsellor. Sir 
 Charles Wilson, had endeavoured to impress upon me.^ 
 
 As will be seen in the sequel, both the scope and area of the Expedition 
 were considerably enlarged as time went on. In the letter of Mr. Glaisher,^ 
 F.R.S., Chairman of the Executive Committee in which the route and 
 objects to be kept in view were definitely laid down, it was stated that we 
 were to proceed overland to Egypt, where we should be joined by Major 
 Kitchener, and from thence strike into the desert of Sinai, which we were 
 to traverse as far as the head of the Gulf of Akabah. From thence we 
 were to proceed northwards along the whole length of the Wady el 
 Arabah, to the southern end of the Salt Sea, and proceeding along the 
 western shore as far as Ain Jidi (Engedi), turn up into the tableland of 
 Judea to Hebron, from whence the officers of the Engineers wore to return 
 to Egypt, while the other members of the Expedition were to proceed to 
 Jerusalem, and organise another expedition into the Jordan Valley, Moab, 
 and Northern Palestine. It will thus be seen that a tour of unusual extent 
 and interest was placed within our reach, including countries and places 
 second to none in importance from their sacred associations, their histori- 
 cal antecedents, and the physical conditions under which they are placed. 
 The Committee also took care that everything should be done for the 
 
 ' The matter is very fully gone into in Mr. Ecsant's " Life of Professor Palmer." 
 There can be no doubt, as we afterwards learned on the spot, that Palmer's 
 death was planned by the agents of Arabi Pasha, and that the Arabs, who wore 
 to a man on Arabi's side, were onlj carrying out the orders thej' had received 
 from Egypt. 
 
 - Of date 7t.h Jidy, 18S3. 
 
 B 2
 
 4 xarhativp: of an expedition through arabia petr^ea, 
 
 comfort and safety of the travellers. The Egyptian Government, through 
 the Foreign Office, ottered an escort as far as Akabah, the limit of Egyptian 
 territory ; but as we had no reasons for apprehension from the Arabs in 
 the Sinaitic peninsula, we did not think it necessary to avail ourselves of 
 the kindness of CherifF Pasha, who had offered through Major Kitchener 
 to give us every assistance in his power. The district where an escort of 
 soldiers was likely to be of use lay between Akabah and the Salt Sea, and 
 here the Egyptian escort would have been unable to accompany us. 
 
 The party as it now stood consisted of four ; but it was obviously 
 desirable that it should include a naturalist, who should make notes and 
 collections of the rei:)resentative fauna and flora of the district to be 
 traversed ; and of a meteorologist, who should also make observations on the 
 temperature, rainfall, and aneroid determinations of the levels of special 
 points along our route. I therefore cast about in my mind for volunteers 
 having the necessary time and qualifications to undertake those departments 
 of research, and was most fortunate in both instances. Mr. Henry 
 Chichester Hart, who joined us in the former capacity, had been personally 
 known to me for several years as an ardent investigator of the flora of 
 Ireland, having made several reports on the botany of special districts of 
 that country, under the auspices of the Royal Irish Academy. He had 
 also acted as Naturalist in the expedition of Sir George (then Captain) 
 Nares, R.N., to the Arctic regions, which had penetrated as far north as 
 83° 14' lat. To these antecedents Mr. Hart added an uncommon power of 
 enduring bodily fatigue ; and he proved a most agreeable addition to our 
 party, owing to his imperturbable good humour, and the extent of his 
 knowledge on natural history subjects. Mr. Reginald Laurence, Associate 
 of the Royal College of Science, Dublin, who accepted my invitation 
 to act as Honorary Meteorologist to the Expedition, had also been 
 my personal fi-iend for several years, and from my knowledge of his 
 antecedents and ability, I felt sure he would prove the right man to 
 complete our quorum ; and in this I was not disappointed. Never, I 
 feel sure, were six persons more happily associated in an vmdertaking 
 of this kind. Throughout our whole tour the utmost good feeling 
 prevailed amongst the members ; each took an interest, not only in his 
 own department, but in those of the others, and tried to assist in them 
 as opportunity ofl'ered. My son, having had considerable practice in 
 photography, undertook to bring home photographs of the district 
 through which we were to pass, and through part of which no photo-
 
 THE VALLFA'" OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 5 
 
 grapher had as yet penetrated. Our Expedition was thus tolerably 
 complete in all its branches. 
 
 The previous expeditions sent out by the Society had been managed 
 by the officer in command, either through a dragoman or with the 
 natives direct. As, however, the present journey was through a country 
 unknoAvii to any of the members of the party, and among tribes of 
 indifferent reputation, it was thought best to make use of the facilities 
 provided by Messrs. Cook & Son, whose agents and dragomans in Cairo 
 are well acquainted with the Desert and the Sheikhs of the various 
 tribes. Consequently, an arrangement having been come to with the 
 London office, we were enabled to travel without trouble as to tents, 
 food, attendants, escort, or camels, ever}i:hing being done for vis, perhaps 
 the more efficiently on account of the personal interest taken in the Expedi- 
 tion by the head of the firm. 
 
 Several days were spent in London by all the members of the party 
 in making preparations. Theodolite, compasses, aneroids, thermometers, 
 photographic apparatus, guns, revolvers, ammunition, geological hammers, 
 maps, suitable clothes, stationery, and many other articles had to be pro- 
 vided, packed, labelled, and despatched. Mr. Armstrong was to follow in 
 a few days by steamer from Marseilles, and join us in Egypt. My son 
 and I met the Committee in Adam Street for a parting consviltation and 
 farewell, which was very warmly given us by the Chairman, Mr. Glaisher. 
 On the day following we all dined with my brother-in-law, the Rev. H. 
 Hall-Houghton,' at the National Club, Whitehall, and on Saturday we 
 took our seats for Dover in the train at Ludgate Hill Station, Mr. Cook 
 being on the platform to see us off, and wish us " a good journey." We 
 crossed the " silver streak " during an interval of comparative tranquillity, 
 and in a boat, fortunately, other than the " Calais-Douvre," so reached 
 Paris in the evening, without having had to undergo the usual passage 
 experiences. 
 
 We left Paris for Milan by the " through train," via Basle, on Smiday 
 evening. Our train was to have been in connection with another leaving 
 Basle about noon, but as we approached this city our progress gradually 
 approximated to a walking pace. With a view, doubtless, to reciprocity, 
 as we got impatient the train slackened speed, with the not unexpected 
 
 ' Mr. Hall-Hougliton is a member of the General Committee of the Palpstiiu- 
 Exploration Fund, and was present at the meeting of the ISpeeial Committee on 
 the previous day.
 
 6 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 result that we were late for the train into Italy. The day was wet and 
 cold, and in order to pass a part of it in motion we took the next train to 
 Lucerne, hoping for a change. But this beautiful city was draped in 
 sombre garb. A canopy of cloud shrouded from our view the mountains, 
 while a ceaseless drizzle damped our desire for sight-seeing. Some of the 
 party, however, visited the remarkable " glacier garden " near the city ; 
 and after dinner at the hotel we were glad to find ourselves again in the 
 train, notwithstanding the disappointment of being obliged to cross the 
 Alps at night. But though night, all was not dark. As we ascended the 
 mountains towards the St. Gothard Tunnel the canopy of cloud melted 
 away ; and about midnight the moon and stars shone forth, illuminating 
 the snow-clad heights on the one hand, and throwing into still deejjer 
 shade the ravines and frowning precijjices along which we threaded 
 our way. On issuing forth from the tunnel on the Italian side, and as 
 break of day approached, we found the sky clear, and we descended into 
 the plains of Lombardy amidst a blaze of sunshine, which cheered our 
 spirits ; and under such circumstances we drove through Milan, visited 
 the cathedral, and in the afternoon took our seats in the train for Venice 
 which we reached after dark. It was a new experience for all of our 
 party but myself to find ourselves seated in a gondola, and piloted along 
 through the canals, shooting numerous archways, and gliding along the 
 dark, mysterious walls of houses, churches, and palaces, to the steps of the 
 Victoria Hotel, where we were soon comfortably housed, to await the 
 departure of the P. and O. steamship " Tanjore" for Egypt on the follow- 
 ing Thursday. 
 
 We endeavoured to put our time to good account, and see as much of 
 the " Queen of the Adriatic " as possible. I found that my former visit 
 had ill no way lessened the pleasure of a second, and I saw and heard 
 much that had escaped me previously. Engaging the services of a very 
 efficient guide, who informed us that he had accompanied Mr. Ruskin 
 when collecting his materials for " The Stones of Venice," we made a very 
 full examination of the Palace of the Doges, the Duomo of St. Mark, and 
 other sights of this wonderful city. In the evenings we sipped our 
 coflFee under the colonnade of the Piazza, listening to the music of a very 
 fine military band, or gazing with wistful eyes into the brilliantly lighted 
 shops, so eminently calculated to elicit the last lira from the pocket of the 
 beholder. Though we made some purchases, I fear our stay in Venice 
 did not add materially to the wealth of the city. We recollected there
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 7 
 
 "were bazaars in the Eastern cities we hoped to visit with objects of still 
 greater novelty than those even of Venice. 
 
 Owing to the quarantine regulations, the " Tanjore," Captain Briscoe, 
 was unable to come np to the Grand Canal, so we left Venice in a steam 
 launch, in which we were conveyed down through the lagoons to the place 
 in the bay where our good ship rode at anchor. We passed several 
 islands and forts, amongst others one built by the Genoese in the four- 
 teenth century, and several, rising from the lagoons, erected by the 
 Austrians in 1859-60. These lagoon islands are in some cases of vast 
 extent, and are covered by the waters of the Adriatic when the wind 
 blows strongly from the south. In 1875, on the 5th of January, a south 
 wind banked up the waters of the Adriatic till they overflowed most of 
 the islands, and for two days the Piazza of St. Mark was submerged to 
 the depth of four or five feet. 
 
 We found the "Tanjore" crowded with passengers when our con- 
 tingent had come on board. These included General Sir Evelyn Wood 
 and party returning to Egypt, and several persons bound for that country, 
 as well as for Cyprus and India, whose company we enjoyed till we 
 reached Port Said. In the evening we weighed anchor, and steamed 
 down the nearly smooth waters of the Adriatic, often out of sight of land, 
 but sometimes with distant views of the coasts and islands of Italy on 
 the one hand, and of Dalmatia on the other. One of the islands, called 
 "The Half-way Rock," rises as a sharp ridge, apparently of limestone, 
 from deep water. 
 
 Early on Saturday morning, we entered the harbour of Brindisi as far 
 as the coaling depot of the P. and O. Company, and we had all to turn 
 out of our berths pretty early in order to pass muster before the medical 
 officer, who was pleased to give us " a clean bill of health," without a very 
 strict diagnosis of each case. On this and a subsequent occasion I had an 
 opportunity of observing the absurd nature of quarantine regulations. 
 Like the passport system, that of quarantine only seems to give to 
 travellers gratuitous trouble and expense, without accomplishing the 
 object for which it is supposed to be instituted. How this was illustrated 
 in our own case will be noticed in the sequel. In the case of the 
 "Tanjore," it was so long since she had left Egj^jt (from which the 
 cholera had almost disappeared) that any case on board would have mani- 
 fested itself long ere she had entered the Venetian waters ; yet she was 
 not permitted to enter the harbour, and her passengers coming from the
 
 8 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 west and north of Europe, where cholera had never entered, were sub- 
 jected to inspection on reaching Brindisi !' 
 
 We spent Saturday and Sunday in this port, awaiting the arrival of 
 passengers and mails for Egypt and India. The time was agreeably 
 occupied in visiting the town and surrounding country in company with 
 one or two friends, amongst whom I may be allowed to mention the name 
 of Mr. Sinclair, R.E., Secretary to the Governor of Cyj^rus, Sir R. 
 Biddulj^h. Both the plants and animals of this neighbourhood indicate 
 an approach towards those with which we were afterwards to become 
 familiar in Egypt. The low cliffs of the shore, formed of yellow tufaceous 
 limestone, abound in shells of late Tertiary age,^ some identical with 
 those of the adjoining waters, while the ground swarmed with bright 
 green lizards, beetles, and ants ; butterflies, wasps, and flies also floated 
 about in the air, giving abundant occupation to Mr. Hart in collecting 
 specimens and noting their habits. One peculiar sjaecies of wasp here lays 
 its eggs in little balls of mud, in which the larvse may generally be found. 
 
 The sub-tropical vegetation of the district is remarkably rich. Here 
 the graceful date-palm waves its plumes aloft, amidst groves and gardens 
 of olives, figs, oranges, vines, mulberries, and stone-pines. The eucalyptus 
 has been introduced and planted extensively along the roads, while the 
 hedgerows are formed of the bristling lines of the large cactus (prickly 
 pear) and aloes. The cotton-jjlant is cultivated in ground which can be irri- 
 gated, while oleanders, myrtles, and foreign plants adorn the gardens. 
 
 The town itself, the ancient Brundusium, visited but scarcely seen by 
 thousands of travellers annually, is of much interest, from its position and 
 history. It stands on an inlet of the Adriatic, and the harbour, of great 
 importance in Roman times, is capable of holding large ships. The hai'bour 
 is connected by a causeway with a fortification, or castle, standing on the 
 summit of a cliff to the south of the town, and in a commanding position. 
 This is now used as a prison, and the inmates are usefvilly employed in a 
 variety of rejjroductive works, such as carpentry, smiths' work, tailoring, 
 
 ^ That Egyptian cholera comes, not from India, but from Mecca and Midina, 
 and is generated amongst the thousands of pilgrims who annually are collected 
 for several days within an exceedingly limited area, where they are subjected to 
 the effects of breathing foul air, drinking corrupted water, and living in filth 
 and privation, will be conceded upon reading the " Rapport sur la derniere 
 epidemic de Cholera a la Mecque," in the Gazette 3Iedicale (^'Or)'e«^, September, 
 1883, by M. le Dr. Abdur-Rassack. 
 
 * Pliocene according to Collegno's map.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 9 
 
 &c., at wliicli we found them busy when visiting the place on the afternoon 
 of our arrival. There is a ditch and wall, with towers and gates, erected 
 by the Emperor Frederick Barbarosa, probably on the site of more ancient 
 structures, and amongst the remains of Eoman work are two marble 
 pillars, one of which is broken, at the end of the Ajjpian Way. 
 
 The country inland consists of an extensive plain, about 200 feet above 
 the sea, richly cultivated in crops of maize, wheat, and cotton, with farm- 
 steads surrounded by gardens of olives, figs, and vineyards. This plain is 
 traversed by the high roads to Rome and Naples, and several ancient 
 fountains, doubtless coming down from Eoman times, still afford water for 
 thirsty men and animals by the wayside. The plain, formed of shelly 
 limestone, beds of marl, clay, and sand, was at a very recent geological 
 period the bed of the sea, and its uprising has added thousands of square 
 miles to Italian territory. 
 
 On Sunday morning Captain Briscoe held Divine Service in the cabin, 
 and read the prayers and lessons with due solemnity and effectiveness ; and 
 at 3 o'clock on Monday morning we steamed out of the harbour. 
 
 "We soon passed from the deep indigo-blue waters of the Adriatic to 
 those of the Mediterranean, which are of a greener tinge, not unlike those 
 of the Atlantic. The voyage was very agreeable, and we only once came 
 in for bad weather, which did not last very long. The view from the deck 
 of the " Tanjore " on Monday towards the north-east was always striking, 
 even at the distance from the land at which we sailed. The bold and 
 rocky mountains of Albania stretched away for miles from left to right ; 
 beyond which, at a distance of over thirty miles, might be seen the 
 mountains of Greece ; — the sun lighting vip the peaks and scarped terraces 
 of the white limestone of Epirus ; the Island of Corfu lying in the fore- 
 groiuid. Towards evening the coasts of Cephalonia and Zante came in sight. 
 
 Awaking next morning, we found ourselves approaching Crete (Candia), 
 and now a stiff gale was blowing from the north-east. Eain also was 
 falling, and we began to feel tolerably miserable. The breakfast table 
 was not quite as fully occupied as usual, and some of us found it con- 
 venient to retire to our cabins before we had had time to partake of a 
 hearty meal. However, about " tiffin " time the wind moderated, and we 
 returned to the deck to watch the scenery of the island, along whose coast 
 we were sailing at a distance of about twenty miles. The Island of Crete (as 
 is well known) is mountainous; the peaks of Mount Ida, rising to 7,674 
 feet, were on this day cloud-capped. The sides are cut into deep ravines,
 
 n 
 
 
 10 NAKRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIKOUGH ARABIA PETRtEA, 
 
 clothed with a slight forest vegetation. The sunshine effects were some- 
 times very beautiful, the higher elevations being so brightly white as to 
 resemble the snow-clad summits of the Alps. Towards evening the sky 
 presented a grand spectacle. Overhead the stars shone forth from the 
 dark blue vault of heaven ; from time to time the clouds which hung over 
 Crete were illumined by brilliant sheets of lightning often bursting forth 
 from behind the mountains like the flames of a volcano in active eruption ; 
 while brilliant meteors occasionally streamed across the heavens. This 
 scene lasted several hours. The beauties of the sky were so enticing, 
 and the air so balmy, that it was with regret we turned into our berths 
 late at night.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 11 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 EGYPT. 
 
 Laxd now disappeared from view, and we bid farewell to Europe ; the 
 blue ring of the horizon was unbroken during the next day. After sunset 
 I went to the bow of the ship to watch the effect produced by the medusae 
 when tossed up in the foam of the ship's prow. It is a sight full of beauty. 
 Each sheet of white foam, as it was cast aside by the ship's side, was lighted 
 by a thousand silver sparks caused by the phosphorescence of these pretty 
 little creatures, quite invisible to the eye by daylight. I was told that 
 sometimes dolphins may be seen disporting themselves amidst the shoals 
 of medusae, but on this occasion we were not so fortunate as to see any. 
 On the 1st November we entered Port Said at 10 a.m., and for the first 
 time touched the shore of the African continent ; I trust, with thankful 
 hearts for all the mercies we had received. 
 
 Slowly we steamed up the harbour towards our anchorage, passing 
 a line of steamships of several nations, chiefly British. On passing an 
 Egyptian man-of-war we received a salute (presumably in honour of 
 General Sir E. Wood, but the question has not been decided !) the men 
 standing all along the bulwarks with hands horizontally extended, look- 
 ing like so many human crosses clad in white, or like shirts hung out to 
 dry. Soon after, a state barge came alongside to take Sir E. Wood and 
 his party off for Ismailia. It was unfortunately completely filled, so that 
 there was no room for us — doubtless a matter of profound regret to the 
 General, who took his departure amidst much shaking of hands and 
 waving of handkerchiefs. Leave-taking now became general all I'ound. 
 Our passengers broke up into parties for their respective destinations ; 
 and at length we tumbled overboard into a boat and rowed for land with 
 the gloomy prospect of a night sail up the canal in a passenger steam-barge 
 amidst a crowd of unsavoury Moslems. Our baggage was carried to the 
 hotel by porters, whose powers of endurance seemed little short of those of 
 mules or camels. Mountains of heavy baggage, calculated, one would
 
 12 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 have supposed, to crush them to the earth, were piled on tlieir backs. All 
 hands helped the men to their feet, and off they started for the Custom 
 House amidst the shouts and gesticulations of their comrades. We were, 
 however, spared the annoyance of impacking our baggage ; the Director- 
 General of Customs having, through Mr. Cook's agent, sent instructions 
 to pass all our baggage and effects unexamined. 
 
 During dinner we made a discovery which relieved us of our difficulty. 
 We learned that a P. and O. steamer was to leave Port Said at 4 o'clock for 
 Alexandria, and we resolved to take passage in her, and by this way to go 
 ou to Cairo. The " Dakatlieh " was airy and not very full of passengers, 
 and after the close packing of the " Tanjore " we felt very comfortable 
 ndeed. We had a good night's rest, and were up betimes to view the 
 African coast, evidences of which first appeared in the distant lines of 
 feathery palms. We had been coasting for many miles off the Delta of 
 the Nile, and all along our track the waters of the Mediterranean had 
 changed their ordinary deep green into a lighter tinge, in consequence 
 (as I was informed by Mr. Le Mesurier, of the Egyptian Railway Depart- 
 ment) of the influx of the Nile waters. 
 
 It is unquestionable that the Nile carries down large quantities of 
 mud into the Mediterranean, which is taken up by the prevalent east- 
 ward current, and finds its way into the harbour of Port Said, where 
 dredging operations have constantly to be carried on at heavy cost in 
 order to keep the channel of the required depth. The Damietta branch 
 of the Nile may, from its position with reference to Port Said and the 
 ship-canal, be considered the more immediate cause of the silting up of 
 the canal bed. 
 
 This source of expense and danger to the navigation Mr. Le Mesurier 
 proposes to meet in the following way" : — It will be observed on referring 
 to a map of the district, that between the harbour of Port Said and the 
 Suez Canal on the one side, and the Damietta branch of the Nile on the 
 other, lies the great inland lake of Menzaleh, through which the canal 
 has been carried, chiefly by dredging, for a distance of twenty-seven miles. 
 The portion west of the canal still remains under water, but that to the 
 east is now dry. This western portion, covering an immense area, Mr. 
 Le Mesurier proposes to convert into a great precipitating basin for the 
 Damietta branch, the effect of which would be ■ultimately to convert 
 
 ' The project I only give in outline, as kindlv communicated to me by Mr. 
 Le Mesurier himself, during our stay on board the " Tanjore."
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 13 
 
 this tract into a vast field for agricultural purposes, while the waters 
 which would pass off into the Mediterranean, being to a great extent 
 deprived of their silt, would cause immediate relief to the harbour of Port 
 Said, and that part of the canal which opens into it. This is a grand 
 scheme, calculated to be of benefit both to the agricultural and commei'cial 
 interests of Egypt. I can only express the hope that Mr. Le Mesurier 
 may have the happiness of seeing it one day put into execution. 
 
 On approaching Alexandria, a pilot came on board to steer us through 
 the intricate channel by which the harbour is entered ; and on rounding 
 the point of the large breakwater, we came in view of the city and its 
 harbour' all at once, a view calculated to afford both pleasure and surprise, 
 — pleasure at its beauty ; surprise, that a harbour and city so recently the 
 scene of a tremendous bombardment, should, at first sight, present such 
 slight traces of the conflict. In front lay the city, built on a gradually- 
 ascending slope, and in the background to the left the elevated and 
 fashionable suburb of Eamleh. On the left of the harbour, the Fort of 
 Pharos, partly in ruins, the lighthouse, and the Palace of Ras-el-Teen, 
 white and glistening in the sunshine, and surrounded by pleasant gai'dens. 
 On the right, the barracks, fortifications, lighthouse, and other public 
 1 )uildings : and in the distance, the noble column known as " Pompey's 
 Pillar." The harbour itself was gay and busy. Ships of many nations 
 lay at their moorings, both merchantmen and passenger steamships ; 
 while the beautiful yacht of the Khedive swung at anchor in the centre. 
 The surface of the water swarmed with smaller craft and barges, amongst 
 which was one to convey on shore Her Majesty's Consul, Mr. Cookson, who 
 had made the passage with us from Port Said, and whose acquaintance 
 we had the pleasui-e of making. He kindly insisted on sending us ashore 
 in his barge, and told off his kkaicass to accompany us to our hotel, and 
 afterwards to conduct us over the palace and fortifications. Owing to 
 this kind action on the part of Mr. Cookson, we were enabled to see the 
 principal sights of this ancient city to the best advantage ; nor did this 
 gorgeous, but most amiable, official leave us till he had seen us off in 
 the train for Cairo in the evening. 
 
 We found much of the city in ruins — ruins caused by the mob, not by 
 British guns ; and, as much uncertainty prevailed as regards the future 
 of Egypt, restoration and rebuilding were proceeding but slowly. It 
 
 ' The city has two liarbours — the western, or Eunostus, and the eastern, or 
 New Port. We entered the western harbour.
 
 14 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 only required the British Government to make the announcement that at 
 least a contingent of our troops should be allowed to remain in Egypt 
 for the preservation of order to induce capitalists to come forward and 
 commence building. But this the Government had hesitated to do, and 
 confidence in the future was consequently shaken. Who that knows 
 Egypt can doubt that a permanent protectorate, supported by a suffi- 
 cient British army, would prove a blessing of incalculable value to the 
 country ? 
 
 No object in Alexandria interested me more than the noble monolith 
 known as " Pompey's Pillar." The name is misleading, as one naturally 
 associates it with that of the great Roman general ; but, as the Greek 
 inscription shows, it was erected in honour of Diocletian during the pre- 
 fecture of Pompeius, in the year 302.' But whatever its origin, its 
 immense size and beaixtiful proportions strike the beholder with admira- 
 tion. Like most of the Egyptian monoliths, it is of red porphyritic 
 granite, 73 feet in length, with a circumference of 29 feet 8 inches, highly 
 polished, standing on a pedestal, and surmounted by a capital 16 feet 6 
 inches in diameter, giving a total height of very nearly 100 feet to the 
 monument. It may well be doubted whether a monolith of this descrip- 
 tion belongs to the epoch of the Roman occupation. It is far more likely 
 that its origin dates back to that period of very ancient Egyptian art 
 which gave birth to the obelisks, the Sphinx, and the Great Pyramids. 
 Its original birthplace was amongst the granite quarries of Upper Egypt, 
 and whether hewn fresh from the native rock, or taken from some more 
 ancient structure, it was a work of no small skill to transport it from its 
 original site and erect it upon the elevated j^latform of solid limestone 
 from which it is visible for miles in almost every direction. 
 
 It is to be hoped that Pompey's Pillar will defy the cupidity of foreign 
 states. Within a few years the two companion monoliths of the ancient 
 city have been carried away : one to adorn the banks of the Thames, the 
 other those of the Hudson. Who that visits the modern cities of Europe, 
 and witnesses the monuments of ancient Egyptian art, of which that 
 country has been stripped, in order that they may be adorned, can restrain 
 a sigh of regret at the spoliation of the land where art of the grandest 
 conception had its birthplace and its maturity while that of Greece and 
 Rome was still in the future ? 
 
 ' The inscription is given in Murray's " Handbook for Egypt," Part I, 
 p. 132.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN I'ALESTINE. 15 
 
 We left Alexandria in the afternoon, in company with an officer of the 
 army of occupation, and travelled along a route, to us, new and full of 
 interest. The railway at tirst passes along enormous mounds of broken 
 pottery. And here I may mention that in the East, often when all traces 
 of buildings have disappeared, fragments of pottery remain to attest the 
 former existence of buildings. The reason of this is that pottery is 
 almost indestructible. Houses, temples, churches, may have been laid in 
 ruins, the materials broken up and carried away, but a " potter's vessel " 
 when once broken is useless for any purpose ; no one cares for it, and it 
 is left to add to the accumulations which take place at every town or 
 village. 
 
 Soon we emerged on the Garden of Egypt, the fertile Delta of the 
 Nile, without which, indeed, Egypt would be but a rocky or sandy desert 
 penetrated by a deep gulf, as the Egyptian priests informed Herodotus 
 was its original condition. Interminable fields of maize, cotton, sugar- 
 cane, and other produce cultivated by the fellahin, succeed each other, 
 irrigated by means of little water-wheels, sometimes worked by men, 
 sometimes by bullocks, the water carried in narrow channels made by the 
 feet, and allowed, when required, to flow over the beds containing seed ; 
 all probably very much as in the time of Ptolemy, if not even earlier. 
 Groves of the date-palm, with enormous clusters of golden fruit, rose aloft 
 above the level of the Delta, or foi'med small clumps near the villages. 
 
 The cultivation of the palm, and of other fruit trees, was largely 
 extended by Mehemet Ali, who made a decree promising remission of a 
 cei'tain amount of taxation for each tree planted. This had the desired 
 eff"ect. On producing a certificate of having planted so many trees the 
 fellahin had his taxes reduced. Some time after, when the work of 
 plantation had been accomplished, the decree was repealed, and a tax 
 was put on the trees — a financial operation of questionable probity, but 
 beneficial to the Government and to the cultivator, who enjoyed the 
 fruits of his laboiir. 
 
 We passed several towns and villages of the fellahin ; of the latter 
 nothing can be conceived more miserable as human abodes, and in com- 
 parison with which a village in Connaught miglit be considered worthy of 
 admiration. The houses consist of small mud cabins huddled together, in 
 which men, women, and children share the space with dogs, fowls, and 
 pigeons. The cow or donkey does not require shelter at night in this part 
 of the world ; — so is excluded from the family circle.
 
 IG NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA VETliJEA, 
 
 We crossed two branches of tlie Nile, eacli about as wide as the 
 Thames at Kew, the water of which was as usual turgid. The water had 
 fallen to 6 feet below its maximum, which it reached about the middle of 
 October. The origin of the fine sediment which the Nile always carries 
 in suspension, as well as of the rise and fall of the waters themselves, is 
 now fully understood since the publication of Sir S. Baker's remarkable 
 work.' Briefly stated, the origin is somewhat as follows : — The Nile 
 below Khartoum consists of one undivided stream ; but at El Darner, about 
 170 geographical miles lower down, it receives the waters of a great 
 tributary, the Atbara, descending from the highlands of Abyssinia. This 
 river undergoes the most extreme transformations. During the early 
 months of the year the waters are so reduced as sometimes to form only a 
 series of great stagnant pools, in which are collected in very close quarters 
 all the aquatic inhabitants, consisting of fishes, crocodiles, and huge 
 tortoises. The banks, through a long line of country at the base of the 
 mountains, are formed of masses of mud and silt, easily undermined, and 
 liable to fall into the waters on the rise of the river. About June tre- 
 mendous thunderstorms, accompanied by deluges of rain, break on the 
 Abyssinian highlands. The waters of the Atbara rise with extraordinary 
 rapidity, and descend with a roar like that of distant thunder, giving 
 warning of the approaching deluge. Soon the channel is filled up with 
 the flood, the banks of mud are undermined, and fall down in large masses 
 into the waters, where they are speedily broken up and converted into 
 silt, the finer portions of which being carried along finally enter the 
 Nile, and impart to its waters much of the turgid character for which 
 they are known in Lower Egypt.^ The river now becomes a great ferti- 
 lising agent, and when allowed to flow over the cultivated fields imparts 
 the necessary moisture ; so that, under the influence of a powerful sun, 
 two to three crops can be annually gathered off the land ; giving rise to 
 an extraordinary amount of natural wealth. That this sediment originally 
 caused liower Egypt to be reclaimed fi'om the Mediterranean Sea was 
 known to Herodotus, who calls this country " the gift of the Nile." 
 
 Arrived at Cairo one of the first arrangements to be made is for a visit 
 to the Pyramids, always a memorable event in any man's life. After all 
 
 ' " Nile Tributaries of Abyssinia," p. 52. 
 
 2 A good deal of sediment is also brought down by the Babr-el-Azrek, or the 
 Blue Nile, some of the sources of which also are found in the Abyssinian 
 highlands. The White Nile also is a source of sediment.
 
 To face page 1 7.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 1/ 
 
 that has been written upon these gi^and monuments of Egyptian art it 
 might api^ear presumption to attempt to add even a small quota of infor- 
 mation ; still, at the risk of such an imputation, I venture to give a brief 
 account of my own impressions. 
 
 The drive out from Cairo is very charming. Having crossed the river 
 the road I'uns along its bank for several miles under the shade of over- 
 hanging branches of the Nile acacia, and fine views of Cairo and of the 
 range of the Mokattam Hills behind are obtained. Here we happened to 
 meet the Khedive and his retinue on returning from his morning drive, 
 and further on we turned in at a gate leading past the palace built for 
 the Prince of Wales, through groves of oranges, lemons (just beginning 
 to ripen), fields of maize, sugarcane, and cotton. Another turn brought us 
 to the causeway, which runs in a straight line westward towards the base 
 of the platform on which the Pyramids of Cheops and Ghizeh are built, 
 and from which the first view of them, is obtained. The first view will 
 probably disappoint the traveller, for (owing to the transparency of the 
 air) the distance is greater than he supjjoses ; consequently the structures 
 appear smaller than is really the case. Tlie avenue itself is three miles 
 long, in a perfectly straight line, over-arched by acacia trees, whose shady 
 boughs, laden with large fiiiit-pods, aflford a grateful shade from the sun's 
 rays. 
 
 The best view of the Pyramids is obtained f I'om a part of the causeway 
 road, about half a mile from the platform on which they are built. From 
 this point the four principal Pyramids are seen ranged in line ; that 
 of Cheops, or " the Great Pyramid," in front ; that of Ghizeh next, and 
 two much smaller ones in tlie rear. In the background is the ridge of 
 sand which marks the line of the desert, stretching on either hand for 
 miles. 
 
 It is well known that these great tombs of Egyptian monarcho are 
 built on a platform of the nummulite limestone, which has been par- 
 tially levelled for the foundations, but has never been entirely cleared 
 from the accumulated rubbish. This platform of solid rock marks the 
 limits of the Nile Valley. On driving up to the summit of the platform 
 you are immediately beset by a crowd of importunate Arabs, who have 
 mastered sufficient of your language to make you understand that inde- 
 pendent action is out of the question, and that you may as well resign 
 yourself submissively into their hands. Having done so, and decided 
 whether you will ascend to the summit or descend into the vast interior, 
 
 c
 
 18 NAKRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIIIOUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 you get broatli to cast your eyes upwards along the face of this jagged 
 mountain aide, as it now appears, and to appreciate in some measure the 
 vastness of its proportions. 
 
 The Pyramids you behold are, however, very different from those of the 
 time of Herodotus. In the first place you perceive that the Great Pyramid 
 is truncated, instead of ending nearly in a point like its neighbour, that 
 of Ghizeh. Again, you observe that the apex of Ghizeh is cased in 
 smooth stone while the whole exterior of the Great Pyramid is fonned of 
 step-like rows of masonry. It was not thus that the Egjqptian architect 
 handed over his great work to his monarch ; for in 1837 Colonel Howard 
 Vyse discovered two casing stones in position, which may now be seen. 
 They are blocks of limestone, 8 feet 3 inches long and 4 feet 11 inches in 
 perpendicular height,' and indicate that the whole exterior was encased 
 by polished blocks, giving it a perfectly smooth and ghttering surface, 
 well calculated to protect the building from injury, and to give an 
 aspect of finish and completeness very difi'erent from that which it now 
 presents. 2 
 
 The act of vandalism which has deprived the Pyramids of their outer 
 casing was perpetrated by the Caliphs, who carried away the stones to 
 build the mosques of Cairo ; the result being that the general appearance 
 of the exteiior gives one the impression that these most ancient of buildings 
 are rapidly disintegrating and destined to fall to pieces in the course of 
 ages. This is no mere fancy. Let any one examine closely the condition 
 of the outer walls, and he will find that they are penetrated by ci-acks 
 and little fissvires in all directions, along which the stone is crumbling 
 away. These are due, I believe, to the expansion and contraction 
 occasioned by the great changes of temperature between day and night ; 
 and the consequence is, that when a thunderstorm breaks over the 
 district, as sometimes happens, the loosened pieces are washed down, and 
 fresh surfaces for the sun to act upon are exjiosed. In coiiree of time, 
 therefore, the Great Pyramid, as well as that of Ghizeh,^ must become a 
 ruin ; and for this the only remedy is I'e-casing. 
 
 ' Murray's " Guide," Part II, p. 246. 
 
 - It is stated by Abd-el-Lateef that the casing stones were polislied nud 
 covered with inscriptions. 
 
 ^ The upper part of Ghizeh is still cased with its original polished blorks, 
 hence its apex terminates in a platform so small as to appear fi-oiu below almost 
 pointed.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTEEN PALESTINE. 19 
 
 All our party but myself elected to ascend the summit — I to visit the 
 interior, in hopes of recognising some of Professor Piazzi Smyth's marks 
 and determinations ; so, delivering myself into the hands of four Arabs, 
 I dived into the dark passage. This is an undertaking which (as Miss 
 Martineau observes) no one should attempt who is at all of a nervous 
 temperament. You soon begin to repent of youF choice when you find 
 yourself within the dark walls, descending deeper and deeper, two savages 
 before and two behind. Occasionally they stop, and put the question, 
 "How you feel, sir?" to which, of course, you reply, "Oh, quite well !" 
 Inwardly you feel quite the reverse, but it is no time to allow the slightest 
 hint of timidity to escajse. At length, after an indefinite descent, and 
 another equally indefinite ascent, you find yourself in the great interior 
 called the " King's Chamber," dark and oppressive, notwithstanding the 
 flickering of the candles which your guides carry. And now they take 
 advantage of their opportunity : they demand bakhsheesh, produce various 
 " antiqua,^' generally shams, and strive to make you purchase on the spot. 
 Making a virtue of necessity, I promised bakhsheesh all round, and that 
 I would make certain purchases upon getting to the open air, it being 
 manifestly impossible to examine these articles with the aid of their 
 gloomy light. This satisfies my tormentors, and after a hasty glance all 
 round, we commence our outward descent, and at length emerge into the 
 dazzling light of day. My guides again produce their " antiqua" demand 
 their bakhsheesh ; but now it is my time to make terms. Seating myself 
 on a stone, I proceed to select what I wish, and to name my own price ; 
 and finally, with a franc each for btdJtslteesh, send them about their busi- 
 ness.' 
 
 Meanwhile my companions had descended from the summit of Cheops, 
 and were engaged in discussing with their Arab guides " the great bakh- 
 sheesh question." My ambitious colleague, Mr. Hart, however, was not 
 satisfied with the ascent of one pyramid ; and, taking advantage of his op- 
 portunity, while the backs of the Arabs were turned, gave them the slip and 
 was soon scaling the sides of Ghizeh, the top of which he safely reached. 
 What, then, was the surprise of the guides on beholding one of the 
 Englishmen from this elevated position calmly surveying the landscape ! 
 
 ^ There are three execrable words wliich were constantly cropping up dur- 
 ing our journey, and of wliich travellers should beware, viz. : "bakhsheesh," 
 " antiqua," and " quarantina." The language would be improved if these were 
 expunged from its vocabulary. 
 
 c 2
 
 20 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA TETR/EA, 
 
 They could scarcely credit their senses ; but presently, giving vent to their 
 feelings in unutterable Arabic, they proceeded towards the pyramid in 
 hot jnirsuit, and on reaching the little i)latforni on the summit surrounded 
 my imperturbable colleague, gesticulating violently and overwhelming 
 him with imprecations. Above all things they could not believe that he 
 had scaled the slippery polished cap of the pyramid in the boots in which 
 he stood. So, in order to satisfy them on this point, he proceeded to 
 descend as he had gone up, and safely reached the bottom along with his 
 bare-legged tormentors. It was afterwai-ds explained that the Arabs 
 were answerable with their heads for any mishap to travellers visiting 
 the Pyramids, but it is probable that " the great bakhsheesh question " 
 was really the most potent cause of their dissatisfaction on this occasion. 
 
 The Pyramids are built of nummulite limestone — not hewn on the 
 spot, but brought from quarries situated at the base of the hills ten miles 
 above Cairo, on the right bank of the Nile. The quarries are of vast size, 
 as I was informed by Dr. Schweinfurth ; and one may there see tokens of 
 the care exercised in selecting the stone, soft portions being left, the 
 harder cut out for blocks. The lines drawn by the overseer for the 
 workmen are also visible on the walls. The blocks were transported on 
 a sloping causeway to the water's edge, floated across, and then hauled up 
 a long similar causeway, still in existence, on the opposite side to their 
 destination. 
 
 The Sphinx is, however, sculptured out of the native rock, and the 
 horizontal lines of stratification are too plainly visible.* The head is of 
 harder material than the neck, which is formed of softer and whiter strata. 
 Every one must regret the defacement which this grand work of Egyptian 
 art has undergone ; but knowing the custom of Mohammedans to deface 
 all objects which they consider idolatrous, it is not difficult to trace the 
 cause for this act of barbarism.^ 
 
 The so-called Temj^le of the Sphinx must excite the admiration of 
 every beholder. It consists of a series of vast rectangular chambers, cut 
 out of the solid limestone, with recesses for tombs. The walls are lined 
 with massive blocks of the red granite of Syene, beautifully cut and 
 polished, each fitting closely to its neighbour. One of the walls lies 
 
 * Our 'vnttv, but not very accurate guide, Mark Twain, says the Spliinx is 
 made of granite ! 
 
 ■■' As witness the defacement by breaking off the nose of the greater number 
 of the statues in the Museum of Antiquities, Constantinople.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 21 
 
 exactly north and south, so that when the shadow of the sun is coinci- 
 dent therewith it is noonday. 
 
 In this temple (as I was informed by one of the guides) Professor 
 Smyth spent much of his time when engaged in making the measure- 
 ments for his well-known work.' 
 
 When passing through Alexandria we had the pleasure of making the 
 acquaintance of that indefatigable traveller and excellent geologist, Dr. 
 Schweinfurth, to whom Mr. Hart had a letter of introduction. Having 
 arrived at Cairo just after ourselves, he kindly offered to accompany us on 
 a visit to the Mokattam Hills, at the base of which the city is built, and 
 from which the stone for the construction of the houses and public 
 buildings has been chiefly obtained. 
 
 This range of hills, though of no great elevation (600 to 700 feet), 
 forms a fine background to the city, as well as to the Valley of the Nile, 
 owing to the abrupt and scai'ped face it presents towards the north and 
 west. It is composed of beds of the nummulite limestone, remarkably 
 fossiliferous, both nvimmulites, shells, echini, and even fossil crabs being 
 abundant. The quarries are of great extent, and the stone beautifully 
 white, or slightly yellow, and capable of being chiselled into fine 
 mouldings and architectural forms. From the summit of the ridge, 
 which had been the sanitary camp of the British troops during the 
 outbreak of cholera, we enjoyed an extensive view, and one full of 
 variety and interest. To the right, at our feet, lay the capital of Egypt, 
 with its streets, palaces, mosques, and churches, interspersed with 
 gai'dens and groves of trees ; and in the foreground, standing on a 
 projecting platform, the citadel and the mosque of Mehemet Ali, with its 
 exquisitely gracefid minarets. To the left, and washing the eastern base 
 of the hills, stretched the green and fruitful plain of the Nile ; the great 
 river itself carrying its channel from side to side, and crossed opposite 
 the city by the bridge we had passed over the previous day. Looking 
 across the valley, the horizon towards the west is bounded by the yellow 
 ridge of the desert sands, in front of which, as if to mark the boundary 
 between the region of verdure and that of di'ear sterility, are planted the 
 Pyramids, in grand procession, headed by the greatest and oldest ; those 
 
 * " Our Inheritance in the Great Pyramid." However miK'h, in tiiis 
 hypercritical age, one may feel inclined to doubt some of the conchisions at 
 which this author has arrived, every one must admire the lahour and ontl)usiasm 
 with which he endeavom-ed to work out a great problem.
 
 22 NAKRATIVK OF AN EXPEDITION TIIllOUGII APwVBIA PETP/EA, 
 
 of less stature and of more recent date bringing up the rear throughout 
 a tract of many miles up the river side. Away towards the north might 
 be seen the plain of the Delta, with its green illimitable fields, and 
 frequent groves of palms. From no other spot, perhaps, can the mind 
 become so fully impressed by the fact that to the Nile, and the Nile 
 alone, does Egypt owe all she has of fertility and wealth. Beyond is 
 the desert of sand, a sea-bed without its animate forms, lifeless and 
 waste. Dean Stanley has well observed, that the Nile, as it glides between 
 the Tombs of the Pharaohs, and the City of the Caliphs, is indeed a 
 boundaiy between two worlds.* 
 
 Under the guidance of Dr. Schweinfurth we were able to see the 
 most satisfactory evidence that at a very recent period, and while the 
 shells of the Mediterranean and Red Seas were still unchanged, all the 
 great plain we have been contemplating was submerged to a depth of 
 over 200 feet. At about this level the limestone rock is bored by 
 Pholades, and shells now living in the neighbouring seas are to be found 
 imbedded in sand and gravel which then formed the shores ; while the 
 coast-line was defined by the cliflFs, which rose some 400 feet above the 
 waters. The sand-beds with large Clypeasters, which occur south of the 
 Pyramids, indicate the position of this sea-bed on the opposite side of 
 the Nile Valley. How great has been the change since then ! But long 
 ere the foundations of the Pyramids were laid, the sea had receded to a 
 level perhaps not very different from that at which it stands to-day.* 
 
 On ascending towards the summit of the ridge we visited several 
 enormous caverns sufficiently large to shelter an army, which occur on 
 both sides of the valley, and at an elevation of about 500 feet above the 
 sea. These caverns are hollowed in the limestone rock, and evidently 
 not by human agency. They afford a suitable retreat for the rock 
 pigeons, which we started from their nests. Dr. Schweinfurth considei's 
 these to be ancient sea-caves ; and if this be so the land has been still 
 further submerged within a very recent period. On the summit of the 
 plateaux we reached one of the entrenchments of the army of Arabi 
 Pasha ; and at a short distance further, towards the east, the British 
 
 ' "Sinai and Palestine," Edition 1873, Introduction, p. xxxir. 
 
 - To this physical fact in the history of the Nile Valley I shall have occasion 
 to allude further on ; and the detailed proof must appear in another place. It 
 is only necessary here to give the general result. When we say that the sea has 
 receded, this is owing to the land having been elevated.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 23 
 
 station for making observations on the recent transit of Venus. The 
 sjjot is marked by a block bearing the following inscription :— 
 
 Captain Green, R.E., 1883. 
 
 Next in interest to the Pyramids we may place the Museum of 
 Egyptian Antiquities at Cairo, a collection of surpassing interest and 
 variety, illustrative of ancient Egyptian art, collected mainly through 
 the instrumentality of Mariette Bey. The museum stands by the banks 
 of the Nile. It unfortunately happened that at the time of our visit the 
 Director, to whom I had a letter of introduction, was absent, and the 
 official catalogue had not then been published, but with the aid of 
 either " Murray " or " Baedeker," and the inscriptions accompanying the 
 objects themselves, the visitor need be at no loss. 
 
 In this place I may refer to the Nile oscillations. On the wall of 
 Shepherd's Hotel is to be seen a map, or diagram, vipon which is 
 represented the oscillations of the water for each year as it comes round.' 
 Those for the year 1882-3 were as follows : — ■ 
 
 ^ There are generally three successive risings of the Nile waters, due to the 
 indux of the floods from the Atbara, and the Blue and White Nile branches.
 
 24 NAPvllATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRyEA, 
 
 MAXIMUM 
 
 lerd^er Octoi 
 
 Elevation. 
 
 Minimum 
 
 Slight increase 
 Rapid increase 
 
 Slight increase 
 
 Maximum .... 
 Slight decrease 
 
 Rapid fall 
 
 Months. 
 
 /May. 
 L June. 
 
 Latter part of June, 
 f July. 
 
 L Middle of August, 
 r Middle of August. 
 I „ September 
 
 End of September. 
 
 Middle of October. 
 fEnd of October. 
 ■I November. 
 \_ December.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN" PALESTINE. 25 
 Elevation. Months. 
 
 f January. 
 
 „ , , , February. 
 
 Gradual decrease <J 
 
 I March. 
 
 t April. 
 
 On Monday, 5th November, our Ai'abs and camels mustered for 
 inspection in an open space of groiuid not far from our hotel, and we went 
 out to visit them and to have our first experience of bestriding a camel's 
 back. There were about forty in all — some with saddles for riding, these 
 being slight and young-looking ; the others with nets and ropes for 
 baggage. The men belonged to the Towara tribe, of whom the head 
 Sheikh, Ibu Shedid, resides permanently in Cairo.* I liked the faces of the 
 men, which were open and good-humoured, and felt confident we should be 
 perfectly safe under their charge ; — a confidence not misplaced by subse- 
 quent events. The Towaras occupy the whole of the Sinaitic promontory 
 south of the Tih plateau. They are divided into five branches, of which 
 the Szowaleha is the largest ; next the Aleygats, then the El-Mezeine, the 
 Ulad Soleiman who live near the town of Tor ; and last, the Beni Wassel, 
 a very small branch near the south-east coast. 
 
 The Towaras are a peaceable tribe, friendly to travellers, and had 
 no part in the murder of Professor Palmer and Lieutenant Gill. Their 
 Sheikh, on the contrary, was instrumental in bringing four of the culprits 
 to justice, and accompanied Sir C. Warren into the desert to efiect their 
 capture.* 
 
 The negociations for our escort had been effected between Messrs. 
 T. Cook and Son's agent at Cairo and the Abbot of the Monastery of St. 
 Catherine. By him our men and camels were sent over to Cairo, from 
 their home in the "Wady Feiran, in order to receive their baggage loads, 
 and to pass inspection ; and they had arrived outside the city the evening 
 
 ' Not by choice, probably, but by constraint, as a hostage for the good 
 behaviour of the tribe. 
 
 * It had originally been intended that we should have an escort of the 
 Egyptian Camel Corps, which had been kindly granted by Cheriff Pasha at the 
 request of Major Kitchener, of the Egyptian Cayahy, but the proposal was 
 afterwards abandoned for very good reasons ; first, it could not accompany 
 us further than Akabali, beyond which station the services of an escort were 
 only expected to be of value ; and secondly, we felt there was no necessity, as 
 we had full confidence in the good faith of our convoy.
 
 20 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 before we saw them in the space near the hotel. In the course of the day 
 the whole procession with their loads passed in front of our hotel, and 
 afforded a sight probably not very novel to the residents, but to us not 
 only novel, but of considerable interest. The camels upon which we were 
 to ride were bestrode by their respective drivers ; then came others with 
 barrels of fl(nir, barrels for water, the tents, five in number, rolled up into 
 the most compact dimensions ; boxes of provisions, our camel trunks, crates 
 with live turkeys and poultry, and other matters too numerous to mention 
 in detail. We were not again to see them until our arrival at the landing 
 stage near Ayun Mdsa, on the eastern side of the Gulf of Suez, to which 
 place we intended to proceed by rail and boat. 
 
 On the morning of 8th November we left Cairo by rail for Suez, 
 passing by Zagazig and Tel-el-Kebir, where Arabi Pasha had made, a few 
 months previously, his most determined, but ineffectual, stand against the 
 British arms. As far as Zagazig the coimtry is richly cviltivated, immense 
 fields of corn, cotton, and sugarcane succeeding each other mile after mile ; 
 while the station platforms were piled with great bales of cotton, com- 
 pressed and bound with iron-straps, for shipment to England and elsewhere. 
 Occasionally the Egyptian ibis, an elegant bird with white plumage, and 
 in form somewhat like a small heron, might be seen in flocks amongst the 
 cultivated fields, close to the teams of buffaloes while ploughing ; or at 
 other times perched on the backs of the buffaloes themselves, busily 
 engaged in clearing the ticks from these animals ; — a process which the 
 animals themselves evidently enjoyed. 
 
 After leaving Zagazig the country becomes more and more arid and 
 desert-like, till at length, on approaching Tel-el-Kebir, the sands set in 
 as far as the eye can reach on both sides. We noticed the ditch and 
 entrenchments of Arabi's army which were stormed by the British troops 
 under General Lord Wolseley, and a small gamp of Egyptians still 
 occupied the ground. We also passed the burial-ground of the British 
 troops who fell on that memorable occasion, prettily planted with shrubs 
 and flowei-s, which were being carefully tended by gardeners. Tablets to 
 the memory of the ofiicers and soldiers have been placed on the walls of 
 the English church at Cairo. 
 
 The route lay along the side of the " Sweetwater Canal," which carries 
 the waters of the Nile to Suez, Ismailia, and Port Said. This canal was 
 constructed by the Ship-Canal Company, and it occupies very much the 
 line of the ancient channel intended to connect the waters of the Nile
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 27 
 
 with those of the Eed Sea. Beyond the tract influenced and irrigated 
 by its waters, all was sandy desert covered by scrub, amongst which 
 the only visible inhabitants were a shepherd and his flock. It was daik 
 when we reached Suez, and on entering our hotel we learned that the 
 steamship, the "Shannon," had arrived from England, and lay in the 
 gulf awaiting the arrival of H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught, on his way 
 to India. 
 
 Next morning, on ascending to the roof of our hotel, to take a glance 
 at the surrounding country, we were struck by the bold asjject of Jebel 
 Attakah, which rises in the form of a lofty escarpment along the western 
 shore of the Gulf of Suez a few miles from our position. In form and 
 outline it seemed to bear some resemblance to the ridge of Jebel Mokattam 
 behind Cairo, and to be in some measure, in a geological point of view, 
 representative of it ; the strata were, in fact, easily visible from the roof 
 of the hotel. We determined to devote the day to a visit to this fine 
 range, and taking a sail-boat manned by four Arab sailors and a boy we 
 dropped down the gulf. The wind was light, and sometimes failed us, 
 so that the sailors had recourse to the oars, which they accompanied by a 
 monotonous chant extemporised for the occasion, and, as we supposed, in 
 our honour ; as we could distinguish the word " hawajah " ' not unf re- 
 quently. At length, after three hours, we landed on a pier leading up 
 to the quarries which were opened by M. De Lesseps for his buildings at 
 Suez. From the ^Jier we toiled vip to the quarries under a burning sun 
 (the temperature in the shade being 91° Fahr.), and were rewarded by 
 finding the limestone rocks crowded with fossil shells, though generally 
 only in the form of casts. Our return was enlivened by a steady breeze 
 which sprung up from the north-west ; and as we were carried along we 
 kept a sharp look-out for the flying fish, which from time to time leaped 
 out of the water, and after skimming over the crest of the waves for 
 some yards, disappeared. As we neared the harbour the sun went down 
 behind Jebel Att&kah ; and soon after, the sky over the hills was all 
 aglow, as if behind it were concealed a great city in conflagration ; the 
 deep red of the west shading ofi" through purple and roseate hues into the 
 dark grey of the zenith. It is only in the East that such sunsets reward 
 the beholder. 
 
 ' Hawajah (or gentleman) is the Arabic word applied to Europeans.
 
 28 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 INTO THE DESERT. 
 
 The day following, Saturday, lOth November, we were to bid farewell to 
 Egypt and to civilisation — the day much desired — the beginning of our 
 special work. It was a gay and beautiful sight as we slowly sailed down 
 the gulf towards our landing place on the Asiatic coast. Away to the 
 west, the broken ridge of Jebel Attakah marked the shore of the African 
 continent, and behind this, other headlands, separated by deep bays, carried 
 the eye along the western shores of the Red Sea. The placid waters of 
 the gulf sparkling in the sunlight stretched around, while towards the 
 east the long line of the escarpment of the Tlh bounded the horizon 
 several miles from the shore — its rich brown tints speckled with white 
 softly shading into the rich chrome yellow of the desert sands below. 
 
 In the roads several large ships, gaily decorated in honour of the Prince, 
 lay at anchor ; we counted nine in all, most of them going sovith. The 
 waters of the bay were beautifidly clear, so that on approaching the 
 shallows we could peer down to the bottom — generally formed of rippled 
 sands — sometimes of coral rock — and observe the multitudes of dark 
 purple echini, bristling with long spines, which decorated the floor. 
 Amongst the echini, starfishes were less frequently to be seen, shells few 
 or none. 
 
 On approaching our landing stage, as the shades of evening drew on, 
 we noticed our Arabs and camels waiting our arrival, and in the distance 
 the groves of palms and tamarisks which mark the position of " Moses' 
 "Wells." Along the shore on our left were the white tents of a quarantine 
 station. Soon after we touched the shore, and selecting oui- camels, were 
 on the march towards our camp beyond the palm-trees. On arriving we 
 found our tents, five in number, pitched in a circle ; that on the right the 
 kitchen, aglow with the light of a lengthy stove, upon which sundry pots 
 and pans were doing service ; while Abu Miriam, the presiding deity, sat
 
 THE VALLF.Y OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 29 
 
 behind, wielding the implements of his art with a master hand, and with 
 a result which we were soon after fully to appreciate. In half-an-hour we 
 were seated around the table of the dining tent, in which was served up 
 a most excellent dinner, commencing with soup and passing through 
 various stages to the final custard pudding. This was not a bad beginning 
 for our desert life ; and it occurred to us that " roughing it in the desert " 
 was not such a terrible fate after all ! 
 
 Our tents were spacious and prettily decorated inside with Eastern 
 patterns. Each tent had its two little beds, a table with basin and water- 
 jug, and two camp stools, while the floor was covered with carpets. Hooks 
 fastened to the centre pole enabled us to hang clothes and other articles 
 in a safe and convenient place. The baggage was piled in the centre of 
 the camp. Near our tents were the camping places of the Ai'abs, who had 
 broken up into groups round their little fires, the camels lying or standing 
 around, and often giving vent to their feelings in deep groans. The men 
 were preparing supper — some roasting or grinding coffee, others corn 
 between two flat stones ; others, again, were chatting over their pipes. The 
 scene to us was novel and interesting ; but only to be repeated day after 
 day under varying conditions of time and place until both the novelty and 
 interest had ceased. 
 
 Stinday, Wth November. — When we awoke this morning our camp 
 presented a lively scene. The Arabs were busy at their coffee roasting, 
 Abu Miriam at preparations for breakfast, which was being got ready in 
 the dining tent. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky ; all was bright 
 and cheerful. The cocks, hens, and turkeys had been turned loose, and 
 kept up such a cackling and crowing that one might have imagined oneself 
 in a country farm house at home. We rested this day in our tents — a 
 plan we always adopted unless under special eases of urgency — and we 
 had a short service at 10.30, at which all the membei-s of our party were 
 present. It is no small advantage in the use of the Church of England 
 Service that it forms a link of union and of prayerful sympathy with so 
 many Christians at home and abroad. This, I think, we felt as we read 
 the Lessons for the day, and offered in faith and hope our prayers in words 
 which, though familiar to our ears, are ever fresh and appropriate. The 
 remainder of the day was spent in short rambles and prepiirations for an 
 early start into the desert next morning. 
 
 Monday, 12th November. — At length we are in the Desert and "on the 
 track of the Israelites," as nearly all travellers agree that the fii"st camp
 
 ?>0 NaRRATIVK of an expedition THUOUGH AKAlilA PETK^A, 
 
 of tlu! liost ill the Wilderness was pitched at Ayun Mdsa.' It may here 
 be well to state our usual marching arrangements, which were observed 
 throughout as far as circumstances would permit. We generally rose a 
 little after daybreak, breakfasted about 7.30 ; and while breakfasting the 
 Arabs and servants were busy taking down the tents, loading the camels, 
 and preparing for a start. A small luncheon tent was reserved to accom- 
 pany the Dragoman, but as soon as the baggage camels were ready they 
 started on their way. Soon after 8 o'clock we were in our saddles, and 
 ere long left the baggage camels in the rear ; but at noon the limcheon tent 
 was pitched, and those of the party within reach gathered for Imach and 
 rest. It often happened, however, that Major Kitchener or others of the 
 party were too far apart to join in the noonday meal. During our halt 
 the baggage camels would i^ass, so that on ovir arrival at the camping 
 ground we generally found the tents set up, furnished, and all things 
 in preparation for dinner, the usual hour for which Avas 7 o'clock. This 
 meal was always looked forward to after a long day's march with zest, as 
 the time when fatigues could be forgotten, hunger satisfied, and the events 
 of the day discussed. 
 
 Should my reader have the curiosity to inquire how we satisfied our 
 thirst, often in " a dry and thirsty land where no water is," I may be 
 allowed in reply to state that the beverages we found most useful were, for 
 dinner, claret and water, in the proportion of one of the former to two 
 of the latter. Tea we found more refreshing even than coffee, which it 
 gradually replaced ; and for one member of our party, who was a total 
 abstainer, it was an essential. Brandy we seldom touched, and only used 
 medicinally. Cigarettes were a great consolation in a long march and 
 after dinner ; and the Arab guide always apj^reciated the offer of one of 
 these little articles of luxury, which helped to relieve the duU monotony 
 of a continuous tramp through weary miles of sandy or gravelly ground. 
 
 The route we were to take had been carefully considered by the 
 Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, and Colonel Sir Charles 
 Wilson had favoured me with the results of his knowledge and experience 
 of the Sinaitic peninsula. By his advice we selected the road to Jebel 
 MAsa, by Serabet el Jemel, and the Wady Nasb, in preference to that by 
 the Wildy Feiran usually taken by travellers. By this route we should be 
 able to examine the beds of limestone belonging to the " Desert Sand- 
 stone " formation, from which he and Mr. Bauerman had collected the only 
 * Wilion, " Ordnance Sm-vey of Peuiusula of Sinai," p. 150.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 31 
 
 fossils which had hitherto been discovered in any of the strata older than 
 the limestones of the Till, and by which the geological age of the Desert 
 Sandstone could be determined. It happened that some uncertainty still 
 prevailed regarding the determination of these fossils, and the consequent 
 age of the formation ; one authority having maintained that the strata were 
 of Carboniferous age, another that they were of Triassic. Under these 
 circumstances it was desirable that more specimens should be collected, and 
 that if possible the age of this great formation — which, as Russeger sup- 
 posed, extends from Nubia at intervals through the Sinaitic peninsula, and 
 northwards into the valley of the Jordan — should be finally deteimined.' 
 There were many points in the geology of the Sinaitic district requiring 
 elucidation, and the geological map of the Ordnance Survey, i>ublished in 
 1869, required additions, especially in the district west of the Gulf of 
 Akabah. We, therefore, determined to take a line of march from Jebel 
 MAsa to Akabah, which would skirt the borders of the Jebel el Tih,and take 
 us through a district comparatively little known. From Akabah we were 
 to take a course along the Wady el Arabah to the southern shores of the 
 Salt Sea — making topographical and geological observations throughout — 
 and thus to join up the triangulation of the Sinaitic peninsula with that of 
 Western Palestine." From the southern shores of the Salt Sea we were 
 to work our way to Jerusalem by tlie western shore, Ain Jidi and 
 Hebron ; and subsequently the geological reconnaissance of Western 
 Palestine and the Jordan Valley was to be carried out. This piogramme 
 embraced a region of great interest ; and would 0]3en a route for future 
 travellers, which in its entirety had not hitherto been traversed ; 
 although, in one way or another, the district embraced by it had been 
 visited by various travellers. To what extent we were able to accom- 
 plish our purpose, and with what results, will appear in the sequel. As 
 regards the scientific details, I shall only introduce them here when they 
 appear likely to be of general interest, and when they are necessary in 
 order to make the nari'ative intelligible.^ 
 
 ' The result of our examination was to show that there are two sandstone 
 formations of very different ages, the upper of which alone represents "the 
 Nubian Sandstone " of Eoziere. This will be explained further on. 
 
 - The triangulation was entrusted to Major Kitchener, K.E., assisted bj 
 Mr. Armstrong, formerly of the Palestine Survey. 
 
 •' It is intended to deal with the scientific details and conclusions in a work 
 specially devoted to these subjects, to be published by tlie Committee of the 
 Palestine Exploration Fund during (it is hoped) the year 1885.
 
 32 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIUOUGII ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 Our course for the two first days, as far as the W. Gharandel, lay along 
 ail undulating plain, bounded on the west by the Gulf of Suez, and on the 
 east by the escarpment of the Tlh plateau. It has been aptly named in 
 the Bible the Wilderness of Shur, which, according to Mr. Poole,' means 
 " The Wilderness of the Wall ;" for such is the appearance of the long 
 escarpment which bounds the table-land of the Tih to the eastward, from 
 the W. Gharandel to the Mediterranean, This tract is broken by low- 
 terraced hills, but is generally covered by sand and gravel containing 
 sea-shells. It is unquestionably to some extent the former bed of the Eed 
 Sea, when the land was submerged to a depth of at least two himdred feet 
 lower than at present. In some places four terraces at successive levels 
 may be distinguished, indicating, probably, as many sea margins formed 
 during the I'ising of the land. One of these, about three miles south of 
 Ayun Mfisa, is crossed by the road, and is 40 feet higher than that on 
 which we had been riding. Fragments of selenite strew the ground, 
 often in great abundance. 
 
 On our way we espied a group of Egyptian vultures {Neophron 
 percnopterus) perched on a bank about half a mile to our left. These were 
 the first living things we had seen during several hours, and we felt 
 curious to ascertain the cause of their presence. This was soon exjilained 
 on our coming upon the carcase of a dead camel partly devoui-ed. Dead 
 camels are seldom allowed to lie for any length of time unvisited by these, 
 or other, birds of prey, who congregate from afai- in districts where to the 
 eye they are unseen. I shall have a still more remarkable case to relate 
 in a future page, but this was the first illustration we had of the passage, 
 " Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles (or vxiltures) be gathered 
 together." - 
 
 On looking in a south-easterly direction from rising grovand near our 
 camp at Ayun Mtlsa, we observed in the far distance a dark isolated hill, 
 somewhat resembling the crater of an extinct volcano, and known as Taset 
 Bisher. 
 
 It lies in the line of the broken escarpment of the Tlh plateau, but it was 
 clear that at this jslace the escarpment is crossed by a valley descending 
 to the plain from the interior, the isolated hill above referred to occupy- 
 ing a position at the southern entrance to the valley. A little after noon 
 of this day ( 1 2th November) we came more directly in front of this valley, 
 
 ' Bible Diet, quoted in " Ord. Survey Siuai," p. 150. 
 '- Matt. xTiv, 28 ; Luke xvii, 37.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 33 
 
 which will henceforth possess a melancholy interest as the spot where the 
 late Professor Palmer, Lieutenant Gill, and their attendants were murdered 
 by the Arabs. I took a sketch of this spot from our midday camp. I 
 have already referred to this lamentable event, which has been described 
 by Professor Palmer's biographer in befitting language. We discussed the 
 matter with our Arabs, who expressed their abhorrence of the foul deed, 
 and when questioned as to the way it happened, the account they gave 
 was to the following effect.' 
 
 The Ai-abs of the Tlh were on their way down the valley to Ayun MCxsa 
 and Suez, in pursuance of an order from the agents of Arabi Pasha to kill 
 the Christians, when they fell in with Palmer and his party on their way 
 u]) the valley to negotiate with the tribes inhabiting the region of the 
 Tih. The result is known ; but our informant seemed to believe that it 
 w;is in consequence of orders from Egypt.^ 
 
 We camped for the night by the Wady Sudur. In reality there is no 
 valley here, only a series of shallow watercourses spread over a space of a 
 mile in breadth, and very little below the level of the plain . Generally 
 these watercourses are perfectly dry, as on the present occasion ; but we 
 were told by the Arabs that a fortnight previously a party of Bedawins 
 were encamped at a spot amongst them, when suddenly a great torrent 
 descended from the mountains, flooding the jilains, and carrying their 
 tents and goods down into the sea. The evidences of a recent flood were 
 clearly visible to us as we crossed successive branches of this imaginary 
 valley. Here, as elsewhere in the Desert, the floods which arise from 
 thunderstorms, on reaching the plains often spread out fan -shaped ovei- 
 wide areas, but without wearing down definite channels. 
 
 Our march on the next day was one of the longest, extending over a 
 distance of about 30 miles. During the early jjart of the day the terraces 
 were numerous and distinct, and the beds of sand contained numerous 
 oyster shells ; it was clear we were traversing the old bed of the Gulf of 
 Suez. We passed several burrows of the jerboa, an animal about the size 
 of a small rabbit, very shy and difficult of approach. These burrows con- 
 tinued at intervals throughout our course, as far as the borders of The 
 Ghor. Here also we met with beds of the pi'etty little desert melon 
 
 ' Of coiirse I do not Touch for the accuracy of this account, but I believe it 
 to be a correct view of the case as understood by the Arabs of the Towara tribe. 
 
 ^ As the spot had previously been visited by Col. Sir C. Warren, we did not 
 consider it necessary to deviate from oiu* route in order to do so.
 
 34 NARKATIVE OF AX EXPEDITION TIIROIFGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 {Citrullm colocjjnthus), with its long sprays and trefoil leaves spreading 
 over the ground, of the freshest of green tints ; the fruit, about the size of 
 a small orange, was in various stages, some green, others banded with 
 yellowish tints. This fruit is acrid to the taste, and only used medicinally 
 by the Arabs. 
 
 During this long day's march, as at other times, I had ample opportu- 
 nities of studying the manners and powers of the camel, and I may offer a 
 few observations thereon in this place. The animal I bestrode was the 
 tallest of the party, and his name was " Ashgar." He was a steady going 
 old gentleman, and served me faithfully till we parted at Akabah. But I 
 feel sm-e he was incapable of attachment, excej^t to his own driver, and 
 that we parted from each other without regret on either side. 
 
 The motion of the camel is at first unpleasant to the rider, but he soon 
 gets used to it. He is thrown forward at each step, and his best plan is 
 to let himself go with the movement ; any attempt to retain a steady 
 upright position being useless. Tlie camel in walking has a slow 
 majestic pace ; he holds his head erect, and though appai-ently looking 
 upwards, he sees the ground beneath his feet perfectly well, and picks his 
 steps in rocky or broken places with wonderful sagacity. When walking 
 the side feet overlap each other, so that the print of the hind foot is in 
 advance of that of the forefoot to an extent of from 14 to 20 inches. This 
 gives him an immense stride, so that his rate of progress is much greater 
 than the rider supposes when perched on his back. A good dromedary 
 will walk at the rate of four English miles per hour, or even more, but the 
 average rate is less than this. When receiving his load or his rider, he 
 lies on his belly, the legs gathered under him, and during the process 
 or even in anticipation of it, gives forth the most horrible moans or 
 growls. Anything more hideous than the voice of a camel when he is 
 discontented can scarcely be conceived ; the tone varies from the gi-unting 
 of a pig in extremis, to the last braying note of a donkey, or the deep growl 
 of a lion ; and during the daily processes of getting ready for the march, 
 the chorus produced by some thirty camels recei^-ing their loads is some- 
 thing too horrible for description. The great ordeal for the rider is to 
 keep his place while the animal is getting on his legs. Being seated on 
 the saddle, the animal commences to rise by raising himself half way on 
 his hind legs, when the rider is suddenly jerked forward, and has to keep a 
 tight hold of the front pommel of the saddle in order to retain his seat ; 
 next the camel gets up on his fore feet, and the rider is thi-own back ; and
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. OO 
 
 lastly, the process is concluded by the camel bringing the remainder of his 
 liind legs into the erect position. The reverse process need scarcely be 
 described. As the camel walks along he occasionally takes a bite of some 
 favourite plant ; but this often becomes very troublesome if the traveller is 
 in a hurry to get on ; and besides this the plants often disagreeably taint 
 his breath. 
 
 Each camel is provided with a driver, to whom he generally belongs ; 
 and between them there is established a bond of sympathy, as they have 
 probably been brought up together from childhood, at least on one side. 
 The camel will sometimes obey no other leader, and if compelled by ill- 
 treatment to do so, has been known to take his revenge ou the occurrence 
 of a favourable opportunity. My camel driver was a nice little fellow, oi' 
 whom I got quite fond. His name was " Sala," and he was the son of a minor 
 Sheikh of the Towara tribe. His cousin, Khalil, was driver to Mr. Hart's 
 camel, and as they both dressed exactly alike, were about the same height, 
 and had somewhat similar countenances, I for some time took them for 
 brothers. Khaltl was rather the more active and stronger of the two. 
 They were great friends, and when they were marching side by side, leading 
 their respective camels, they carried on lively conversations, which I often 
 wished I could understand. Sala wore a red and white turban, a white 
 cotton shirt descending below the knee, girt round the waist by a broad 
 leather belt, and a loose mantle gracefully thrown over the shoulder. He 
 carried his long gun slung behind his back, a little antique swoi'd by his 
 side, his pipe in the left hand, and the camel rope in his right. Inside 
 his mantle was a leather strap passing over the shoulder with cases for 
 powder and ball ; and within the folds of one of his garments was carried 
 his money, his flint, steel, and touch paper, and other small articles. The 
 colour of his skin was rich bronze. He had a pleasant face, and large 
 expressive eyes which would light up with pleasure ou any little act of 
 kindness being offered to him, or on having performed some act for which 
 I expressed my thanks. He was always at his post in the morning ; the 
 camel saddled, water-bottle and saddle-bags properly adjusted and ready 
 for the early start. Good little Sala :— how many weary miles have you 
 trudged untiringly with me over the sandy plain, or the almost intei-- 
 minable valley, without a murmur or appearance of imjmtience ! 
 
 The sun had long set and the moon was shining out clear and brilliant, 
 ere we reached our camp in the Wady Gharandel. This valley is one of 
 the most fertile in the desert. It descends fi'om the east along the base of a 
 
 D 2
 
 3G NAKRATIVK OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARAIilA TETR^l^V, 
 
 fine riflge of limestone fully 2,000 feet in elevation. To the west, border- 
 ing the sea, was the corresponding limestone ridge of Jebel Hamman, at 
 the base of which break forth the warm springs of the Hamman Farolan. 
 The valley is dotted with tamarisks and a few palms, as well as with 
 numerous herbs and shrubs ; but except after rain is dry and sandy. 
 Water, however, is close under the surface ; and a short distance fi'om o\ir 
 camp were the wells, whither our camels wended their way to slake their 
 thirst after an abstinence of 24 hou.rs, during which they had marched a 
 distance of about 47 miles. 
 
 The Wady Gharandel is considered, with much probability, to be the 
 Elim of the Exodus, " where were twelve wells of water and three- 
 score and ten palm-trees," and where the Israelites encamped by the 
 waters ;' — a view in which I concur ; nor can it be urged as an objection 
 that there are fewer wells at present than those named in the passage 
 above quoted. Water can easily be obtained in many of the dry valleys 
 simply by digging a shallow well, and I have no doubt any number of 
 wells with water might be dug along the line of the Wady Gharandel. 
 After the long dry march of the Israelites southwards along the tract we 
 had come during the last two days, it must have proved a most refreshirg 
 rest to the weary multitude to enter this leafy valley and find abundance 
 of water. 
 
 While on this subject I may refer to one point connected with the 
 Exodus which has not generally been considered. It is taken for granted 
 that the physical geography of the Isthmus of Suez was at the time of the 
 Exodus just as it is now ; and if so, we might well ask, why was there any 
 necessity for the performance of the great miracle by which the Israelites 
 were delivered out of the hands of the Egyptians ? Why, in short, could 
 they not have crossed over on dry land, without the intervention of 
 Almighty Power to cleave for them a channel through the waters, there 
 being a long stretch of dry land to the south of tlie Great Bitter Lake / 
 
 It has been supposed that the passage may have been made through the 
 waters of the Great Bitter Lake ; but this is scarcely a fair interpretation 
 of the text which states that the waters of the Eed Sea were divided.* 
 In the face of the remarkable topogi-aphical accuracy of the Book of 
 Exodus, I am not prepared to admit that the term "Red Sea" (Yam Suf) 
 
 1 Exod. XV, 27. 
 
 - Compare Exodus xv, 4 and 22. On this subject, see author's pajjer in 
 Quarter/ 1/ Statement for April, 18S4, p. 137 ; also chap, xs, p. 1^5.
 
 To fori' pnric 37 
 
 U)
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. S7 
 
 can be apijlied to any of the lakes which lie along the line of the Isthmus. 
 May we not rather suppose that at this period — upwards of three thou- 
 sand years ago — the Eed Sea waters did actually occupy the line of 
 the present canal, at least, as far as the Great Bitter Lake, to a depth 
 which would render them impassable to a host of emigrants ? 
 
 I have already mentioned that the waters of the Eed, and (I may add) 
 the Mediterranean, Seas extended over the lands of Egjqit and along the 
 shore of the Gulf of Suez to a height of over 200 feet above the present 
 level of these waters, at a time when the existing species of shells were 
 already living. The process of elevation of this sea-bed over so large a 
 tract was probably exceedingly gradual, and at the date of the Exodus the 
 elevation may not have taken place up to the present extent. A strip of 
 Red Sea water — not very deep — may at this time have stretched from the 
 Gulf of Suez as far north as the Great Bitter Lake, forming to the host 
 of Israel an eiFective barrier to their progress into the desert. The pas.sage 
 may have taken place to the north of the present head of the Gulf ; if 
 this be so, it fits in with the Bible history that the Wady Amarah, lying 
 between W. Sudur and Gharandel, would be the Marah of the Bible, the 
 water of which, rising out of the gypseous dejjosits of that district, would 
 naturally be bitter.' This spot was three days' journey south from the 
 supposed 23lace of the passage of the Eed Sea ; and the next stage for a 
 lengthened halt would be the Wady Gharandel, called in the sacred text 
 " Elim," or the place of trees. 
 
 Evidences of the existence of ancient lakes throughout the district we 
 were now traversing are not infrequent. The form of the ground some- 
 times of itself suggests this view, and it is confirmed by the nature of 
 the deposits themselves. Between Wadies Amdrah and Wardan, on the 
 north, and Wady Hamr on the south, the hills of limestone assume the 
 form of basins, sometimes connected by narrow necks with each other, or 
 with outlets towards the sea. The deposits enclosed, and occupying the 
 beds of these basins, consist of stx'atified gravel, sand, and marl, witli 
 gypsum and selenite. They are often of considerable thickness, and assume 
 the form of minor terraces inside those of the more ancient limestone. 
 Thus in the Widy Useit such deposits are to be seen forming extensive 
 banks, and of a thickness approaching 200 feet (Fig. 2). A second basin, 
 probably connected with the former, appears to have extended from the 
 
 ' This spot, or another, viz., the spring known as Abu Suweirah, is thus 
 regarded by Wilson, " Ord. Survey Sinai," p. 151.
 
 '>8 NARKATIVE OF AN EXrEDlTION TIIllOUGII ARABIA ^ETR.'7^A, 
 
 flanks of Jebel WAtali to those of J. Hammrm Faroftn. I do not here 
 ])ropose to enter further into the details connected with these ancient lake- 
 basins than to say that the lakes probably occupied these hollows amongst 
 the limestone hills at a time when the land was depressed several hundred 
 feet below its present position, and when the waters of the sea rose to a level 
 somewhat corresponding to the outlets of the inland waters. Owing to this 
 the waters were banked up ; and we can conceive that, upon the gradual rise 
 of the land, the outlets would deepen their channels, and ultimately the 
 lakes would be di-ained. The large quantity of gypsum and selenite in 
 these lacustrine deposits indicates, probably, that the waters of the lakes 
 were unfit for the support of molluscous forms of life, of which I could 
 find no traces in the deposits themselves. 
 
 Similar terraces have been noticed by Sir Charles Wilson in other parts 
 of the peninsula ; and Dr. G. E. Post calls my attention to his determina- 
 tion of lacustrine deposits in the W. Feiran and extending into the W. 
 Solaf for a distance of a whole day's journey.* 
 
 Having crossed the plain at the head of W. Useit we encamped for 
 our noonday meal at W. Saal, near the base of Serabit el Jemel.- A 
 brook ran through the valley, and some small palms and tamarisks greeted 
 our eyes. After the hot ride and march we were thankful to lie down i;i 
 the shade of our tent and partake of a good luncheon — 
 
 " O Melibcee ! Dens nobis hcBC otia fecit." 
 
 The palm-tree in the desert is always a sign of moisture, and when met 
 with is an object of interest and beauty. I asked oiu: dragoman, Ibraham, 
 whether Arabs ever cut down palm-trees. He replied " No, but they are 
 sometimes blown down by storms, or swept away by floods." ' 
 
 " Do they ever plant them ? " I asked. 
 
 " Yes ; they put seed into moist places, let the plants grow two or 
 three years, then take them up and transplant them. This is necessary, 
 for they will not bear fruit unless they are transplanted. After the fifth 
 year they bear fruit." 
 
 ' " Sunday School World," Philadelphia, Oct., 1882. 
 
 - " The Fort of the Camel," probably so named from its form, which is some- 
 what like a camel with its hump on the back. 
 
 =* As in the case of the flood of 1867, witnessed by the Eev. Mr. Holland, 
 when several Arabs and 100 palm-trees of the W. Feu-an were swept away.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 39 
 
 Dates are gathered at the end of October in these parts and in Lower 
 Eg}^pt ; at Alexandria they are later. ^ 
 
 Later in the day we passed through a tract in which there were excel- 
 lent illustrations of the formation of terraces by torrent-action. The 
 strata consisted of soft ruarly limestones and shales, and when horizontal 
 were scooped out into terraces, with intermediate ravines ; when highly 
 inclined, into a succession of escarpments and slopes. It was a waste 
 wilderness of crumbling strata ; but full of interest to the geologist. 
 The terraces of the Wady Hamr, on our next day's march, were also 
 remarkable, and reminded me of the pictures I had seen of those in the 
 Colorado region of America. 
 
 * We saw them on the trees about Alexandria the beginning of November.
 
 40 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH AltABIA PETli.EA, 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DEBBET ER RAMLEH. 
 
 Hitherto oar course had lain through a region in which Hmestone 
 was the prevalent formation, either rising into hills and escarpments, or 
 forming the solid floor, and underlying more recent deposits. But now we 
 were about to enter one composed of more ancient rocks, rising from 
 beneath the limestone beds, and consequently j^roducing a variety of 
 scenery differing from that we had hitherto witnessed. The first of these 
 older formations consisted of red and variegated sandstone, already referred 
 to as the "Desert Sandstone," which with the "Nubian Sandstone" forms 
 a wide belt of comparatively level country along the base of the limestone 
 escarpment of the Tth for a distance of about one hundred miles. Com- 
 mencing on the west with the Debbet er Eamleh, and stretching eastwards 
 along the line of the Wady Zelegah, W. Biyar, and W. el Ain, to the 
 margin of the Arabali Valley, it terminates along the line of a great 
 dislocation (or "fault") against the hills of porphyry, which there bound 
 the Gulf of Akabah on the western side. 
 
 This extensive tract of sandstone, so rich in its colouring, so peculiar in 
 its rock sculpturing, separates the limestone plateau of the Tih on the north 
 from the mountainous region of the Sinaitic peninsula on the south, which 
 culminates in the rocky heights of Jebel Serbal, Jebel Mlisa, and Jebel 
 Katarina, formed of gneiss, granite, and porphyry. We were now about 
 to enter on the elevated sandstone district of Debbet er Eamleh ;' and, 
 near the head of Wady Hamr, the spot where the limestone gives place to 
 the sandstone can be clearly determined, as the latter formation may be 
 observed rising from beneath the former on the northern slopes of this 
 deep glen. 
 
 We camped for our noonday meal on the Eamleh Plain, over which 
 were scattered beautiful little round pebbles of quartz, jasper, and agate, 
 of divei's colours. In full view was the limestone escarpment of the Tih, 
 1 Or " Plain of Saud."
 
 THE VALLF.Y OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 41 
 
 which several miles to the north of our position stretched with a bold, 
 nearly unbroken, front, from Jebel Wutah on the west to Jebel Emreikeh 
 on the east. Below us, towards the east, lay the deep depression of the 
 Wady Suwig, and its branch the "Wady Nasb. Beyond rose the dark 
 terraces and scarped cliffs of the desert sandstone, sloping at a gentle angle 
 northwards towards the base of the Tih escarpment, and through a gap we 
 could distinguish in the blue distance the rugged outlines of Serbal. The 
 heat was intense, as there was no shade, and the flies, as usual on such 
 occasions, proved excessively noxious. Our tent was at an elevation of 
 about 1,700 feet above the sea, but the thermometer registered 90° Fahr. 
 in the shade, and this in the latter part of November ! That evening we 
 pitched in the Wady Nasb, one of the few spots where wells permanently 
 supplied with water are to be found, and therefore a favourite camjjing 
 ground.' Our thirsty camels, after getting rid of their loads, proceeded 
 up the valley about three miles to the well. Major Kitcliener, my son, 
 and I also followed, weary as we were, in hopes of tiudiug the fossiliferous 
 limestone. The limestone we found, but not the fossils on this occasion ; 
 and we were glad to sit down on the well side and get a draught of the 
 cool waters. The presence of water here is doubtless due to the fissure, 
 or fault,^ which traverses this valley, and owing to which the sandstone is 
 elevated to a higher level on the east side than on the west. 
 
 The next morning, accompanied by my son, I climbed the cliff's above 
 ovir camp, and we were rewarded by the discovery of a good number of 
 fossils — both of shells, corals, and echinoderms, in a rather imperfect 
 condition, but which it is believed wiU serve to determine beyond question 
 the geological age of this great formation — the " Desert Sandstone." 
 
 Later in the day we started along the Wady Suwig, which stretches 
 in an easterly direction, skirting the granitic and sandstone districts, and 
 leading us in the direction of Mount Sinai. The scenery was interesting, 
 
 ' Professor Palmer gives an amusing account of his camping experiences in 
 the W. Nasb, and of the entomological pests of the place, loc. cit. p. 195. 
 
 - This fault was first described by Mr. H. Bauerman, " Ord. Survey Sinai," 
 witli figxire. 
 
 ^ Some of the fossils from tlie Wady Nasb Limestone collected by Wilson 
 and Bauerman are decidedly of Carboniferous age, and are figured in the Keport 
 of the Ordnance Survey of Sinai. Tliose we collected bear out this view. I am 
 glad to be able to state that Professor Sollas, of Trinity College, Dublin, has 
 kindly undertaken to prepare an accoiuit of the fossils collected by our party. 
 The results wdl appear in the Scientific Keport of our Exjiedition.
 
 42 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETRyEA, 
 
 from the numerous examples of castellated cliffs and isolated tors of the 
 sandstone strata, perched on bases of granite or porphyry. Amongst the 
 most remarkable of these are the two great pyramids, of which the larger 
 is called Jebel el Malah. Of this, perhaps, the finest view is that obtained 
 when looking south. They are formed of horizontal courses of red sand- 
 tone resting on granite ; and that to the left has a quadrangular form, the 
 faces of the pyramid being well defined. 
 
 
 Fig. 3. — Pyramids of Eed Sandstone resting on granite and porpliyry. 
 View from the Wftdy Suwig. 
 
 After winding for several miles along the sandy bottom of the Wfidy 
 Suwig — often diversified by lovely green patches of the desert melon 
 {Citrullus colocynthusY and other plants — we at length came to the foot 
 of Serabit el Khadim, a massive pyramidal mountain of red and white 
 sandstone in horizontal courses, and perforated by numerous caves and 
 fissures, the retreat of wild animals, and often of equally wild men. A 
 large number of eagles were soaring about its cliffs ; but upon our approach 
 
 ' Otherwise called "The Vine of Sodom" (Dent, xxxii, 32).
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 43 
 
 they rose higher and higher into the air, and performed their gyrations 
 beyond the reach of our guns or rifles. Looking northwards, the cliffs of 
 sandstone in the foreground are seen to be cut into forms resembling walls, 
 buttresses, and sometimes isolated tors. These were in places lit up 
 by the rosy tints of the western sun, or thrown deeply into the shade ; 
 while far in the distance to the north the white escarpment of the Tih 
 bounded the horizon in the direction of El Nakel.' This mountain is 
 now celebrated as the site of an Egyptian temple.^ Turquoise mines have 
 been worked from ancient times, and within the last few years Major 
 Macdonald employed the Arabs in blasting the rock for these gems, having 
 built himself a house and living in the midst of his workpeople. 
 
 Saturday \lth November. — We camped to-day in the Wady Kamileh 
 at the base of some cliffs of sandstone bearing " inscriiJtions," but of so 
 indefinite a character that to me they seemed well calculated to afford 
 materials for equally indefinite speculation. In this place Palmer and 
 Drake spent a Christmas Day ; caught a Cerastes, and entertained the Arabs 
 somewhat in the manner of the Egyptian magicians.' The locality fur- 
 nishes a favourite camping ground for the Tow3,ra as there is a perennial 
 spring, and the overhanging cliffs afford shelter from the sun by day, and 
 from the dew by night. Further on, the sides of the valley opened out 
 and the sandstone cliffs on either side afforded interesting forms of terraces 
 with scarped sides, projecting headlands, tors, and castellated masses. 
 
 We had l^een passing for several days through a district containing 
 both large and small game ; but excejjt for the tracks in the sand, and a 
 glimpse of some sand partridges, we might have been ignorant of 
 the fact. Bears, hytenas, gazelles, ibexes, besides hares, jerboas, and 
 other small rodents, are said, with much probability, to abound. It 
 is wonderful how these wild animals manage to conceal themselves 
 from the eye of man. Long before he sees them they see him; or 
 scent him from afar ; — and off they go. The bear and hysena lie 
 close within dens or under thickets ; the ibex disappears over a 
 precipice ; the gazelle vanishes across the plain ; the hare or partridge 
 crouches close to the ground, which they exactly resemble in colour ; 
 
 ^ Along tills road Ibraham, our dragoman, conducted the late Lord Talbot- 
 de-Malahide and his daughter. 
 
 ^ These remains were originally discoTered by Niebuhr ; for a recent 
 account see Palmer's " Desert of the Exodus," p. 191, &c. 
 
 ^ "Desert of the Exodus," p. 250.
 
 44 NAllllATlVE OF AN EXPEDITIUN TIIIIOUGII ARABIA PETR.-EA, 
 
 and the little jerboa drops like a shot into its burrow hole. I was 
 reminded, when travelling through this country, of a tour I had made 
 some yeara previously through the northern highlands of Scotland in a 
 district where there were thousands of red and roe deer, but only on two 
 occasions had we an opportunity of seeing a pair of antlers. This, how- 
 ever, was in early summer time, when these animals betake themselves 
 into the hiffh solitudes of the mountains.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTIXE. 45 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GRANITIC EEGIOK 
 
 We were now about to bid farewell for a time to the region of sandstone, 
 and to enter one composed of much more ancient formations, consist- 
 ing of grey or red granite, porphjTj, and igneous rocks ; giving rise to 
 scenery of a bolder and more majestic character, and for the most part 
 destitute of that grotesqueness which frequently characterises the region 
 of sandstone. Still, i-emnants of this latter formation were seen from 
 time to time to linger on the summits of the granitic cliffs, especially 
 along the northern sides of the Wadies Berk, Lebweh, and Beri-ah. One of 
 these (Fig. 4), of which I have taken a sketch — and almost the last of these 
 outlying remnants — will give a general idea of the form of these interesting 
 ruins of a once more extended formation. It will be gathered from a 
 consideration of the form and position of this outlying mass of sandstone 
 that the older rocks, iipon which the sandstone rests, originally constituted 
 a platform over which the strata were deposited in continuous sheets, and 
 over a horizontal area vastly larger than that which they now occupy. 
 
 We camped for our midday meal near the head of the Wady Berk, at 
 an elevation of about 2,700 feet above the sea, amidst a waste and 
 wilderness of crumbling rocks, consisting chiefly of red porphyry, which 
 some distance back had burst through and ultimately replaced gi'ey 
 granite of older date.* Notwithstanduig the elevation and the time of 
 year, the temperature in the shade at 1.30 p.m. was 85° Fahr. The road 
 (if such it could be called) consisted of a camel track amidst boulders and 
 masses of shingle, often channelled by torrents. The scenery was wild 
 and desolate in the extreme, but relieved here and there by little knots of 
 
 * The grey granite of the Sinaitic peninsula is marked and coloured " Meta- 
 morpbic " on the geological map of the Ordnance Survey, 1869. But I was 
 finable anywhere to see evidences of foliation -where 1 happened to have an oppor- 
 tunity of examining it. A tabular structure is apparent in some places, but 
 this is to be found in eruptive granites, such as that of the Mourne mounlaina 
 in Ireland.
 
 4G NAHHATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA TETRJEA, 
 
 vegetation, amongst which the pretty ubiquitous plant {Zygophylhmi) — 
 beloved of the camel — with rose-i)ink or yellowish blossom, was conspicuous. 
 This is " the erymth " of the Arabs, and is perhaps the most continuous 
 of all the plants of the desert, as we met it at intervals all through from 
 Ayun MAsa to the vicinity of Jerusalem. 
 
 On descending into the W. Lebweh we were struck by the appearance. 
 
 Fig. 4.— Sandstone Tor, resting on a basis of granite and porphyry. Seen from the Wady Berrdh. 
 
 near the centre, of great tabular masses of very red granite (pegmatite) 
 and porj^hyry, ti'aversed by numerous basaltic dykes, ranging generally in 
 north and south directions. These rocks weather diUl brown ; so that until 
 I examined them closely and broke off fresh faces with my hammer, I 
 mistook them for sandstone. In composition they consist of red felspar 
 and quartz ; and masses of this type predominate, as we found afterwards 
 all through the mountainous part of the Sinaitic peninsula. These rocks are 
 everywhere traversed by dykes of dark basalt, so conspicuous as to attract 
 the notice of our dragoman, and even of the Arabs. One of these dykes 
 can be traced by the eye for at least a distance of two miles ; and towai'ds 
 the east it enters a basin in the mountains called " Bahera el Harriah." 
 
 On Saturday "evening we camped in the Wady Lebweh, at the foot of a 
 conical tor of granite, and at an elevation of about 3,800 feet. The air was 
 cool and bracing. Before dinner I climbed to the top of the tor, and as the 
 sun approached the horizon enjoyed an extensive prospect all around. To 
 the north in the distance was the table-knd of the Tih, breaking olf along
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAH, AXD WESTERN PALESTINE. 47 
 
 a steej), indented line of light grey cliffs. Looking westward and south- 
 ward across the plain at my feet, and through the gaps in the rugged sides 
 beyond, I could descry in the distance the serried heights of Jebel Serbal, 
 Jebel Mtisa, and the adjoining peaks, now coming for the first time into 
 view, and giving promise of majestic scenery when we should approach 
 nearer to them on the following day. Around, the granitic rocks, fissured 
 and traversed by deep depressions, seemed crumbling into ruins ; and, as 
 if in contrast to this display of nature in her wilder forms, just below was 
 our little camp with its five pretty white tents, its busy inmates all astir 
 preparing for the night, and close beside, the Arabs gathered around their 
 little fii'es were preparing their evening meal; our camels meanwhile 
 were wandering in all directions over the plain in search of the tender 
 herbs, and hopelessly (I fear) in search of water. 
 
 Next Simday, the 18th November, might have been spent at rest, but 
 there was no water, and we were obliged to move on. The morning was 
 bright and sunny, yet bracing ; the dew was glittering on the herbage, 
 and we were surrounded by wild and picturesque scenery. Oiu- march 
 lay down a valley, of which the granite walls contracted more and more 
 till they terminated at the lower end in two huge massive buttresses 
 guarding the entrance to the pass, one of which is called Jebel el Gebal, 
 and rises about 1,500 feet above its base. It can therefore be imagined 
 with what feelings of gratification we surveyed this scene from the backs 
 of our camels. Nor did this feeling end here, for on issuing forth through 
 the giant gates of the pass, Mounts Katarina and Serbal were sighted in 
 the distance. We had got a glimpse of the peak of Serbal before, " but 
 now" (in the graphic language of Palmer) "the whole mountain rose up 
 in all its azure grandeur before us." 
 
 I have referred above to the beauty of the desert herbage. Few of 
 those who have not personally travei-sed this region have formed any 
 other idea of a valley in the Sinaitic peninsula except as a sandy or stony 
 waste with a few plants and palm trees hei'e and there where moisture is 
 present. This, however, is far fi-om being the proper view. The valleys 
 are generally covered by dwarf plants throughout, ever varying by the 
 disappearance of one kind and the appearance of another. Some are very 
 persistent, others only local; while the thorny acacia (or shittira tree of 
 Exodus), the tamarisk, the broom (or retem), and less frequently the 
 date-palm, in some small degree compensate for the forest vegetation of 
 more temperate climes.
 
 48 NARItATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/1':A, 
 
 At no time during our wanderings through the Sinaitic peninsula was 
 I so much struck by the beauty of this desert flora as when we commenced 
 our march down the WMy Berrdh on this Sabbath morning. The whole 
 surface of the nearly level plain was gay with its peculiar dwarf vegetation, 
 on which the dewdrops were sparkling like diamonds in the clear sun- 
 shine. The plants seemed to arrange themselves in little natural gardens, 
 or individual bunches with gravelly spaces between ; each plant separately 
 set in its place shows itself to the best advantage, and the eye wanders 
 over a tract bedecked with leaves and flowers of various hues, from tints 
 of green through those of yellow and pink to red. Amongst these the 
 Santolina fragrantissima, of a delicate bluish green, and the Zygophyllum, 
 simplex, with its silky bracts of yellow, pink, and reddish hues, form the 
 most abimdant kinds. The latter jolant, somewhat resembling in general 
 appearance and size the heather of the British hills, is much more 
 beautiful from the variety of colouring of the blossom. As the eye rests 
 with pleasure on the desert garden, and beholds with wonder the 
 decorative powers and processes of nature, one forgets for the time the 
 absence of the green grass, of the daisy, the cowslip, the primrose, and other 
 field flowers of home — and so the beholder goes on his way rejoicing. ' 
 
 On descending from the narrow gorge of the Wady Berrah, the range 
 of J. Katarina rises grandly in front. This mountain out-tops the neigh- 
 bouring heights — a giant amongst giants^ ; and shortly after, on looking 
 to the right, the serrated ridge, sharp jDeaks, and deep clefts of Serbal 
 
 ' If I recollect right, that curioiis little plant " the rose of Jericho " (Anas- 
 tatica hierochundica) was found here and there from the Sinaitic peninsula into the 
 Jordan Valley. A list of the plants of the Sinaitic peninsida, drawn up br Sir 
 J. D. Hooker from the collections brouglit home by the oiBcers of the Ordnance 
 Survey, -will be found in the Report of the Ordnance Survey of Sinai, p. 247. 
 
 2 The heights of the chief mountains, as determined by the ofBcers of the 
 Ordnance Survey, are as follows : — 
 
 JebelZebir 8,551 Eng. feet. 
 
 „ Katarina . . 
 „ Umm Shomer 
 ,, Musa* 
 „ Serbal 
 Eas Sufsafeh . . 
 
 8,586 
 8,449 
 7,373 
 6,734 
 6,937 
 
 * The elevation as determined by Mr. Laurence with the aneroid, calculated 
 from Suez, was 7,585 feet, and calculated from Akabah was 7,595 feet, both 
 considerably over those of the Ordnance Survey, but less reUable.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 49 
 
 tappeared, dark and majestic, against the sky.i It was a scene not to be 
 forgotten. We had full in view not only some of the finest mountains in 
 this part of the world, but those which had witnessed the power and 
 presence of Jehovah in a special and terrible manner amongst His chosen 
 people. One could not gaze on such a scene without emotion almost too 
 ileep for utterance. 
 
 The Wady es Sheikh, which we were now traversing, is interesting from 
 several circumstances. We find ourselves surrounded by low granite hiUs, 
 with serried outlines and irregular forms. And we observe that they 
 are penetrated by dykes of dark basaltic (or dioritic) rock, which from 
 theii' greater hardness form the crests of the ridges, and project from the 
 sides like broken walls. The general direction of these dykes is W.S.W. 
 and E.X.E., but there are some which run transverse to these. These 
 basaltic dykes are seen to cut through others of red porphyry, and which 
 are, therefore, of older date. 
 
 Another featui-e of interest is the extensive grove of tamarisks which 
 is found near the centre of the vaUey. We had not hitherto seen so large 
 a grove, nor trees of this kind of such size, or so graceful in form. The 
 drooping twigs were covered with flowers at the time of our visit ; and 
 fz'om the numerous heaps of ashes lying about it was clear that the wood 
 is used by the Arabs for charcoal. Young plants were, however, springing 
 up in place of the old, and our camels enjoyed the opportimity of browsing 
 on the green leafy sprays and twigs. 
 
 Towards the upper part of the Wady es Sheikh we met with terraces 
 of marl, fine gravel and laminated sand, rising from 60 to 80 feet 
 above the present bed of the valley. These ten-aces were originally much 
 more extensive and continuoiis, but have been to a large extent carried 
 away by the torrents which descend from the mountains. At the head 
 of the W. Watiyeh these soft strata occupy the floor of a plain about half 
 a mile across. There can be little doubt, I think, that these deposits, 
 surrounded as they are in nearly every direction by higher ground, were 
 formed over the bed of an ancient lake, or chain of lakes similar to those I 
 have ah-eady described in the Wady Hamr and Wady Ghai-andel, further 
 ti the north-west. They have since been drained, owing to changes in the 
 level of the country and other causes ; and are possibly referable to a 
 period when rain was much more abundant than at the present day. 
 
 ' An excellent view of this grand mountain, as well as of J. Katarina, is given 
 in " Picturesque Palestine," edited by Col. Sir C. W. Wilson, Parts 18 and 19. 
 
 • E
 
 50 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETRTRA, 
 
 We now reached the foot of a lofty ridge of red granite and porphyry, 
 rising to a height of 1,153 feet above the plain, crossing our i)ath in a 
 direction a little north of east, and forming a sort of outer wall to the 
 mountainous district of Sinai to the south. Major Kitchener and others 
 of our party climbed to the summit of this ridge, and planting the theodolite 
 on the highest pinnacle, took angles to all the consjiicuous points within 
 sight. The ridge is traversed by a gorge — one of three passable ones — 
 called El Watiyeh. It was one of the grandest I had ever seen ; the walls 
 of red porphyry rising from 800 to 1,000 feet above the remarkably level 
 floor of the pass itself. The effect is more striking from the intense red- 
 ness of the porphyry, rendered deeper still, sometimes almost to blackness, 
 apparently by the fierce rays of the sun, from which one is glad to get 
 protection by keeping close to the shady side. The gorge bends to the 
 right in a northerly direction ; and on emerging we found ourselves in an 
 open space, and in front of a succession of granitic heights and inter- 
 vening valleys by which the ascent to Jebel Mtisa is made.' 
 
 This remarkable ridge is found on examination to be a huge " dyke " 
 or mass of porphyi-y and red granite protruded through the floor of grey 
 granite, which seems to have been the most ancient and fundamental rock 
 of this region. The junction and relations of these two important masses 
 of 2>lvitonic origin may be clearly seen at the northern entrance to the gorge ; 
 and half way through it will be seen that a basaltic dyke coincides with 
 the general direction of the gorge itself. 
 
 On Monday evening, 19th November, we encamped in a plain about 
 seven miles from the Convent of St. Catherine, and near a spring of water 
 surrounded by palms and other plants. The elevation of our camp was 
 found by Mr. Laurence — who made the determination from observations 
 on the boiling point of water — to be about 4,880 feet. The air of the 
 following morning was cold and bracing. Here we remained while visiting 
 Jebel Musa and the neighbouring places. 
 
 ' This was the road taken by Captains Wilson and Palmer, and the Rev. 
 r. W. Holland, in 1869. Mr. Holland considers this loealiLy to have been tlie 
 scene of the battle with tlie Amalekites (" Desert of the Exodus," p. 52), but this 
 view was not accepted by the other explorers, for reasons which appear sufScient. 
 Wilson prefers the W. Feiran as the scene of action (" Ord. Survey Sinai.")
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 51 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 MOUNT SINAI. 
 
 The next day, Tuesday, 20th November, was a memorable one to our 
 party, for it was that on which we made the ascent of Jebel MCisa, the 
 traditionary seat of the giving of the Law by Jehovah to Israel. So much 
 has been well and eloquently written upon the character, scenery, and 
 surroundings of this moimtain that I shall content myself with a few 
 personal observations. 
 
 I need scarcely say that the tradition above referred to has been 
 almost universally accepted. > The late Professor Palmer arrived at the 
 conclusion that the Lord descended on Jebel Mtlsa (Mount Sinai) and 
 there delivered the tables of the Law to Moses, who in turn delivered 
 them to the people on descending from Eas Sufsafeh.^ This majestic cliff, 
 rising nearly 2,000 feet at the head of an extensive valley well calculated 
 to afford camping ground for the Israelitish host, from whence they 
 could behold the display of Divine power, seems in all points to answer to 
 the description given in the sacred text of the scene of these events. This 
 view is also held by Sir C. W. Wilson, who points to the existence of the 
 stream of Wady Sh'reich which descends from behind Pas Sufsafeh as 
 being in all probability that into which Moses cast the dust of the golden 
 calf. The same writer, also, lays just stress upon the fact that the position 
 of this rock answers well to the description of " the mountain that can be 
 touched."^ Leaving our camj) early (for we knew that we had a long day's 
 work before us), we marched up the wide plain of Wady es Sheikh, and, 
 afterwards turning to the right, entered the Wady el Deir, when we came 
 in front of the grand cliffs of Eds SufsMeh, rising abruptly from the plain, 
 
 ^ The only exception, perhaps, is that of Dr. Bcke, who supposed one of the 
 mountains at the head of the Gulf of Akahali to be Moiiut Sinai, and Mr. 
 Uaker Greene, Quarterly Statement, October, 1884. 
 
 * A good engraving of this mountain is given in Palmer's work, supra eit. 
 p. 35, and also in " Picturesque Palestine." The grand cliff, however, in this 
 latter appears somewhat more isolated fi'om the mountain to the left than is really 
 the case. 
 
 ' " Ordnance Survey of the Peninsiila of Sinai." p. 1-16. 
 
 E 2
 
 52 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THItOUGII AUABIA rETE.EA, 
 
 and intersected by several deep clefts. In front was a little hill crowned 
 by the tomb of some celebrated Sheikh, and away to the right an incon- 
 gruous square structure, built for a summer residence of Mohammed Ali. 
 I felt satisfied that here was the camping ground of Israel, and in front 
 the " Mount of the Law." The spacious plain we had been passing through, 
 covered with herbage, would have afforded ample space for the people 
 with their flocks and herds, and the mountain masses in front, rever- 
 berating with the thunders of heaven, would have been well calculated 
 to impress them with awe and reverence. 
 
 Turning again to the left the path leads up to, and past, the convent of 
 St. Catherine, and thence, by an excessively steep and long ascent, to the 
 base of the great wall of rock, upon the summit of which are perched the 
 little chapel and mosque of Jebel Mllsa. To an ordinary pedestrian this 
 wall would be inaccessible, as it rises as a sheer precipice befoi-e him ; but 
 on looking to the right along its base, one perceives that the rocks are cleft 
 in twain, and that the path turns sharply to the right, and jmsses through 
 this cleft, between vertical walls on either side. After this there is a 
 cl imb of several hundred feet, round by a partially artificial flight of steps 
 to the summit above the great precijiice. I mention this cleft, because on 
 entering it I exclaimed to myself, " Can this be the cleft of the rock in 
 which the Lord placed His servant when He made His glory pass before 
 Him 1" Whether this be so or not, the cleft is remarkable as a natural 
 feature, and from its wild and impressive surroundings. 
 
 Nothing can exceed the savage grandeur of the view from the summit 
 of Mount Sinai. The infinite complication of jagged peaks and varied 
 ridges, and their prevalent intensely red and greenish tints, have been 
 noticed by Pococke, Staidey, and other writers. ^ The natural red tints of 
 the granite and porphyry seem to have been deepened and intensified (as 
 I believe) by the rays of the sun ; while in some places the rocks are 
 blackened through the natural process of weathering.^ Everywhere they 
 are rent, fissured, and crumbling into ruins ; breaking oflF along steep 
 walls, and traversed by dry ravines and almost waterless, therefore 
 treeless, valleys ; — destitute of verdm'e as seen from this elevation. The 
 whole aspect of the surroundings impresses one with the conviction that 
 he is here gazing on the face of Nature under one of her most savage 
 
 ' " Sinai and Palestine," Edit. 1873, p. 12. 
 
 - It is well known that the I'avs of the sun hare the effect of deepening the 
 colour of the felspar crystals of which the rocks are largely composed.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 53 
 
 forms, in view of which the ideas of solitude, of waste, and of desolation 
 contend with those of awe and admiration. The summit on which you 
 stand is over seven thousand feet above the sea, but some distance to the 
 south is the still loftier height of Katarina.' Beyond, in the same direction, 
 the eye wanders over a succession of rugged mountains and deep ravines, 
 forming the Sinaitic peninsula, and bounded on either hand by the deep 
 deiDressions in which he the Gulfs of Suez and Akabah. Distant glimpses 
 of the table-land of the Tlh to the north, and of the mountains of Edoni 
 which bound the W^dy el Arabah on the east, are also obtained. Having 
 planted the theodolite on the flat roof of the mosque. Major Kitchener 
 was able to take angles on several prominent points in the direction of our 
 future line of march. The mosque and little Greek church are constructed 
 from the materials of the ancient church supposed to have been erected by 
 the Empress Helena. That it was a work of much beauty, and involving 
 great labour and expense, is testified by the fragments of the ancient build- 
 ing in the form of the pedestal of a granite pillar, portions of a cornice, 
 and other architectural fragments in white marble, or in red sandstone, 
 which are strewn about ; all of which must have been brought from long 
 distances, and carried to the summit of the mountain oidy by great labour.' 
 We came down from the mount by the Pilgrims' Eoad, more direct and 
 precipitous than the former, and accompanied by a monk of the convent. 
 Our eyes were gladdened in this dry and barren land by an actual running 
 stream, descending along the gorge of granite cliffs from a little reservoir 
 constructed in a natural basin close to " Elijah's Cave," and a remarkably 
 tall cypress, which all travellers have noticed.^ No one, who has not a firm 
 step and a good eye, should try this path, as a sprained ankle, or possibly 
 a broken leg, may follow a false step. Just as we came in view of the 
 convent and gardens, we had a good illustration of the deceptive appearance, 
 as regards size and distance, which all objects in this region assume, owing 
 to the wonderful transparency of the air. It may be said, with truth, that, 
 
 * Climbed on tlie same day by Mr. Hart, after the asceut of J. Musa. 
 
 ' While here we saw for tlie first time the little animal {Hi/rax si/riaci(s) 
 called "the coney" in the Bible; for a description of which the reader is 
 referred to Tristram's " Fauna and Flora of Palestine," p. 1. The district also 
 contains the ibex {Capra bede), or "wild goat" of Scripture, ilhistrating the 
 passage, " The liigli hills ai'e a refuge for the wild goats, and the stony rocks 
 for the conies." 
 
 * A view of this cypress is given in "Picturesque Palestine," p. 113; some 
 years ago, when Niebuhr visited the spot, tliere were two.
 
 54 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR-EA, 
 
 generally speaking, all objects in the landscape are twice the distance and 
 twice the size they actually appear. So now, on coming into \'iew of the 
 convent and its surroundings, in the valley below us, though these objects 
 looked so close as to be only within two or three hundred yards off, they 
 were all miniature representations, and so reduced in size that it seemed as 
 though we were beholding a model of the reality. The effect was extremely 
 pretty. We could see over the whole exterior of the building, with its high 
 massive walls, looj^holed turrets, and the church rising above the flat roof 
 of the building. Behind were the fruitful gardens, with the neat vine- 
 yards, beds of vegetables, and fruit trees, amongst which several tall 
 cypresses rose high into the air. All this we coiUd see as if so close that a 
 few strides would place us in their midst ; but it took us a good half hour 
 to clamber down the cliff, and cross the slopes to the walls of the building, 
 which is capable of affording accommodation for 200 inmates. 
 
 We remained three nights in the camj) of the Wady es Sheikh. Never 
 shall I forget the discomfort of these nights. I was attacked by a small 
 insect,' almost invisible to the eye, which covered the body with little 
 pimples of the most irritating kind, making sleep impossible, and life a 
 bm-den. The warmth of the bed rendered these bites almost intolerable ; 
 and I had frequently to rise in order to sponge myself with cold water, or 
 with diluted carbolic acid, which gave only temporary relief. For some 
 time I coidd discover no cause for this irritation, but the insect was at 
 length discovered by the dragoman. ' Though loth to do so, I natiu-ally 
 attributed the presence of this insect to my Ai-ab, whom I had allowed to 
 ride on my camel while I was walking ; and orders were issued that the 
 camel drivers were not, for the future, to ride on the camels of the travellers. 
 This gave much dissatisfaction, but the comfort of the travellers was con- 
 sidered of more importance than the convenience of the Ai'abs. Some time 
 afterwards, when referring to the matter, I discovered who the real offender 
 was. It appears that during the first night of oxnr camjsing a vagabond 
 Ai-ab arrived, and, the nights being cold, he took possession of my camel- 
 saddle, with which he wi'apped himself round, and thus passed the night, 
 no doubt, comfortably to himself. The legacy he left behind next morning 
 was the insect. JNIy Arab was therefore really not to blame, and he was 
 naturally indignant when the dragoman hinted that he was the offender, 
 
 ' Called "Arab lice." Not having preserved specimens for examination, I 
 am unable to give the scientific name ; but I cannot doubt it -was that which 
 produced one of the plagues of Egypt.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 55 
 
 and exclaimed, " If you find one of these on my body or in my 
 
 hair you may kill me !" All this I did not ascei'tain mi til Sala and I had 
 parted for ever. I mention the matter here, in oixler that other travellers 
 may avoid a similar fate by having their camel-saddles deposited within 
 the tents at night. 
 
 We had now reached Jebel Mdsa, the most southern point of om- 
 proposed route, and henceforth om* course took a north-eixsterly direction. 
 In order to exjjlore the district lying between the head of the Gulf of 
 Akabah and the eastern margin of the Tlh, and connect the topographical 
 and geological features with those of the Sinaitic peninsula, which had 
 been so well worked out by Captains Wilson and Palmer, we took a 
 course towards Akabah seldom traversed by travellers hitherto. We 
 retraced our steps for some distance by the Wady es Sheikh, passed again 
 through the gorge of El Watiyeh, and emerged on an extensive undulating 
 plain, Elwi TAjramiyeh, which we traversed nearly due north to the head 
 of the Widy Zelegah. Major Kitchener took a course moie to the left, 
 in order to determine the position of an important spring called " Ain el 
 Akhdar," and rejoined us late in the evening at oiu" camp, some distance 
 down the Zelegah Valley. It is probable that a large portion of the plain 
 we traversed during this day had formerly been the bed of a lake. It was 
 covered with fine gravel, through which bosses of granite or basalt sometimes 
 protruded. This lake may have been connected with that of the Wady es 
 Sheikh previously referred to. 
 
 The upper part of the Wtdy Zelegah is remarkable for its geological 
 features. The valley itself is excavated through beds of brown, red, and 
 variegated sandstone, which are but slightly removed from the horizontal 
 position, having a dip towards the N.E. of two or three degrees. These 
 sandstone beds are sometimes deeply channelled ; and fonn terraces, flat- 
 topped tables, and sometimes isolated tors. The cliffs rise on either 
 hand ; those on the south of the valley giving origin to a scarped ridge 
 called Jebel es Zerf. Through these sandstone beds the old foundation 
 rocks, consisting of granite, porphyry, or greenstone, occasionally pro- 
 trude ; showing that the rocky floor, on which the sandy strata were 
 originally deposited, was exceedingly uneven in form, rising into ridges 
 or solitary jieaks, or hollowed into furrows. An instance of this kind was 
 observed about four miles below the head of the valley. 
 
 The Wady Zelegah was first explored by Labortle ; afterwards ])v 
 Palmer. It is about 20 miles in length, and its geneial direction is north-
 
 56 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 east to its junction with the Wady Biyar, when it bends to the east for 
 several miles, and expands sometimes to upwardti of a mile in breadth. 
 The scenery along its course is striking. It is bounded by cliiis of 
 coloured sandstone rising from 1,000 feet to 1,200 feet above the bed 
 of the valley. The sides are often covered by enormous landslips, and 
 by masses of rock brought down by the torrents ; while small terraces of 
 more ancient date, formed of alluvial material, are found in sheltered 
 spots. The Cretaceous limestone, with numerous fossils, is continuous 
 amongst the cliflfs on either side ; and as the dip of the formation 
 corresponds very nearly with the fall of the valley, the same strata 
 continue for long distances to form the boundary walls. 
 
 The floor of the W. Zelegah is decorated with dwarf skrubs and plants ; 
 and little groups of tamarisk are occasionally to be found, the tender 
 fronds of which were eagerly devoured by our camels. Sometimes the 
 ground is perfectly flat from side to side ; and where sandy is covered by 
 the circular or ear-shaped hills of the large black ant, and under many of 
 the bushes the jerboa has its burrow-holes. These burrowings in the ground 
 are dangerous both for horses and camels ; and the camel of my son having 
 placed his foot on one of these concealed holes it gave way, and the rider 
 was sent flying over the camel's head in my sight. I was much relieved 
 when he got up, and pronounced himself unhurt. 
 
 The Wddy el Biyar descends from the escarpment of the Tih, and 
 uniting with the Zelegah Valley they both change their name, and at a bend 
 towards the north are known as the Wady el Ain, so called from the fine 
 perennial spring which bursts forth near its head. The terraces of alluvial 
 materials which rise about 50 feet above the present bed, both in the 
 valleys of Zelegah and Biyar, indicate the existence at a former period of 
 rivers and floods far more extensive in their operation than those of the 
 present day. On Friday evening we camped at the entrance to the W. el 
 Ain, having made 21 miles during the day. Our camp, near the entrance 
 to the "Wady Mugrah, was about 3,000 feet above the waters of the Gulf 
 of Akabah. 
 
 At about ten o'clock on Saturday morning, on turning a bend of the 
 wide valley towai'ds the east, we came in sight of the Jebel el Berg, a fine 
 mountain, solitary and of quadrangular form, rising in our front to a 
 height of about 2,000 feet above the plain. It is formed of horizontal 
 courses of sandstone, and is accompanied by several minor heights of 
 similar formation in outline, somewhat like the Egyptian Pyi-amids. The
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 57 
 
 beds of sandstone are planted on a foundation of granite and porphyry. 
 Another mountain — Jebel el Ain — somewhat similar in form and stmcture, 
 is a conspicuous object from the valley of this name, and lies several miles 
 further to the east. In this neighbourhood the beds of sandstone some- 
 times assume tabular and castellated forms, illustrating the process of 
 atmospheric weathering, and oflFering many a tempting subject for the 
 pencil of the artist ; but little time was at our disjjosal for indulging in 
 essays with the pen or pencil.
 
 58 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PE/ETRA, 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 WADY EL AIN. 
 
 We were now about to experience a surjjrise for which we were en- 
 tirely unprepared,' in the form of a magnificent gorge, resembling one 
 of the gi^eat canons of Western America. The road we were taking 
 is seldom traversed either by travellers or by Arabs, and our guides 
 were unacquainted with it. It is next to certain that the Israelites 
 did not take this route, which from its nature would have been imprac- 
 ticable for a host of men, women, and children with cattle. Professor 
 Palmer has happily identified the position of " Hazeroth " with that of Ain 
 Huderah, which lies to the east and south of our course ; and the children 
 of Israel, in journeying towards Ezion Geber, doubtless took the easier 
 and more direct route, under Divine guidance, by the Wady Saal and 
 Wady el Huderah ; and then descending, by the loiver end of the Wady el 
 Ain, to the sea coast of the Gulf of Akabah, continued along its margin to 
 Ezion Geber. The vipper part of the W. el Ain, as I have already stated, 
 would have been impracticable for snch a host. To us, indeed, it presented 
 a spectacle of the grandest kind, illustrating the marvellous erosive power 
 of water, when employed in cutting its channel through an indefinitely 
 long period of time. (See Frontispiece). 
 
 Shortly after leaving our midday camp our eyes were greeted by the 
 unusual spectacle of a grove of palms, following the course of a trickling 
 stream of clear water issuing from the fountain which gives its name to 
 the valley, and the first we had seen since leaving the Convent of St. 
 Catherine. Following with some diificulty the com'se of the stream 
 between narrow walls of granite, we presently found ourselves in a gorge 
 about twenty yards in width, with walls rising to still higher altitudes, up 
 to 600 feet or 700 feet, by estimation. The air was deliciously cool and 
 fresh. Several kinds of birds darted about; and some plants, hitherto 
 unrecognised, gave Hart abundant employment. My son got his camera 
 
 ^ Although the W. el Ain has been described by Euppell and by Miss 
 Martiueau it will bear repetition.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 59 
 
 into operation, and soon exhausted the stock of plates remaining for the 
 day's use. Every few yards brought us in front of still loftier cliffs of 
 granite, occasionally capjied by pyramids and tors of sandstone, until at 
 about ha]f-a-mile from our entrance to this grand caiion, and after winding 
 from side to side, we found ourselves confi'onted by inaccessible cliffs, 
 estimated by Kitchener and myself at 1,000 feet to 1,200 feet in altitude 
 above the bed of the brook.* A little further on, cUfFs of sandstone were 
 seen capping the granite on the left ; and at length, after numerous 
 windings, a lengthened vista opens out along a straight reach of about 
 three miles, nearly flat along the bottom, and bounded by steep slopes of 
 granite seamed by dykes and sheets of greenstone. At the end of this glen 
 we found our tents pitched on a terrace of gravel, slightly raised above the 
 bed of the now dry stream course. Little groves of palms, tamarisks, and 
 tall reeds were refreshing to the eyes, and afforded choice provender for 
 our camels ; and, behind our tents, at the base of the cliffs, our Arabs 
 rested in groups around their fires, chatting over the events of the day, and 
 preparing the evening meal. 
 
 There were not wanting proofs that this remarkable ravine, now 
 almost waterless, is sometimes the channel of a mighty river, which 
 sweeps down towards the sea in an impetuous flood, carrying everything 
 within its reach before it. Immense masses of shingle were piled up 
 within the entrant angles and protected places of the valley where eddies 
 would be formed ; while large boulders and masses of driftwood were 
 sometimes to be seen lying stranded in similar positions. One can well 
 imagine that after one of the gi-eat thunderstorms which burst on the 
 mountainous j^arts of the peninsula, and suddenly convert dry valleys into 
 impetuous torrents, this gorge of the El Ain must present a spectacle at 
 once impressive and terrible ; for it then receives the combined floods of 
 the Wadies Zelegah, El Biyar, and numerous smaller tributaries. In such 
 a case, woe to the unhappy traveller who finds himself within the walls of 
 the grand canon ; he himself may possibly escape by scaling the cliffs, but 
 his camels and baggage would be swept away beyond the hope of rescue. 
 On this account the Arabs seldom enter this part of the valley. To them 
 it remains mysterious and almost unknown ; and we may feel assured 
 that, to the host of Israel, it would have proved a dangerous and almost 
 
 ' Mr. Armstrong made a svu'vey of this gorge of the W. el Ain by a series 
 of compass hearings, and pacing from angle to angle of the gorge. It will be 
 fouud represented on the new map of the P. E. F. when published.
 
 60 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 impracticable road, and one which under the guidance of God — who " led 
 his people like a flock " — they were not likely to follow. 
 
 Sunday, 25th November. — We had morning jjrayers in the tent, and in 
 the afternoon, while engaged in writing, word was brought " that the 
 engineers were ajjj^roaching." We had heard, when in our camp near 
 Mount Sinai, that a party of engineers had arrived from England at Suez, 
 and were waiting for camels to carry them to Akabah ; and we understood 
 that they had come out to take observations along the line of the Wady 
 el Arabah in connection with " the Jordan Valley scheme."' 
 
 Presently the baggage camels passed our tents at a rajiid pace, and 
 about an hour afterwards two gentlemen, with dragoman and servant, 
 passed also. I had ordered coffee to be prepared with the expectation that 
 the engineers would favouj* us with a call en passant ; but with that 
 reserve which is peculiar to Englishmen — and not one of their most 
 agreeable characteristics — they refrained from any communication with 
 our party. 
 
 Feeling satisfied that their object was to reach Akabah before ourselves 
 and forestall us in securing camels, though we had a right to priority, I 
 requested Major Kitchener to draw up a letter to the governor of Akabah 
 with directions that he would seciu'e the services of Sheikh Mohammed 
 Ibn Jhad, and obtain the requisite camels. This letter I despatched 
 the same evening by the hand of oiu* conductor, Bemhard Heilpern, who 
 started down the valley accompanied by an Arab, j^assed the tents of the 
 engineering party at night, and reached Akabah on the second day ; and 
 so well did he accomplish his task that, on our arrival, we received a 
 message from Sheikh Mohammed saying that he was on his way from his 
 mountain home to visit us, with the result which will be stated further 
 on. Having thus taken measures to prevent our expedition being blocked, 
 or at least being seriously delayed at its most critical stage, we jsrepai-ed 
 to resume our journey next morning. 
 
 Our com'se continued for several miles down the Wady el Ain, some- 
 times in view of a consjiicuous mountain called Jebel el Ai'adeh, which 
 rose between us and the sea, towards the north-east. This mountain was 
 ascended by Kitchener for survey purposes, and Hart for botanical. It 
 forms a landmark m that part of the country, and like most of the 
 
 ' The scheme according to which it is proposed to flood the valley of the 
 Jordan to the level of the Mediterranean, and to cut a canal between the inland 
 sea thus formed and the Gulf of Akabah.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. T)! 
 
 isolated Mils consists of beds of sandstone and limestone on a granitic 
 base. At length we came to the point where the Wady et Tihyeh opens 
 on the left into the apparently inteiTainable Wady el Ain, and we gladly 
 struck lip the former in a direction somewhat circuitous, but generally 
 making towards the north and east. We rested at noon by some wells iu 
 the sandstone rock, which was often enci'usted with salt. The spot is 
 pretty on account of the groups of palm trees. Through the rest of the 
 day our course lay over a very broken Hue of country, diversified by deep 
 depressions, terraced escarpments of limestone or sandstone, and ulti- 
 mately we emerged on a wide plain bounded by fine escarpments of 
 the former. The surface of this plain is dotted with plants ; and in 
 April is green with herbage, and occupied by several hundred Beda^vins, 
 who come here with their flocks and herds for pastiirage, and to make 
 butter ; — now it was nearly deserted. At length, after a very long day's 
 march of ten hours, we pitched our tents near the head of the Wady el 
 Tihyeh, at the base of a limestone cliff, and at an elevation of 2,400 feet 
 above the sea.' 
 
 * These elcTations were taken by Mr. Laurence with the aneroid, and worked 
 out during the evenings.
 
 62 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 EEGION OF THE TIH. 
 We had now entered the district of the Tth plateau, as generally under- 
 stood ; but towards the south -eastern part of its extension its margin 
 can scarcely be reco.gnised. From the Wady el Ain northward and east- 
 ward, the countiy is formed of a succession of scarped ridges and A^alleys, 
 with but little symmetry or order of succession ; so that it is impossible 
 in this district to say within many miles where " the escarpment of the 
 Tih" really begins or ends. This disarrangement of the geographical 
 boundaries is, I need scarcely say, due to geological causes. The strata, 
 instead of preserving a regular order of succession, according to which 
 the limestone ridge forming the margin of the Tih succeed* a plateau 
 of sandstone, as in the district north of Debbet er Ramleh, are here 
 broken into, and displaced, by several large " faults," ranging both in 
 northerly and easterly directions. Thus, the order of succession is 
 disturbed, the strata are dislocated, sometimes repeated over again, and a 
 series of scarps and valleys, transverse in direction to each other, are pro- 
 duced. Even when we had reached the limestone district new ridges of 
 considerable elevation were descried far to the north and west, and it was 
 a question whether these ought not to be taken as the boimdary of " the 
 Tih." As a geologist, however, I must hold that the Tih begins with the 
 limestone formation ; though I doubt whether this ground of identification 
 will be considered satisfactory by geographers. Another consequence of 
 this iiTegularity in the contours is, that the southern drainage system is 
 prolonged far inwards towards the north. Several of the faults, or lines 
 of dislocation in the strata above referred to, were seen by us on our way, 
 and as far as practicable laid down on the geological map which accom- 
 panies this volume. 
 
 Desert partridges appeared to be numerous in the Wddy el Tihyeh." 
 Shortly after entering we noticed several harriers soaring above the 
 
 ^ Probably " He^'s Sand Partridge" {Ammoperdix Heyi),
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 63 
 
 right side of the valley, and presently the cause was revealed when a 
 " covey " of the partridges were started by us amongst the rocks. They 
 are a little smaller than the English partridge, and differ in colour and 
 general appearance, being light reddish-brown on the back and speckled 
 white and bro^vn on the breast ; the beak is bright yellow. They seldom 
 take the wing ; but when startled either lie close to the ground, which 
 they greatly resemble in colour, or run up the banks or rocks with great 
 speed, and try to hide themselves. 
 
 During our long rides we often beguiled the way with a song, a 
 cigarette, or a scrap of conversation. Amongst all our party there was 
 no one such an adept at the latter art as Ibraham, our dragoman. He 
 was a strict Mohammedan, and had done haj (or pilgrimage) to Mecca ; and 
 from having seen so much of the world could spin his yarn by the hour. 
 Often I have been amused to watch him and Bernhard Heilpern liding 
 side by side, the former keei^ing up a brisk conversation, to which the other 
 had only to reply by an occasional grunt, or nod of assent. One day, after 
 one of these tSte-d-tStes (which were always in Arabic), Ibraham came to 
 me, and says, " Mr. Bernhard, sir, he be very good man ; he want to 
 improve the costumes (customs) of these Bedawins." 
 
 " Why," I replied, " does he want them to wear trowsers ? I fancy a 
 Bedawin in trowsers would be no longer a Bedawin." 
 
 " No, sir, he wants the Bedawin to settle down and cultivate the 
 ground, but Bedawin will not do that." (Ibraham always spoke of the 
 Arabs with mingled contempt and pity.) " I say to our sheikh, ' You be 
 very poor peeble here ; you have very little to eat and very little cloths. 
 Why you no go to Cairo and get some land ; then you grow crops and get 
 rich ■? ' (Sheikh). ' If I go to Cairo and take land I have to pay for it. 
 If I lose my crops I have to pay all the same or go to prison.' If wicked 
 Bedawin come and kill other Bedawin on my land, he go off, but I be 
 killed, or go to prison for life. If wicked Bedawin steal a donkey of 
 other Bedawin on my land, I have to pay for the donkey, or go to prison. 
 I don't want to go to pi'ison, or to pay for my land. Here (looking 
 around) I have no master ; I be free. Nobody can put me in prison in 
 the desert.' " 
 
 It is to be feared that with such strong arguments against settling 
 down as an agriculturalist in Egypt before him, there is not much 
 hope that the Arab of the desert will fulfil the hopes of good Bernhard. 
 • A Land Act is evidently badly wanted here !
 
 64 NARKATIVE OF x\N EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 Perhaps I may here relate another of Ibraham's tales. It is about 
 the origin of the Dabour tribe ; " Dabour " in Arabic means " a wasp." 
 
 Once a pious Bedawin, seeing with pity the ignorant state of his 
 friends around him, determined to make a journey to Cairo " to buy 
 some Khoran," and so to teach them how to pray. So he collects together 
 all his money and effects, and after a long journey arrives at Cairo. 
 There, a stranger and unbefriended, he enters a coffee-house, where he 
 meets a man to whom he recounts the object of his visit. " Very good," 
 says the man, " how much money have you got ? " " Four dollars," 
 replies the Arab. " Well," says the other, " that is enough to buy some 
 Khoran ; hand the money over to me, and to-morrow I will bring you 
 what you require." 
 
 So the poor Bedawin hands over his four dollars, and his considerate 
 friend appoints a convenient jalace where he may receive the Khoran next 
 day. Accordingly at the time appointed the two meet each other, and the 
 stranger pulls out a leathern bag tied at the mouth with a string, and says, 
 " This is the Khoran, put your ear to it and you will hear the Khoran 
 speak." So the Arab applies his ear to the bag, and hears, buzz — buzz — 
 buzz. " Now," says the man, " take this home, and when you arrive call 
 all your friends together, then put the Khoran on your head, and tie the 
 string tight ; tell all your friends to say exactly what you say, and to do 
 exactly as you do ; — and then they will know how to pray aright." 
 
 So in due course the Bedawin returns to his family and friends with 
 " the Khoran," and having assembled them together around him, says : 
 " Here is the Khoran, which will teach you how to pray. Now, when I 
 put it on my head, you do what I do, and say exactly what I say." He 
 then proceeds to open the bag very carefully and to insert his head therein, 
 tying the string tight ; the wasps which the bag contained naturally 
 resent this intrusion, and proceed to show their resentment in the usual 
 way. So, presently, the Bedawin exclaims, " Oh, Allah, Allah, help, help ! " 
 All exclaim, " Oh, Allah, help, help ! " The Bedawin, " Oh, I shaU die ! " 
 All, " Oh, I shall die ! " (oft repeated). He then falls to the ground, rolling 
 and kicking about vigorously ; all follow his example. This goes on for a 
 little time, and with a probable termination in accoixl with the poor 
 Bedawin's exclamation, when " a sensible man " happens to pass by, and 
 says, " What are you all doing, what is it all about ? " So the people 
 explain that their friend in the centre has got the Khoran on his head, 
 and is showing them how to pray. " But," says the man of sense, " that
 
 To Jure jifi'ii 65. 
 
 W
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. ^5 
 
 is not the Khoran, and that is not the way to pray." So he goes over to the 
 Bedawin — now half dead with agony — aiid loosens the string of the bag, 
 wpon which out fly the wasps, and every one scampers away. The secret 
 was out, and the poor Arab found out that he was " sold to the Egj^itians ! " 
 
 The man and his tribe were henceforth called " Daboiu's," and they 
 inhabit a district of the Tlh between Nakel and the Gulf of Suez. It 
 will probably be allowed that a dragoman, with an ilhmitable stock of such 
 stories, must be a favourite on a long day's march ! 
 
 We camped for the night in the Wady el Khiass (Valley of Thieves),' 
 a wide valley in the district of the Tih, but of ill repute, as its name 
 signifies. It lies in fact on the border land of several tribes, and is thus 
 more than ordinarily open to the incursions of those who do not respect 
 the rights of jjvoperty, especially in the matter of flocks and herds. As 
 we were approaching the time when we should j^art with our escort, my 
 son thought it a favourable opportunity for taking measurements of their 
 individual heights of stature, breadth of chest, and length of arm, with 
 the general result of showing that the Arabs of the Towara tribe (at least 
 as represented by our guides) are somewhat lower of stature than the 
 British anny standard. Their power of enduring fatigue, and bodily 
 agility, would probably be found sujaerior. 
 
 The next morning we were on camel back by 7.30. The air was very 
 cold, the thermometer having registered 27° Fahr. during the night, and in 
 an hour we reached a tableland about 3,450 feet above the sea level ; the 
 highest point of our line of march in the region of the Tlh. Towards the 
 east hills rose above us still enveloped in the morning mists ; but in the 
 opposite direction the sun was lighting up an extensive range of white lime- 
 stone ridges, stretching in a north-easterly direction, the upper surface of 
 which corresponded to an imaginary plaia at least 1,000 feet above our 
 present level, but broken through by many glens and depressions, amongst 
 which the early rays of the sun were jjlaying with exquisite effect. In 
 about two hours more we came in sight of the W§,dy el Ai-abah, with the 
 mountains beyond. It apj^eared like a vast plain, bounded on the 
 eastern side by nagged and dark mountains rising behind each other, 
 range above range, to a great, but unknown, elevation. Near our midday 
 camp (Nov. 28), we descended from the limestone ridge on to an extensive 
 1 ilain of the sandstone formation. The boundary of the two formations 
 runs along the crest of a broken ridge called Turf-er-Eukn (Fig. 5), at an 
 
 ' Wady el Khiass leads into Wady el Hessi. 
 
 F
 
 66 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 elevation of about 3,600 feet above the sea level, often forming isolated 
 tors, and tabulated headlands. The plain is covered with scnib, and 
 strewn with pretty little round pebbles, formerly imbedded in the sand- 
 stone rock itself. Here we noticed several individuals of a little animal, a 
 batrachian, allied to the salamander (one of the group of so-called " Sand 
 Lizards "), darting about over the hot sands. It is about 5 inches long 
 from head to tip of tail, head flattish, and of a colour exactly resembling 
 that of the sand over which it runs, except in the dusky bands over the 
 lower part of the tail. It is very active, and when pursued makes 
 vigorous efforts to escape amongst the prickly bushes of the desert. It 
 probably feeds on ants and other insects. 
 
 We camped for the night on a pebbly plain, preparatory to our 
 descent the next day into the great valley of the Arabah, which was to 
 terminate the first stage of our survey. Our course had been very 
 much that of the arc of a circle, the chord of which woidd lie from 
 W. to E. ; that is, from the head of the GuK of Suez to that of the 
 Gulf of Akabah. Henceforth it was to be northwards, along a tract 
 of country not well known, and offering to us the prospect of much 
 which would be interesting and new to science. On the day following, 
 29th November, we descended the eastern slopes of the Tih, by the Haj 
 Koad, amongst features and scenery of the grandest description, down to 
 the shore of the Gulf of Akabah. At about noon we came in fi-ont of a 
 massive serrated ridge of red granite and porphyry, which rose up, as it 
 were, across our path, and stretched in a north and south direction for 
 several miles. On reaching its base the road turns sharply to the right, 
 and for some distance lies along a valley, bounded on the left by the 
 porphyry, and on the right by contorted beds of limestone. The line 
 of this valley coincides (in fact) with that of a great fault, the direction 
 of which Mr. Laurence determined with the prismatic compass to be North 
 28° East. A long this line of displacement the limestone strata ai-e brought 
 down against the porphyry, as shown in the annexed section, Fig. 6, p. 68. 
 The effect of this sudden change in the character of the physical features 
 is most marked, and can scarcely fail to atti-act the notice of the most 
 casual observer. 
 
 Descending to the foot of the mountains we crossed the level plain by 
 the margin of the waters of the Tranquil Sea, and passing through the 
 palm groves, which give the name of " Elim " to the spot, we made for our 
 tents, which we found pitched near the fort, beyond those of the engineers.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AXD WESTERN PALESTINE. 6*7 
 
 Close by Sheikh Mohammed, with several of his relatives, was seated ; we 
 saluted each other, and passed on. Bernhard Heiljiern had accomplished 
 his mission, and the Sheikh had declared that he considered himself 
 engaged to settle with us before coming to an arrangement with any other 
 party. He no doubt inwardly chuckled at the good fortune which had 
 sent him at one time two sets of English travellers to fleece, and to outbid 
 each other for the honour of his valuable services. 
 
 Sheikh Mohammed Ibn Jhad, head of the Alowlu tribe, is a man of 
 about sixty summers ; of full, rather common-place features, dark eyes, 
 and beard tinged with grey. He was clad in a rich scarlet cloak lined 
 with yellow silk, a white shirt and girdle, yellow silken khefeyeh" on 
 his head, and red leather boots. He earned a large, rather antique 
 scimitar, and a revolver was stuck in his girdle ; of course the long pipe 
 was in his hand. He spoke with animation, and much modulation of 
 voice, from the sotto voce of confidence to the high pitch of expostulation. 
 
 His brother, Sheikh Ali, who afterwards became our guai'd through 
 the W4dy el Arabah, was of the usual Arab type, with sharp aquiline 
 features, and dark restless eyes. He was less gorgeously clad than his 
 elder brother, and only chimed in occasionally during the conversation 
 relating to our proposed route. In one respect both brothers exactly 
 resembled each other — they loved money much ! 
 
 That evening the preliminaries were verbally agreed upon, in presence 
 of the Government notary, who was to draw up a document for signature, 
 in which the terms were to be distinctly stated, and the following evening 
 was appointed for the execution of the deed. The terms were to the 
 effect that Sheikh Ali (as representing his brother) was to conduct us 
 safely up to the entrance of the valley towards Petra and Momit Hor 
 (Jebel Haroun), and one day's march up the "W4dy el Arabah beyond ; 
 from which point we were to turn off to the left towards Gaza, to the 
 south of the territory of the Tlhyaha, with whom the Alowin were at feud. 
 We were not to sleep even for one night at Petra ; or to delay longer than 
 absolutely necessary in a district the inhabitants of which were, in the 
 Sheikh's opinion, " very bad people." We were to pay (as we supposed) 
 36 dollars for the right to pass through his lands, and so much for each 
 camel per day. The whole journey was to be completed in 15 days ; and 
 
 * A kind of kerchief •with tassels at the four corners. Wlien worn it is 
 r'oubled and bound on the head by a double chord or fillet. The ends either 
 hang down, or are drawn up, and fastened in the fillet by means of the tassels. 
 
 F 2
 
 68 NAliRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^.A, 
 
 « 
 
 K 
 
 f^ 
 
 II 
 
 i^
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE, 69 
 
 the Sheikh undertook to have the camek and men ready for us early on 
 Monday morning. When we met the following evening the document 
 was read out by the notary, but a little hitch occurred at the article 
 about the 36 dollars. We had understood this was toll for the whole 
 party ; the Sheikh asserted that he meant it was the sum for each of the six 
 "hawajahs," making 216 dollars. A long and angry discussion took place 
 on this point ; but as the Sheikh was firm, declaring that this amount had 
 been settled by the Government at Cairo as the toll for travellers, we 
 had to give in. At length the document having been agreed upon, our 
 conductor produced the money bag, counted out the large silver pieces, 
 which the Sheikh placed in little piles before him on the floor, amount- 
 ing altogether to a sum equal to ^135 sterling. Mohammed then pro- 
 ceeded to untie a corner of his inner garment, and from the folds thereof 
 produced the important seal, which alone could give efficacy to the 
 instrument. It was a small seal of white metal engraved with Arabic 
 characters. This the notary took, and having wetted a space on the 
 parchment impressed the seal with due solemnity. Before leaving home 
 I had hunted out an old family seal, unused for many years, and had brought 
 it with me for an occasion of this kind. This seal I now pi'oduced, and 
 it was also impressed on the document. Finally, Bernhard Heilpern, as 
 representing Messrs. T. Cook and Son, signed his name. We then bi-oke 
 up ; and recollecting that sharks abounded in the waters of the gulf close 
 by, I thought this fish a true representative of the man we had been 
 dealing with, and I took this opportunity of dubbing the head of the 
 Alowin tribe by the style and title of " Sheikh Shark," the name by 
 which he is in future to be known.' 
 
 It will be seen from the above account of our agreement with Sheikh 
 Mohammed that the route was different from that marked out for us by the 
 Conmiittee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, and which we had deter- 
 mined, if possible, to adhere to ; namely, to make a reconnaissance down 
 the whole length of the WS.dy el Arabah to the shores of the Salt Sea. 
 This route Mohammed positively refused to undertake on the ground that 
 his brother had killed a sheikh of the Tlliyaha, and that if he were to pass 
 through their territory, which lay north of the road to Gaza, we might be 
 
 • The late Dean Stanley states that he was treated by Sheikh Mohammed with 
 almost princely courtesy. Probably so, if tlie Dean gave him everything he 
 asked for ; or possiblj he may not then have learnt how to bleed travellers.
 
 70 NAREATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.^A, 
 
 attacked.^ He therefore proposed the only alternative, that we should 
 proceed across the Till to Gaza. This was a serious disappointment to us 
 all ; for it not only would have extended our journey over a district we 
 did not much care to visit, but would also have obliged us to leave un- 
 explored an important portion of the Arabah Valley, and to make a gap 
 in our surveys between the Sinaitic peninsula and Southern Palestine. 
 How it ultimately happened that we managed to complete our survey of 
 the whole valley of the Arabah down to the shores of the Salt Sea, and 
 also to visit Gaza, will appear in the sequel. 
 
 It now remained for us to take leave of our Tow^ra guides, and to 
 hand them the usual " bakhsheesh," or present, expected by all Arabs, 
 whether well paid or otherwise, for their services.- Accordingly each of 
 us presented our camel drivers with a sum equal to about five shillings, and 
 50 shillings were divided amongst those who had care of the baggage. 
 The sheikhs received double the amount of the drivers. This seemed to 
 give satisfaction, and wishing each other " ma'as salamah," we shook 
 hands and parted. 
 
 ^ He stated that we (the travellers) would be in no personal danger, but 
 that his Arabs might be killed, our camels carried off, and we left in the 
 lurch. 
 
 ^ This is a detestable system, and should be discouraged by travellers, except 
 for extraordinary services and good behaviour.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 71 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 AKABAH. 
 
 Akabah is a fort held by the Egyptian Government with a garrison of 
 eight soldiers, and it is pleasantly situated near the eastern shore of the 
 gulf of that name, and close to its northern bay. On descending from the 
 slopes of the Tih by the Haj E,oa<l, the head waters of the bay open out 
 before the traveller, and an extensive grove of palm trees is seen to sweep 
 round the head of the bay in a semicircle from left to right. These 
 palms are probably indigenous ; for the old name of Akabah was " Elim " 
 or " Elath," which means a grove of trees ; probably i^alms.' This is of 
 special interest, because two species of jjalm here flourish. The date palm 
 {Phcenix da^tylifera, Lin.) and the doum palm {Hyphcene Thehaica, Mart), 
 which instead of consisting of a solitary stem with leafy plume atop, 
 bifurcates or branches repeatedly. The two varieties may be seen growing 
 together directly north of the bay, and it is the only place where I have 
 seen both.- 
 
 On the west side of the bay probably stood Ezion Geber (the " back- 
 bone of a giant "), mentioned by Moses in the same sentence with Elath, 
 and, also, as one of the camping stations of the Israelites,^ probably 
 after having descended from the mountains of Horeb into the Wady el 
 Arabah or Wilderness of Zin. The name, perhaps, was given from the great 
 ridge of porphyry which, ranging from north to south, strikes the coast at 
 Ras el Musry. No traces of this place remain, but in the time of Solomon 
 it wa,s an important jjort.* It is distinctly stated to have been " beside 
 Elath, on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom." Its position 
 tlierefore is beyond doubt ; and from this place a great highway must 
 have run up the valley to Kadesh Barnea and entering the hills by one 
 
 1 Deut. ii, 8. 
 
 - The doum palm ia common in Upper Egypt, and on the banks of tlio 
 Atbara; Baker's "Nile Tributaries," p. 32. Professor Hseckel mentions its 
 occiirrence near the Arab village of Tor. " Visit to Ceylon." 
 
 •' Numb, xxxiii, 35. 
 
 ■* 1 Kinirs ix, 'US.
 
 72 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 of the passes have continued its course northwards, probably by Hebron, 
 to Jerusalem.' The waters of the gulf are beautifully clear, and the shore 
 is formed of shelly gravel, consisting of pebbles of porphyry, granite, 
 greenstone, and quartz, mixed with pieces of coral, and great numbers of 
 shells, chiefly univalves, of which Hart collected altogether about 200 
 species. The rise and fall of the spring tides is about 6 feet, and the 
 waters abound in fish, amongst which are "flying fish" and sharks. The 
 presence of the latter renders bathing rather dangerous, and the habit is not 
 much indulged in by the inhabitants, though, not altogether perhaps from 
 the presence of these voracious fish. 
 
 The average temperature of Akabah is high, and in summer the heat 
 must be almost overpowering. The land at the head of the bay might be 
 made a fruitful field if cultivated, as it is covered by rich loam, and water 
 is so abundant below the surface that the Arabs have only to scrape 
 holes a few inches deep in the gravel near the shore in order to give their 
 camels drink. The palm grove here is the largest we had seen since 
 leaving Egypt. Doubtless wheat, maize, olives, indigo, and cotton might 
 be cultivated with success ; yet nothing is grown but the palm, which 
 requires little culture ; and the lazy inhabitants prefer to lounge about, 
 smoking their pipes, and doing next to nothing in order to turn to account 
 the bounties of nature. 
 
 Notwithstanding our agreement with Mahommed, and the handsome 
 sum of money he had secured, we learned on the day following (Saturday) 
 that there had been a judicious distribution of gifts ozi the part of our 
 neighbours to secure priority in the start on Monday. We therefore 
 thought it prudent to invite the Sheikh into our tent on Saturday evening 
 in order " to keep him straight," by the presentation of a gift " in token of 
 our high esteem." I had brought out a small revolver, a pretty instrument 
 of American workmanship, and at the suggestion of my colleagues had re- 
 solved to sacrifice it for the public good on this occasion. We all felt sui'e 
 that the sight of such a present would at once convert the Sheikh from the 
 position of a wavering ally to that of a staunch friend. During all this 
 
 * This may be the road described by Sir C. W. Wilson as " the road from 
 Haila (Elath) to Petra, wliicli appears to have run up the W. el Arabah and W. 
 Gharandel by Dinna (Ain el Ghudjan). Regarding the position of Kadesh, I 
 shall have more to say in another page. The Rev. F. W. Holland considered 
 that the IsraeHtes, after leaving Movmt Sinai, marched northward by the W. el 
 Atiyeh on the plateau of the Tih to Kadesh Barnea, without descending to the 
 Vadey of the Arabah. Rep. Brit. Assoc, 1878, p. 622.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 73 
 
 time, he and his relatives were being housed in our luncheon tent and 
 entertained at our expense, and we felt that, everything considered, we 
 had the highest claim on his good offices. Accordingly, on his entering 
 our tent after dinner, I made him a neat little speech through our inter- 
 preter, closing by the presentation of the revolver, which 1 felt sure 
 would di-aw forth a reply overflowing with gratitude. What, however, 
 was our surprise when the Sheikh, taking the weapon in his hand, examined 
 it, and tlien deliberately laid it on the table. He then drew from his 
 girdle a revolver of much larger calibre and somewhat similar make, 
 assuring us that he had akeady more than enough of such gifts. A con- 
 sultation was then held amongst ourselves, and we agreed to substitute two 
 English sovereigns for the revolver, which I gladly reclaimed. This had 
 the desired effect ; and the Sheikh made a solemn promise that nothing 
 should prevent an early start on Monday morning. It appeared, however, 
 that his brother Ali was by no means pleased at the favours we were 
 heaping upon Mohammed. He sent a private message, therefore, to us 
 to request that we should give no more presents to his brother, but keep 
 the rest for him ! 
 
 Thus ended this eventful week, and everything being now arranged, 
 we were in a position to pass the following day in a comparatively contented 
 frame of mind. 
 
 The next day being Advent Sunday we had prayers in the tent, and 
 just as they were concluded the distant tiring of guns announced the 
 approach of a large body of pilgrims returning from Mecca on their way 
 to Tunis and Algiers. We ascended the hill behind our camp, and beheld 
 a procession of 500 or 600 people with camels winding their way along the 
 base of the mountains from the pass of the Haj Road, and deploying in the 
 plain behind the Fort. It was a curious sight. Some were clad in bright 
 garments, others in brown or black cloaks. In fi-ont was carried a large 
 banner bearing the crescent, and there was one single horseman who made 
 his way to the Fort. We presumed he was in command of the guard. 
 Sheikh Mohammed with his attendants proceeded to receive the pilgrims, 
 who were now under his protection, and they soon were busy preitaring 
 to camp for the night. Gordon took a photograph of the party. 
 
 We were early astir on Monday morning for our start up the Wady el 
 Arabah, and on this day we had our first heavy shower of rain. Hitherto, 
 day after day of more or less hot sunshine had succeeded each other ; but 
 during Saturday the temperature had fallen (the maximum only reaching
 
 74 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 69° Fahr.), the sky was cloudy, and towards Sunday evening signs of an 
 approaching storm began to manifest themselves. Accordingly we made our 
 jDreparations. Trenches were dug round our tents, the pegs were firmly 
 hammered down, and we got all baggage under cover. Soon after retiring 
 for the night we heard the booming of heaven's artilleiy amongst the moun- 
 tains, and flash succeeded flash with much brilliancy. The rain came at 
 first in heavy drops, and then poured down steadily. The tents, however, 
 proved sound ; not a drop entered, and we rejoiced to think that the parched 
 and thirsty ground would drink in the refreshing rain ; that plant-life would 
 receive a fresh impulse, and cover the plain we were about to traverse with 
 verdure and flowers. In the morning rain stiU fell, heavy clouds hung on 
 the mountains, and we had to mount our new camels, and make our 
 arrangements for a start, under a dripping sky. 
 
 "We broke up our camp in a scene of indescribable confusion. Our 
 new Arabs were quite unused to their work ; and it was excessively 
 diflicult to apportion the baggage to each camel, to have the tents taken 
 down and packed, and to get the men to lade their own animals. The clatter 
 of tongues was loud and incessant, above which those of the Sheikhs were 
 the loudest. The roaring and groaning of the camels was hideous to hear ; 
 our dragoman, Ibraham, was storming, and our conductor silent with 
 despair. As I was setting out he said to me, " I trust we shall meet 
 again to-night !" Glad to get out of this babel, we rode off" ; but it was 
 past eleven o'clock when the baggage camels were ready to start, owing, 
 I was told, to Mohammed not having supplied the requisite number of 
 camel nets.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 75 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE WADY EL AEABAH. 
 
 The Wady el Ai-abah, which we were uow about to traverse, is by far 
 the largest and most striking depression in Arabia Petrsea. It is called in 
 the Bible " the Wilderness of Zin," and was traversed by the children 
 of Israel throughout a large portion of its extent ; first, according to 
 the views of some authors, when going up to Kadesh Barnea to take 
 possession of the Promised Land, and afterwards, when disastrously 
 driven back before their enemies, and doomed to wander in the great 
 desert of Arabia during a space of nearly forty years. They retraced 
 their steps, again, at the end of thirty-eight years, on the second visit 
 to Kadesh Barnea, and before the encampment in the plain at the 
 western base of Mount Hor, where Aaron died ; and lastly, when obliged 
 to circumvent Edom and Moab, on their way to the Promised Land by the 
 Jordan Valley. 
 
 The great valley of the Arabah was first brought to the notice of 
 Europeans by Robinson and Burckhardt,^ who traced up the course of the 
 valley from the Gulf of Akabah to the Lake Asphaltites. But it has also 
 been visited and described to a greater or less extent by subsequent ex- 
 plorers, amongst whom may be mentioned Laborde, Lord Liudsay, Dean 
 Stanley, Dr. Wilson, Professor Palmer, and, more recently, M. Vignes, in 
 connection with the expedition carried out by the Due de Luynes." These 
 travellers have shown that this valley is the physical prolongation of that 
 great depression which, commencing at the north with the valleys of the 
 Litany and the Orontis, stretches southwards along the course of the 
 Jordan, the Salt Sea, and The Ghor, through the El Arabah itself into the 
 Gulf of Akabah; — a depression justly pronounced by Humboldt to be the 
 most remarkable on the face of the earth. This physical continuity is, as 
 
 1 " Travels in Syria," p. 360-412. 
 
 - ''Voyage d'ExpIoration de la Mer Morte." 3 vols. (Paris).
 
 76 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 may be inferred, due to similarity in the physical conditions. Throughout 
 the whole extent of the tract described, the strata of the earth's crust have 
 been fractured and vertically displaced, so that those on the eastern side 
 of the fracture have been relatively elevated, or (in other words) those on the 
 western relatively lowered. This fracture is known amongst geologists as a 
 " fault," and in consequence of the displacement above stated, the rocks and 
 formations on opposite sides of this depression do not in general correspond 
 to each other. 
 
 The existence of this gi-eat line of fracture along the depression of the 
 Jordan Valley and of the Arab 'i has been recognised by Hitchcock,* 
 Tristram ,2 Wilson,' and Lartet,'' who has in the clearest manner de- 
 monstrated the physical results of the displacement in the region of the 
 Salt Sea and Jordan Valley. These observations I have had an opportunity 
 of continuing throughout the whole length of the "Wady el Arabah, and I 
 have succeeded in tracing the line of this fracture from The Ghor to the 
 Gulf of Akabah, throughout a distance of about 120 miles.^ The details of 
 the geological stiaicture of this tract will be published elsewhere ; but I may 
 here state that the line of fault generally runs along the eastern side of 
 the valley, and close to the base of the mountains of granite and porphyry, 
 where its position has been determined at frequent intervals by the broken 
 and disconnected stratification. The general direction of the fault is 
 N. 10° E. A general section across the centre of the valley from west to 
 east, such as that given in the adjoining page (Fig. 7), will serve to 
 explain the relations of the formations on either side, and show the 
 effects of the break and displacement in producing the striking contrast 
 in the jjosition of the formations, and in the character of the scenery, on 
 opposite sides of the valley. 
 
 From this section it will be seen that the limestone (L) of the table- 
 land of the Tth, which comes down to the valley and forms its floor under- 
 neath the superficial gravel, is broken off" against the granite and jiorphyry 
 (G.P.) of the opposite side ; while the limestone itself is lifted vertically into 
 
 > Trans. Assoc. Americ. Geol., p. 348 (1841-42). 
 
 •- "Land of Israel," 2 Edit., p. 329, et seq. 
 
 •' Bible Die, Art. "Arabah." 
 
 ■* " Geologie de la Mer Morte," p. 259, et seq. 
 
 ' As shown on the geological map of the expedition. According to Eobinson, 
 Arabah is a Hebrew word signifying "a desert plain," or "steppe," and has 
 come down to us with the prefix " El," as " El Arabah," as the gi'eat plain through- 
 out its whole extent from The Ghor to tlie Gulf of Akabah (" Bib. Ees.," Li, 186).
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. , i 
 
 O 
 
 c o 
 
 o 
 
 "C .2 
 
 5 § 
 
 c o 
 
 1-5 
 
 E ^ !>%
 
 78 NARRATIVE OF AN EXREDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETR^A, 
 
 the high plateau of Edom (L), the red sandstone formation (S) being 
 interposed. 
 
 The great leading fracture above described frequently sends forth 
 branch fractures to the right, which, in some cases but not always, follow 
 the directions of the valleys. There are others also parallel to it ; and 
 amongst the most remarkable of these is one traversed by the Haj Road, 
 on descending from the Tlh towards the head of the Gulf of Akabah, 
 already described (Fig. 6, p. 68). This is the leading fracture on the 
 western side, and enters the gulf near Ras el Musry. The ridge of 
 reddish granite to the east of the fault is seamed by dykes of deep red 
 porphyry and basalt, crossing each other at angles of about 60°, cutting the 
 rock into " lozenge-shaped " sections, somewhat like the vei'tebr?e of a 
 backbone. The ridge stretches from Ras el Musry northwards for about 
 ten miles. At its eastern base, by the waters of the gulf, was in all 
 probability situated Ezion Geber, and it may be presumed that the name 
 " the backbone of a giant," was taken from the ridge which rose so boldly 
 and massively behind the walls of the city.* 
 
 When describing the coasts of the Gulf of Suez, I had occasion to refer 
 to the evidence of the recent elevation of the sea-bed, so that gravel and 
 sand, with shells and corals of species still living in the adjoining watei^s, 
 are to be found at levels up to 200 feet above the present surface. This 
 elevation is not local, and may be su^Dposed to have influenced the whole 
 region of Ai-abia Petrsea, and therefore the shores of the Gulf of Akabah. 
 Accordingly, accompanied by my son, I made careful search for shells in 
 the gi-avels of the valley, and not without success. The bed of the valley, 
 sloping from the sea-margin up to the base of the mountains behind 
 Akabah, is formed of loose gravel, and in this we found, ere leaving our 
 camp, examples of univalves, amongst which was a Murex, several 
 bivalves, an operculum, together with pieces of coral. These occurred 
 at a level of from 80 to 90 feet above the sea ; but it could be seen 
 that the gravel in which they occurred sloped upwards to the base of the 
 ridge at a height of about 200 feet, so that the ridge must be considered 
 to have once formed the rocky margin of the gulf itself. The following 
 
 ^ According to this view Elath (Akabah) and Ezion Geber were at opposite 
 sides of tlie gulf. According to the statement of Moses they were evidently close 
 to each other, and therefore not likely to be on the same side of the bay. Antoninus 
 Martyr of Placentia, describes ^la as a port at the head of the Ked Sea, about 
 A.D. 600.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 79 
 
 day both Hart and myself found shells {Cardium^ TrocJius, &c.) and 
 corals near our camp, at an elevation of 130 feet, and there was no reason 
 to doubt that they might have been found even at higher levels up the 
 valley. From this it was clear that during the time that the shores 
 of the Gulf of Suez were depressed 200 feet (or more) lower than at 
 present, those of the Gulf of Akabah experienced a like submergence. 
 This raised beach had also been recognised by Mr. Milne, who estimated 
 the rise of the land at 40 feet.' From the above account, however, it 
 will be seen the real amount of elevation has been much greater. 
 
 Our course during the next two days lay along the Arabah Valley 
 northwards, during which we made short excursions to the right and left. 
 The mountains of red porphyry and granite, seamed by numerous dykes, 
 towered majestically on the right ; and vmder the rays of the setting sun 
 were lighted up with rich tints of red and purple. On the left the cliffs 
 of sandstone, surmounted by others of limestone, formed the abrupt 
 margin of the Till plateau. During this time we had opportunities of 
 becoming acquainted with our new escort, under the command of Sheikh 
 Ali. It was soon apparent that our Alowln were inferior to the TowHra 
 (whom the former affected to look down uj^on as not true Bedawins at 
 all), both in physical development and in sagacity. Generally speaking, 
 our Alowhi were small in stature, nearly black, a half -starved, smoke-dried 
 set, clad in rags or dirty garments ; in a word, a gang of ragamuffins ! 
 My own camel-driver was a poor half-witted fellow, who gave me much 
 trouble, and was quite vmreliable at a pinch. He was a sorry substitute 
 for my well-built, intelligent, and lively Sala ; though, to do him justice, 
 he was most anxious to please ; and when, some days later, I had to get 
 him exchanged for another, he was dreadfully downcast. 
 
 The entrance to the WS,dy Eedadi, about 12 miles north of the shores 
 of the gulf, is remarkable for the castellated and pinnacled forms of the 
 limestone cliff, of which Gordon took a pliotograph. In this district game 
 of various kinds apjaears to abound. Sheikh Ali told us that ibexes were 
 numerous amongst the mountains on the east side, and gazelles, hares, 
 and partridges were observed by most of our party. The gazelles, how- 
 ever, were so shy that it was almost impossible to get within shot of them. 
 Hart noticed one undisturbed, and was preparing to stalk it, but just as 
 lie was approaching within range his camel began to bellow, and he saw 
 
 ' Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, vol. xxxi, p. 9, et spq.
 
 80 NARKATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETR/EA, 
 
 his gazelle no more ! Laurence also had a close view of a magnificent 
 eagle which he estimated must have been 8 feet from tip to tip of wing. 
 But although it kept soaring above him for some time, it was ever out of 
 gunshot. The bird was probably attracted by a lamb which was follow- 
 ing our camp. 
 
 I may here give a general sketch of the geological character of the 
 WS,dy el Arabah throughout its length, which will enable the reader the 
 better to understand the sequel, and prevent unnecessary repetition. 
 
 Fig. 8. — Jebel Nachaleagh (or Jebel Umm Kamel) and the Kdomite Mountains near Wady Abu 
 Berka, as seen from the western side of the Wftdy el Arabah. Cliffs of " Desert Sandstone" 
 resting on granite and porphyry, and repeated by faults. 
 
 I have already spoken of the general contrast between the two sides. 
 The eastern side is the grander and more striking of the two, except close 
 to the Gulf of Akabah, where both sides are formed of gi-anite and 
 porphyry, rising into bold and rugged ridges. On the western side these 
 rocks soon pass below beds of sandstone, followed by others of limestone, 
 which break off in steep escarpments with grand headlands and bastions.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 81 
 
 There is a slight dip to the northwards, which ultimately brings the limestone 
 down into the jilain opposite Ain Gharandel. Henceforth there is a double 
 terrace on the western side, and the strata stretch away indefinitely into 
 the high table-laud of the Till. At distant intervals these terraces are 
 broken iuto by winding valleys, which give access to the interior of the 
 table-land. On the eastern side the mountains of granite and porphyry 
 behind Akabah, intensely i"ed in colour, so as to give rise to the name of 
 "Jebel el Nur" (or mountains of lire), gradually decline iu elevation 
 northwards, and several outliers of the Desert Sandstone are seen capping 
 the higher elevations of the older rocks towards the head of the W&dy 
 Turban. Soon afterwards, as we proceed northwards, the sandstone 
 formation descends to lower levels, breaking off in abrupt walls and 
 precipices iu the districts of the Wadies Gharandel and Dalaghah, and 
 forming the escarpment of Jebel Haroun (Mount Hor), which towers 
 consjiicuously above all the other heights. Farther in the distance to the 
 east, the light grey and brownish ridge of Jebel Zibbeyagh, forming the 
 margin of the limestone table-land of Edom, may be seen at an elevation 
 of about 3,0; )0 feet above the plain. The limestone begins immediately 
 east of the Wady Mdsa, behind Petra, forming the upper jDortion of the 
 ridge east of this celebrated valley. In this district, however, the Desert 
 Sandstone sometimes forms a double or treble escarpment, owing to the 
 existence of large faults by which the strata are successively rei)eated, as 
 shown iu the view of J. Nachaleagh (Fig. 8). 
 
 This general succession, modified by changes in the dip, and by faulting, 
 is continued all the way northwards to the eastern side of The Ghor, and 
 along the shores of the Salt Sea. At the base of the escarpment are the 
 red sandstone cliffs, sometimes resting (as at Es Safieh) on a foundation of 
 older crystalline rocks, and extending up the flanks of the escarpment to an 
 elevation of 2,000 feet above the Salt Sea. To these succeed soft sandstones 
 of variegated colours, probably belonging to the " Nubian Sandstone " for- 
 mation surmounted by the Cretaceous limestone of the table-land, which 
 stretches far away eastward into the Syi'ian Desert, the haunt of nomadic 
 tribes. 
 
 The surface of the W;1dy el Arabah is variously covered by loam, 
 gravel, and blown sands, which are often piled up in great dunes covering 
 large areas, and form a great obstacle to travellers. Occasionally the 
 limestone rock appears in isolated bosses or ridges, as is the case along part 
 of the watei-shed about 45 miles north of Akabah. There are no continuous 
 
 o 
 
 (6>
 
 82 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRyEA, 
 
 rivers throughout ; and the floods which from time to time descend from 
 the glens, which open out on either hand, are speedily absorbed, or 
 evaporated, on entering the plain. It is hence diflicult to conceive how 
 this great valley, which is sometimes seven or eight miles in width, especially 
 near its centre, could have been excavated and levelled down, unless the 
 action of the rivers and streams of the bordering hills had originally been 
 supplemented by the levelling action of the sea waves on the south, and of 
 the inland waters of a great lake on the north, of the watershed. As I 
 have already shown, there is direct evidence that the waters of the Gulf of 
 Akabah originally extended to a level at least 200 feet higher than at 
 present ; and I sliall presently give proof that those of the Salt Sea were 
 at a level at least as high as those of the Mediterranean, or 1,300 feet 
 above the present surface of the Salt Sea.' If this be so, it is highly 
 probable that at a still earlier period, when the whole region was being 
 elevated out of the ocean, the waters of the two seas met from either side 
 of the present saddle, from 45 to 50 miles north of the Gulf of Akabah. 
 
 Shortly before noon on the 5th December we reached the wells known as 
 Ain el Ghudyan (Fig 9), which have been identified, with very questionable 
 accuracy, with the position of Kadesh Bariiea.- The wells are situated on 
 some flat and marshy ground ; one of large size, at which the camels had a 
 good drink, the other smaller and surrounded by stone pavements. We 
 were badly off for a supply of water for future use, but there was nothing 
 with which to draw, though the well was not more than 8 or 10 feet deep. 
 At length, after much disputation, and the promise of bakhsheesh, a tall 
 
 ' The old terraces of gravel and sand, with univalve shells, which occur near the 
 spot of our camp of the 13th December, can only be referred in my opinion to the 
 action of the Salt Sea when at a high level, there being no barrier towards the 
 north. The aneroid stood at 29"9 at this spot, and was very much the same as 
 at the margin of the Gulf of Akabah. 
 
 ^ The position of Kadesh Barnea is a subject of much imcertaintv, but it 
 may be inferred to have lain somewhere inwards from the western margin of the 
 Wady el Arabah to the noi'th of the watershed. Mr. Holland came to the con- 
 clusion that this place was either at Ain Kadeis, at the western end of Jebel 
 Mngrah, or at the eastern base of this mountain near the head of Wa.dy Garaijeh 
 {Quarterhi Statement, Jan. 188-t, p. 5). Dr. Trumbull, following the views of the 
 late Eev. J. Eolands, and having personally visited the spot, concurs in identifying 
 Ain Kadeis (one of the alternative spots of Mr. Holland) as Kadesh Barnea ; 
 and names Jebel Madurah of that district as Mount Hor (" Kadesh Barnea," 
 1884, p. 129, et seq.) I am inclined to concur in the former identification, but 
 not in the latter. See p. 188, et seq.
 
 To fur, ptijie 83.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 83 
 
 Arab divested himself of his hght garments, and jumped down the sides 
 laughing and shouting. The waterskins were thrown down to him by the 
 others, who joined in the chorus, and our water barrels were soon filled. 
 
 On Thursday, 6th December, we encamped near the centre of the Arabah 
 Valtey in an oasis of green shrubs surrounded by sandhills. The general 
 features of the valley had quite changed. On the east the grand terraces 
 of red sandstone of Jebel Zibbeyagh and Jebel Nachaleagh, surmounting 
 their granitic foundations, rose to elevations of 2,000 or 3,000 feet, and 
 along the deep depression of the Wady Gharandel formed massive walls, 
 with horizontal courses of natural masonry. But on the western side the 
 almost continuous limestone escarpment had sunk down and disappeared, 
 and a great expanse of santly plain stretched away for many miles towards 
 the north-west, opening an uninterrujited entrance into the region of the 
 Till. This expanse, however, was partially broken by a low ridge of 
 limestone, at the end of which, at a distance of six miles, the solid line of 
 the watershed stretched across the valley to the base of the eastern ridge ; 
 and beyond, to the north-east, the broken heights leading up to Mount 
 Hor bounded the landscape. "We were at length about to reach the long 
 wished for " saddle " of the Wady el Arabah, towards which we had been 
 slowly rising day by day for four days ; and early in the afternoon our 
 luncheon tent was pitched on the saddle itself, and we could look north- 
 wards down the descent of the Arabah Valley towards the dejsression of 
 the Salt Sea. 
 
 Wudf/ Gharandel. — Throughout our wanderings we met with three 
 valleys of this name. One entering the Gulf of Suez, two days' march 
 from Ayun MAsa ; another descending from the mountains of Edom, 
 about 40 miles north of Akabah ; and the third descending from the table 
 land of Moab, and entering the Salt Sea from the south-east. These 
 valleys are all remarkable for their physical features ; and our camp on the 
 fith December was nearly opposite the entrance of the second of these, 
 where it opens out on the valley of the Arabah. Near its entrance are 
 some wells (Ayun Gharandel), which were visited by Laborde and Vignes, 
 The valley itself was explored by my son, together with Messrs. Hart and 
 Laurence. On passing by some low bluli's of loose sand we saw the 
 entrance to the valley between cliffs of hai'd coarse puddingstone over 100 
 feet high, which rest on the limestone formation. This conglomerate is 
 formed of blocks and fragments, chiefly of sandstone, porphyry, and, 
 metamorphic rock, derived from the cliffs further east. Here the valley 
 
 G 2
 
 84 XAUIIATIVE OF AN EXrEDITION TlIIiOUGII AKABIA PETK.EA, 
 
 is pretty wide, unci contains a fair aiiumiit of slirubs and acacias. After 
 winding np the valley for a mile in an easterly direction, it ap])ears as if 
 about to come to an abrupt termination. A spring of fresh water wells 
 out, gi\ing rise to a considerable amount of verdure. The clitfs are formed 
 of red i)orphyry, which here rises up sharply against the limestone. We 
 have in fact crossed the main fault of the Wady el Arabah. The por- 
 phyry is surmounted by other cliflfs of the red Desert Sandstone. Through 
 this mass of rock a small stream has cut its channel, and the only way up 
 the valley is by this narrow chasm, avex-aging about 10 feet across, and 
 bounded by walls gradually increasing in height. After passing up this 
 for a few hundred yards, the chasm widens out somewhat ; and the 
 sandstone chflfs gain an altitude of over 800 feet, forming a magnificent 
 and almost perpendicular wall of rock, specially towards the north. Some 
 time was spent in this grand valley, which lays open the structure of the 
 Edomite mountains almost to their centre. Having taken some photo- 
 graphs the party returned, and reached the camp at the base of Jebel 
 Haroun long after daik. 
 
 During the day, when crossing the numerous sand-dunes, it helped to 
 pass the time to note the many and varied footprints often clearly 
 impressed on their surface. Of these the most numerous were those of 
 the g-dzelle, which are somewhat like those of a sheep, but sharper and more 
 closely compacted ; others of hyaenas, and a few of large felines, probably 
 leopards. If one were to draw a conclusion from the great numbers of 
 these footprints it would be that during the night the whole surface of the 
 valley is alive with wild animals, which emerge from their dens and 
 hiding-places in search of food and water. 
 
 After a long and fatiguing ride over very broken ground we camped in 
 the Wady Abu Kuseibeh, near the entrance to the Wady Haroun, and 
 at a distance of about five miles from the base of Mount Hor.
 
 Tn face 'pruif 8n 
 
 / vVva 
 
 W -"I 
 
 <1 -1 
 
 f=*
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAP.AH, AXD WKSTEILX PALESTINE. ?5 
 
 CHAPTEE XT. 
 
 PETRA AND MOUNT HOE. 
 
 We rose early next day to commence our short day's journey towards 
 Petra. All around we beheld a sea of ridges and furrows of various rocks — 
 and still more varied colours — tints of red, i:)urple, and grey ]3redominating, 
 and we camped at the entrance of a grand gorge leading up into the heart 
 of the Mountains of Edom, there to await the arrival of the Sheikhs of 
 Petra, who we felt sure would not be long in making their presence known. 
 During our progi'ess up the Wady el Arabah we had seen from time 
 to time the English engineers whom I have already described as having 
 passed our tents in the Wady el Ain, and whom we afterwards found 
 camped at Akabah on our arrival there. We had had no communication, 
 as they appeared to desii-e to avoid our company, and had forbid their 
 dragoman (as we were informed) even to divi;lge their names. It may be 
 presumed they were engaged in endeavoui-iug to ascertain liy the barometric 
 process the elevation of the watershed of the Arabah above the Gulf of 
 Akabah. On our part the observations of this same point would necessarily 
 be more complete, as the level could be tletermined, not only by means of 
 the aneroid, but by that of the theodolite, and also from both sides ; — that 
 of the Gulf of Akabah and of the Salt Sea, the depth of which below the 
 Mediterranean had been accurately determined by the Ordnance Survey of 
 Palestine by actual levelling from the JNIediterranean itself. It can there- 
 f ( )re be statedi that the height of the saddle is nearly 700 feet ; but even were 
 
 ' Determinations or uie Klevation or the Watehshed, W. el Arabah. 
 
 Above Gulf of Akabiih. 
 
 Mr. E. Laurence, 6 Dec.. 1883, by aneroid 91U feet. 
 
 Do. Do. deduced from liypsometrical deter- 
 mination of elevation of Mount 
 Hor 390 „ 
 
 llean 650 
 
 ^[. Yignes' determination, 240 metres . . . . . . . . 787 
 
 Major Kitchener and Mr. Armstrong's detenninalion by triangu- 
 
 lation '.. .. (!(50 
 
 Mean of all ()'.>rt feet.
 
 86 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIKOUGII ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 it less thau tliis it is clear that it would render a sliij) canal imj)racticaljle 
 except it was to be worked by locks ; but for this jmrjxjse a large and 
 constant supjily of running water from some still higher source would be 
 required, and this is not to be found in the region on either side of the 
 great valley. I therefore regard the proposal of a ship canal in the line 
 of the Jordan Valley, and of the Wady el Arabah, as impracticable from a 
 purely physical point of view, even supjjosing that the political and social 
 obstacles could be overcome. 
 
 We now commenced our jn-eparations for a visit to Petra, the ancient 
 capital of the Nabatheans, and to Mount Hor, the sepulchre of Aaron. No 
 more grand monument could be erected to the memory of a man honoured 
 of God thau that which nature has here raised up. For, amidst this region 
 of natural pyramids, Jebel Haroun towers supreme, and from its summit 
 Aai'on was doubtless enabled to look across the gi-eat valley to the hills of 
 Judsea, which he was only to behold from afar. Thiis Jehovah, in passing 
 sentence of premature death upon his servant for a public act of disobedience, 
 left him not to die without honour ; and for ever after, the most conspicuous 
 hill in all this country has been inseparably connected with his name, and 
 stands as a monument to his memory. 
 
 Mount Hor is formed of r-eddish sandstone and conglomerate, rising 
 in a precipitous wall of natural masonry, tier above tier, with its face to the 
 west. The base of the cliff of sandstone rests upon a solid ridge of granite 
 and porphyry, and the summit of the sandstone is somewhat in the form of 
 a rude pyramid, on which is built a little white mosque, supjsosed to be over 
 Aaron's tomb. This mosque was an object easily to be recognised for 
 triangulating purposes. On the 10th December, Major Kitchener and Mr. 
 Armstrong succeeded in planting the theodolite on the summit of the 
 mount, and in taking several angles on other conspicuous points. The 
 mount is flanked by two remarkable bastions of sandstone, standing erect on 
 the granitic base, and somewhat in advance of the mural cliff's. 
 
 On our way uji to the entrance to the Wady Haroun, the gorge by 
 which Mount Hor and Petra are approached from the west, we passed 
 numerous flocks of sheep and goats browsing on the shrubs of the valley. 
 We had intended to push on up the gorge, and some of our i:)arty thought 
 that they might be able unobserved to climb Mount Hor (as had previously 
 been done by Professor Palmer), and thus steal a march upon the inhabi- 
 tants of Petra ; but on approaching the entrance an obstacle presented 
 itself which we had not expected. Our Sheikh AH dismounted from his
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND "WESTERN PALESTINE. 87 
 
 camel, and turning round to us protested by all that was sacred that, if 
 any of us ascended Jebel Haroun without the permission of Sheikh Ai-ari 
 of Wady Mtlsa, he would return back to Akabah. To do so, he said, 
 would produce a feud between himself and his friend, the Sheikh of Petra, 
 and he would not be responsible for the consequences. After much dis- 
 putation it was agreed that we should pitch our tents near the entrance 
 to the gorge, still on his (Sheikh Ali's) ground, and then push up the pass, 
 and hold a considtation during lunch. So on we went, Ali breaking out 
 from time to time in protestations. The gorge was very fine ; the rocks 
 of marvellously varied forms and colours ; and soon it contracted to a mere 
 torrent bed, above which the cliffs of sandstone towered aloft in great 
 precipitous walls of several hundred feet. We woimd our way OA'er blocks 
 of rock and masses of shingle amidst luxuriant bushes of the oleander, — not 
 however now in flower, but laden with large fruit pods — along with which 
 were several other plants and shrubs, such as the tamarisk and the ubiquitous 
 broom. Amongst the rocks which form the sides of the valley may be 
 recognised massive agglomerates of volcanic origin, formed of blocks of 
 trap, granite, and porjihyry ; much older, however, than the Desert Sand- 
 stone which rests upon them, and probably of the age of the dykes of 
 porphyry or diorite which penetrate the gi-anitic and gneissose rocks of 
 this region.* 
 
 We accordingly proceeded up the Wady Haroun to a spot where the 
 path to Petra ascends the northern side, and where there are the remains 
 of some ancient buildings. We discussed our future com'se of action, and 
 came to the conclusion that it would now be useless to attempt to ascend 
 Mount Hor unrecognised, as we had been informed that guards had been 
 posted to prevent our progress. A messenger was accordingly despatched tu 
 Petra to request Sheikh Arari to send word upon what terms we could 
 visit both Petra and Mount Hor. 
 
 On retiu-ning down the valley to our camp, about four o'clock in the 
 afternoon. Sheikh Abdullah of Petra arrived, accompanied by several other 
 hoi-semen, with the reply that the Head Sheikh of Wady Mdsa (Sheikh 
 Arari) was absent in Damascus ; that on no consideration could we be 
 allowed to ascend Mount Hoi", and that to visit Petra each of us {i.e., the 
 hawajahs) would have to pay thirty doUai-s. We replied that we must visit 
 both ISIount Hor and Petra ; — or neither ; and that the terms were so 
 
 ' Lartet lias recognised this agglomerate under the name of " Poudingue do 
 Dj. Haroun," and apparently refers it to a much more recent age.
 
 88 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^':A, 
 
 excessive we could not entertain them. A long and angry discussion ensued, 
 and the jirospect of an arrangement seemed less and less imminent as time 
 went on. At this juncture Major Kitchener produced a document which 
 he hoped would have a wholesome effect on the minds of these unreason- 
 able people. It was a Firman, granted to him when Consul for Anatolia, 
 by which he was authorised to visit all the Holy places of the Turkish 
 Empire ! The document was explained to the envoys from Petra, who 
 scrutinised it closely, probably without b. coming much the wiser as regards 
 its contents. For a time this seemed to have some effect. They retired 
 for considtation, and we gave them till the next morning to propose 
 i-easonable terms to us. 
 
 I may here explain that these Arabs of Petra, though practically inde- 
 pendent, and accustomed on all occasions to have their own way with 
 travellers, still have a lingering respect for the Sultan as the head of the 
 INIohammedan world ; and if this resjiect can be made to fall in with their 
 pecuniary interests it becomes of paramount effect. 
 
 Next morning a parley was held ; terms were proposed by us and 
 accepted. They were then committed to writing, and the money was 
 counted out and placed on the table. The document was about to be 
 signed when a new mine was sprung by the Petra Sheikhs. " Bakhsheesh," 
 they said, "must be paid for the Head Sheikh Arari, absent in Damascus." 
 Now, as his share had already been included in the sum to be paid, this was 
 too much for us to j^iit up with. We all exclaimed, " Helas ! " ' The money 
 was returned to the bag by Bernhard Heilpern, and I declared the 
 negotiation at an end. Orders were then issued to strike the tents, and to 
 commence our march down the valley. The Petra envoys retired, decidedly 
 crestfallen at this turn of affairs, and at the prospect of losing the good 
 sum which was just within their reach. But we saw that it was necessary 
 to give these extortioners a lesson, and to show that all travellers were not 
 to be trifled with or fleeced with impunity. For the time, therefore, the 
 prospect of a visit to Petra, an4 .of triangulating from the summit of Mount 
 Jlor, seemed at an end. 
 
 The Petra horsemen who had momentarily departed up the "Wady 
 Haroun soon returned, and, joined by others, followed our party. Pre- 
 sently they rejoined us, and humbly asked for bakhsheesh to remunerate 
 Ihem for the loss of their valuable time. This we sternly refused. After 
 
 ' I.e., " finisb-ed."
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 80 
 
 another conference they came up to Major Kitchener, asking us to return, 
 and offering easier terms. We again declined, as we had no security that 
 if we assented they woiild not again fall back on the old practice of 
 deception. After we had proceeded about six miles from our canijjing 
 ground in the morning, in the direction of the Wady el Arabah, the Pf tra 
 Sheikhs became thoroughly alarmed. They saw we were reallv slipping 
 from their hands, and probably asked themselves what account would they 
 give of all this to Sheikh Arari on his leturu from Damascus ? At length 
 we came to a spot bounded by an amphitheatre of rocks and favourable for 
 camping. It being Sunday we had not intended to make a lengthened day's 
 march, as we only wanted to place ourselves and the Petra men at a good 
 distance apai't, and to camp on a spot well within the limits of Sheikh All's 
 tex'ritory. The hoi-semeu now came up, and said that if we would camp here 
 for the night they would assent to the terms we proposed, and take us to 
 Petra and Mount Hor on the following day. This, after some discussion, 
 we agreed to, the terms being written out and signed before the tents were 
 pitched ; with the addition that, all demands for bakhsheesh were to be 
 struck out, and that the money was not to be paid over until we had 
 returned safely to the camp. This was unpalatable to the Sheikhs ; but as 
 we were in a position to dictate terms to them, and we deteiinined to take 
 every precaution to secure safety and success, they were agreed to. 
 
 I will here place, side by side, for the guidance of future travellers, the 
 terms as originally demanded by the Sheikhs of Petra, and those ultimately 
 assented to, and carried out. It will be their own fault if they allow them- 
 selves to be imposed upon, as has too often been the case on former occa- 
 sions. We believe the Gates of Petiva are now open on reasonable terms 
 to those who have nerve and will to resist extortion ; and the Sheikhs, 
 sooner than lose their visitors and the money they may bring, will ccme to 
 terms on the b;isis now established. 
 
 OBrGi.NAL Demands of the Sheikhs. Ai/rEKXATivEpKoi'dSALsoxorit Pakt. 
 
 First demand. — 30 dollars^ for cacli 22 dollars for each of the six travel- 
 
 of the six travellers for Petra (Wadj lers for Petra, and 12 dollars for 
 
 Musa) only. Mount Hor denied ou Mount Hor. (Refused.) 
 
 any terms. Total, 34 dollars. 
 
 ' The money is paid in niajedies, a silver coin, six of which mnko i'l sterling, 
 the value is nearly that of a dollar.
 
 90 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA RETRTEA, 
 
 Second demand. — 42 dollars each We declined to have the horses, as 
 
 for both Petra and Mount Hor; and we already had camels. Also the terms 
 6 dollars each for the use of horses as being still too high, 
 which were to be compulsory on us. 
 Total, 48 doUai's each. 
 
 Third demand. — 54 dollars each We again declined to accept these 
 
 without the horses, and 5 dollars each terms, 
 for the Head Sheikh Arari. 
 
 Ultimate terms. — Assented to by the Petra Sheikhs. 22 dollars each for 
 Petra, and 6 for Mount Hor. Also, 6 each for providing supper for the ShcikhF, 
 and 6 each as a present to Sheikh Arai-i, in all 201 dollars ; or £34 sterling. 
 
 It was also agreed to that no money should be paid till the return of 
 the party in safety ; and that if any sum should be extorted by the 
 inhabitants of Petra during the visit the amount was to be deducted. 
 These were hard terms according to the views of the Sheikhs, and in fact 
 quite unprecedented. The reader who knows something of travellers' 
 visits to the rock-hewn city will probably concur in thinking that they 
 \sere sufficiently liberal, and that the arrangement regarding the time of 
 jjayment was not unnecessary. 
 
 Thus was the morning of wrangling and turmoil closed in, at least, 
 outward harmony and peace. Our camp was pitched in the centre of a 
 recess amongst the sandstone cliffs, and close by the pass which opens out 
 on the Arabah plain. The Arabs took up their quarters at the foot of the 
 cliffs, forming little groups around their fires ; and over their coffee and 
 pipes discussed with abundant vigour the events of the day. I held 
 Divine Service in the dining tent, selecting as the first lesson for the 
 evening the account of the death of Aaron on Mount Hor, as given in 
 Numbers xx. All retired early to rest, preparatory to a start next morning 
 before daybreak. 
 
 Monday, lO.'A December. — All our party but myself were on their 
 camels by four o'clock, the intention being to ascend Mount Hor, make 
 obsei'vations, and afterwards go down into W4dy Mfisa and visit Petra, 
 where I hoped to join them. They were accompanied by one of the 
 Sheikhs of Petra and Sheikh AH. Major Kitchener took his theodolite ; 
 my son took his camera and a good supply of dry plates for photographing. 
 Hart was very sanguine of a good ingathering of specimens both zoological 
 and botanical, and supplied himself with preserving apparatus accordingly ; 
 and Laurence took charge of the thermometrical aud barometrical instru-
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AXD -WESTERN PALESTINE. 91 
 
 ments. Not feeling equal to a double clay's work, I contented myself 
 with a start two hours later for Petra, and accompanied by Sheikh 
 Abdullah and another sheikh from Petra, together with our dragoman, 
 Ibraham, I left the camp about six o'clock ; Eernhard Heilpern remained 
 to take care of the camp during our absence. 
 
 It was still dark when we set out ; and we had to thi'ead our way over 
 the plain towards the east by the aid of a lantern carried in front of my 
 camel, and so for an hour we wended our way towards the entrance of the 
 Pass of Wady Haroun. Just as day began to dawn, but belore s^airise, 
 I turned to take a look at the country behind. "What was my surpi-ise 
 on looking beyond the Valley of the Arabah to behold the whole table- 
 land of the Tih to the westward lighted up with remarkable clearness, the 
 plains and escarpments distinguished by lines and streaks of gold and white ; 
 so that it might have been supposed that we were looking towards the 
 direction of sunrise rather than of sunset, and that this region w;is lit ujj 
 under the first rays of dawn. I expressed my astonishment to Ibraham ; 
 but that worthy was equal to the occiision. Nothing could surpi-ise this 
 man ; nothing was new to him. He assured me that it was always so, and 
 that in these parts the western lands receive the sun's rays before those of 
 the eastern ! The eflect was doubtless due to the light of the morning sun 
 reflected from the sky. 
 
 On entering the ra^dne of the "Wady Haroun above om- camjj of the 
 yjrevious morning, a griff"on \'Tilture {Gi/ps fulvus) appeared soaring above 
 my head. It was a handsome bird, and with my glass I could scan its form 
 and colour. The body was grey, and the wings tii:)ped with black. Soon 
 another appeared ; and iiresently, one after another, aboiit a dozen came in 
 sight, flying low or clambering up the rocks. The animals had been gorging 
 themselves on the carcase of a cjimel of our party, which, from overwork 
 and probably insufticient food, had droj^ped down from exhaustion on the 
 previous day. 
 
 As Ave were wending our way up the gorge of the W. Haroini, 
 Abdullah and our dragoman kept up a lively conversation. Some time 
 after I- inquired of the latter what it was all about, and he rehearsed it to 
 me as follows : — 
 
 Abdullah. Have you ever been on pilgrimage ? 
 
 Ibraham. Yes ! once to Mecca, and twelve times to the mosque at 
 Jerusalem (El Khod.s). 
 
 A. Where do you live when you are at home ?
 
 92 nai;i;atjvi<: of an expedition thkougii AiiAmA I'etr/EA, 
 
 7. Cairo. 
 
 A. Is Cairo comfortable (quiet) ? 
 
 I. Yes! 
 
 A . Who rules at Cairo ? 
 
 7. The English and the Khedive. 
 
 A. Where is Arabi 1 
 
 1. A prisoner in Ind (India or Ceylon). 
 
 A. Is Arabi comfortable 1 
 
 7. Yes ! I believe so. 
 
 A. Has he his family with him \ 
 
 I. Yes ! 
 
 ^1 . What has he got to live on ? 
 
 7. An allowance of £2 a-day. 
 
 A. What are these hawajis (name for European gentlemen) with 
 you ] 
 
 I. Inglese. 
 
 Silence ensued, during which Abdullah was probably ruminating on 
 the fact that these same Inglese were also the rulers of Cairo. Afterwards 
 Ibraham went on to inform Abdullah that the English had several ships 
 of war in the Suez Canal, and that they could easily march an army 
 " with cannon " across the Tih to Petra should any ill-treatment be offered 
 to the travellers. 
 
 Passing again the oleander bushes, the fresh green of whose leaves was 
 pleasant to the eye, we came to the base of the lofty sandstone cliffs where 
 we had lunched on Saturday ; and now our path left the ravine, and we 
 struck up the mountain side to the left. The climb was stitf and difticult ; 
 enough to try the strength and skill of (;amels and horses even of the 
 desert; — but they did not fail. We soon got amongst some grand rock 
 scenery. On the right a deep ravine, partially clad with verdure, laid bare 
 the base of the precipices of granite surmounted l)y great mural cliH's of red 
 or variegated sandstone, rising in tiers to heights of 1,000 or 1,200 feet.' 
 Beyond these other terraces and tors of sandstone came into view. Here, 
 indeed, the sandstone formation of Arabia Petraja displays itself in its 
 grandest proportions and most varied forms ; and the presence of oleanders, 
 cypresses, and other shrubs along the beds of the ravines and little glens, 
 
 * The rocks here are traversed by several large "faults" or dislocations, 
 along one of which the patlnvay winds for a considerable distance, fjee 
 Ueological Map.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 93 
 
 adds to the beauty and freshness of the scenery. The cliffs wei-e perforated 
 with caves and holes, where eagles, hawks, and owls find safe nesting places ; 
 and possibly beasts of prey, a secure retreat during the hours of day. To 
 the left rose the sandstone terraces, culminating in the summit of Mount 
 Hor. They have a gentle " dip " or inclination eastwards towards the 
 Wady Mdsa. Presently, on having crossed the " Nagb," a pass between 
 the Wadies Haroun and Mfisa, we came to some ruins of ancient 
 buildings ; and on the left the faces of the sandstone clifls were sculptured 
 around doors, or entiances, into interior chambers. These were the 
 suburbs (as it were) of the ancient capital of Arabia Petrsea ; and, when we 
 came within view of a solitary column standing on the top of a ridge, 
 we felt that we had entered the city itself, with its ruined temples, 
 theatres, palaces, rock-hewn dwellings and tombs, and possibly Christian 
 churches.' 
 
 It is not my intention to attempt any description of this wonderful 
 city of the past, of which Laborde has left an excellent plan within reach 
 of all,-' and which has been already well described by previous travellers. 1 
 will only here observe that the styles of architecture and sculjjturing remind 
 us of Egyptian, Greek, and Poman works ; secondly, that in the destruction 
 of these ancient structures, there have been three kinds of agencies in 
 action; for not only has the hand of man and the "hand of time" — as 
 represented by frost, heat, and tempest — been here, but the shocks of 
 earthquakes have evidently been a powerful factor in the work of demolition. 
 This is evinced by the peculiar characteristics of the damage done in some 
 places. We see not only the stones of columns partially dislocated, and 
 turned out of their original jiositions, but also in the case of some buildings, 
 such as " the Great Temple," those of the walls partially thrust out from 
 their beds into the air. Similar phenomena have been recognised as the 
 results of earthquake movements both in Italy and Egypt,* 
 
 When gazing, now at the stupendous walls of rock which enclose the 
 winding valley of Wady MUsa, now at the architectural ruins, the work of 
 the hand of man, I became profoundly impressed with the convictidu tliat in 
 
 ' Peti-a was tlie seat of an Archbisliop early in the 5th centurv, according to 
 Carl Kitter. " Palestine and Sinai," Eiig. Edit. 1866. Yoi. 1. For a histerv 
 of this remarkable eitj, see Quatrenierc "Mem. sur les Nabatheens." Journ At-ial. 
 Soc. 1835, T. XV, p. 31. 
 
 - See Baedeker's and Murray's Guides. 
 
 ■^ By Lyell in hi* " Principles of Geology," Ac.
 
 94 NATIIIATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 originating and executing these works, man himself had been but an 
 imitator of nature ; that he had endeavoured to reproduce artificially those 
 forms which the natural architecture here presented to his view was well 
 calculated to suggest to him. The noble cliffs and rock faces at the base of 
 Mount Hor of tliemselves assume forms simulating artificial structures, 
 such as temples, fortresses, or dwellings of men. Here may be seen 
 three grand natural facades of sandstone ranged side by side like a line of 
 palaces, but severed from each other by intervening spaces ; and one 
 cannot help conjecturing that the examples of natural architecture here, 
 as well as at other i:)laces, displayed along the sides of the valley, had 
 suggested to the early Edomites and Nabathean inhabitants the idea of 
 imitating in art what nature has so prominently placed before them. 
 
 The colouring of the sandstone cliffs of WS,dy Mtisa should not pass 
 unnoticed; it is wonderfully gorgeous, possibly altogether unique. I have 
 seen colom-ed sandstone formations in the British Isles and in Europe, but 
 never before colours of such depth and variety of pattern as these. The 
 walls of rock reminded one of the jiatterns on highly painted halls, Eastern 
 carpets, or other fanciful fabrics of the loom. The deepest reds, purples, 
 and shades of yellow are here arranged in alternate bands, shading off into 
 each other, and sometimes curved and twisted into gorgeous fantasies. These 
 effects, due to the infiltration of the oxides of iron, manganese, and other 
 substances, are frequent in sandstones to various degrees ; but nowhere, 
 as far as my observation goes, do they reach the variety of form and 
 brilliancy of colouring to be found in the Wady MCisa amongst the ruins 
 of Petra. 
 
 Little time was allowed for an examination of Petra, or the Wady 
 Mtlsa, as the days were short ; and, owing to the difficulty, not to say 
 danger, of traversing the mountain path in the dark, it was necessary to 
 allow ourselves time to get out of the Wady Haroun before sunset. My 
 companions had not joined me when I began to retrace my steps. As it 
 afterwards turned out, when the party reached the summit of Mount Hor, 
 they found themselves in mist, which delayed the trigonometrical observa- 
 tions for nearly two hours. Hence much precious time was lost, and their 
 visit to the Wady Mfisa was consequently a hurried one. We all reached 
 the camp, however, in safety, our party about an hour after sunset, the 
 other about four hours later. Fortunately for tliem a brilliant moon shed its 
 light on their path, and enabled them to avoid the pitfalls with which the 
 road over the Nasb was beset.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 95 
 
 The results of tlie day's woi'k were very valuable. Major Kitchener 
 and his assistant, Mr. Armstrong, were successful in taking angles on several 
 prominent points, both backwards and forwards, along the line of the 
 Arabah valley, and as far north as the hills overlooking The Ghor. Mr. 
 Hart found a considerable number of plants, amongst others three siseeies 
 of ferns, indicating a moister and more temperate climate than that we had 
 experienced, and leading to the belief that in spring time the mountain 
 side must exhibit a rich carpeting of flowers, such as crocuses, lilies, and 
 amarillas, which were only now appearing above ground. Mr. Laurence 
 took barometrical readings at the summit of the mountain, in addition to 
 those of the hypsometer (an instrument for determining altitudes by the 
 temperature of the boiling point of water). To myself the observations I 
 was enabled to make on the geological structure of the Edomite range were 
 of essential value in the construction of the geological map of that part of 
 the district. We were all delighted with our visit to this most wonderful of 
 cities, and congratulated ourselves on having accomplished it on terms far 
 more favourable than those of previous visitors. I here give the altitude 
 of Mount Hor as determined by the aneroid observations of Mr. Laurence. 
 
 Altitude of Mount Hor {Jehel Ilaroun). 
 
 English feet. 
 
 Altitude by boiling point of water above camp (W. Kuseibeh) 3,340 
 ,, aneroid above camp .... .... 3,320 
 
 Mean 3,330 
 
 Elevation of camp above Gulf of Akabah (about) 1,4.')0 
 
 Height of Mount Hor above Gulf of Akabah 4,780 
 
 „ „ „ Dead Sea, 4,780 + 1,292 .... 6,072 
 
 The elevation of Mount Hor, as determined by the hypsometer, was 
 4,260 feet, and of Petra 2,935 feet, and it is probable that these are more 
 reliable results. The elevation of the former, as determined by Major 
 Kitchener by triangulation, is 4,580 feet. 
 
 The next morning (Tuesday, 11th December), we broke up our camp 
 for a march into the Arabah, but a scene, half tragic, half comic, was first 
 to be enacted. Our conductor handed to the sheikhs the money and 
 the hakhsheesh agreed upon, but still they were not satisfied. All night long 
 tlie Petra envoys. Sheikh Ali, and others had kept up a protracted wrangle, 
 and next morning the gale increased to a storm. We had strictly fulfilled
 
 0() NARRATIVE OF AX EXPEDITICN THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 the terms of ovir contract, and nothing would induce us to alter it by a 
 liair's bread til. After the envoys had been paid they should have departed. 
 We were on Sheikh All's ground, and they were intruders. We requested 
 them to leave the camp, but they remained shouting and gesticulating, and 
 demanding more money. We then reijuested Ali to eject them, but he 
 dallied, and the confusion increased. Bernhard then told Ali that he was 
 no sheikh at all, or " only a quarter of one," as he was unable to protect 
 his territory from intruders, and his convoy from the insults of these Petra 
 robbers ! This was more than Ali could bear. In great fume he called 
 his men to arms, and when I emerged from my tent in the morning I 
 fouiid the clansmen " standing to their guns" — in other words, standing 
 in a. row with their long flint locks resting on the ground, the men them- 
 selves scarcely able to conceal a grin of amusement. The scene was 
 comical enough ; the old guns would have been of little use, and I rather 
 think that one of our revolvers would have been more than a match for a 
 dozen of them. The ilisplay of force, however, was not against us, but 
 against the Petra Sheikhs, who finding things beginning to look serious 
 and that nothing more was to be got out of our " man of iron," Bernhard 
 Heilpern, mounted their nags and rode out of the camp towards the hills ; 
 Sheikh Abdullah declaring that if he should catch Heilpern within ten 
 miles of Petra he " would do for him ;" and the latter, that if he should 
 ever catch Abdullah within twenty miles of Jerusalem, he should do the 
 like for him ! 
 
 With such farewells we watched our Petra guides ride up towards 
 their native haunts ; we ourselves were soon on the march in the opposite 
 direction towards the Great Valley, where we camped in the evening, glad 
 to leave behind us such a den of thieves.
 
 Tofttci: ]>"!lc 0'. 
 
 Jcliol MjiKiali. W. (i;iruiv('li. 
 
 I I 
 
 i s 

 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 97 
 
 CHAPTEli XII. 
 INTO THE WADY EL ARABAH AGAIN. 
 
 The WMy el Ai'abah, west of Mount Hor, becomes a great plain about 
 15 miles across. Under the circumstances in which we were placed a 
 detailed survey of both sides became impracticable. Having a moie certain 
 knowledge of the west side than of the east, we accordingly devoted more 
 of our attention to the latter, and worked our way northwards at no gi-eat 
 distance from the base of the hills. The plain is here formed of sand and 
 gravel composed of great varieties of stone, such as gi'anite, porphyry, 
 felstone, quartz, sandstone, and limestone. Near the west side rise Jebels 
 Jerafeh and Magrah, or Mukrah (Fig. 11). 
 
 The plain was occasionally strewn with blocks of porphyry, granite, 
 and trap, with a few of sandstone of considerable size — some measuring 
 14 inches across, and occasionally sub-angular. Nevertheless, many of 
 them, if not all, must have been carried down from the interior mountains 
 by the torrents, and spread over the great plain by the vast floods which 
 have left their channels as evidence of their occasional jjresence. It may 
 be possible, on the other hand, that the presence of such large blocks may 
 date down from a time when the waves of the retreating sea washed the 
 bases of the mountains and caused the clifi's to crumble into pieces. In 
 the afternoon we came upon the dry bed of a large stream, flowing 
 northwards between banks of reddish clay, under which the limestone 
 floor of the plain was sometimes disclosed ; and shortly afterwards, on 
 reaching an elevation, the hills of Judtea and the basin of the Salt Sea 
 came into view. This was hailed by cheers from our party, and a few 
 hundred yards more brought us to our camp. 
 
 My readers may here be inclined to put the question to me. How d(jes 
 it come to pass that you were on your way down towards the Salt Sea, inas- 
 much as by the arrangement with Sheikh Ali, he was to take the party across 
 the Desert of the Tih towards Gaza instead of along the route towanls 
 the north into The Ghor V I feel that some explanation of this is due, and 
 
 ' The G-h6r (or Depression) is the name for the deep basin in whicli the 
 Salt Sea (Bahr Lut) lies. 
 
 H
 
 98 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETR.EA, 
 
 1 have deferred it to this point in order not to interrupt the thread of 
 the previous narrative. The fact v/as that our plans had undergone a 
 complete change jjrevious to our exjjedition to Petra, and it came abovit 
 in this wise. 
 
 Sheikh Ali, amongst other qualities, not restricted to Ai'abs, was fond 
 of money. Like his brother, Mohammed, he was a devoted worshipper of 
 " the almighty dollar," and he had probably been pondering for some time 
 on the best means of adding to the treasures he was to receive from us 
 Englishmen by some special service. He was aware of our desire to 
 traverse the whole of the Great Valley down to the shore of the " Bahr 
 Lut," or Salt Sea, and of the disappointment it had been to us when his 
 brother Mohammed Ibn Jhad had declared his inability to forward ns in 
 that direction beyond one day's march from the Wady Kuseibeh. Ali 
 however, had no such scruples ; and being now his own master, he resolved 
 to make a proposal which would have the twofold advantage of falling in 
 with ovir views and of putting some additional dollars into his own pocket. 
 On the morning of the 7th December, as we were approaching the water- 
 shed, he hinted to our dragoman, Ibraham, the idea that to reach the Salt 
 Sea in a direct line down the W;tdy el Arabah was not absolutely 
 impracticable ; and that having a great desire to forward our views, he 
 would undertake all the risks and dangers appertaining to such an exploit, 
 l^rovided a sufficient inducement were held out to him on our side. 
 
 Ibraham was not long in communicating this intelligence to our con- 
 ductor, Bernhard Heilpern, who at once entered into negotiations with 
 Sheikh Ali, and a sum of 100 dollars was ultimately agi'eed upon. We 
 were seated in our luncheon tent on the afternoon of the 7th December, 
 which was ]3itched on the gravelly terrace forming part of the watershed 
 of the Arabah, and, looking northward towai'ds the hills overhanging the 
 basin of the Salt Sea, we felt how hard was our lot that our passage thereto 
 was barred ; — that our plan of a survey from end to end was beyond our 
 powers, owing to the fears, real or pretended, on the part of our Sheikh 
 and his brother : and that the interesting series of observations on the 
 topography and geology of the great valley were now about to be abiuptly 
 broken off. On the other hand, the prospect before us was one sufficiently 
 discouraging. There, to our left, lay the great limestone table-land of the 
 Till, which all travellers had condemned as for the most part monotonous, 
 dreary, and uninviting. Over this " Desert of the wanderings " lay our 
 joiu-ney towards Gaza of about ten days' march, where we expected to
 
 TilE VALLP:Y of the AKABAII, and WESTEKX PALESTINE. 99 
 
 arrive — if indeed our camels would have strength to carry us so far' — 
 scorched, weary, and downcast at the interruj^tion of our projects. 
 
 I was full of such thoughts when, on the occasion above sjiecified, 
 Bernhard informed me that he was about to communicate intelligence 
 which would be a pleasant surprise. " I listened with all my ears," as he 
 related his conversation with Sheikh Ali, and asked my sanction to the 
 negotiation. This I had no hesitation in giving at once, without waiting 
 for a consultation with my colleagues, and the matter was concluded. In 
 the evening I had the pleasiu'e of communicating the tidings to the rest of 
 our party, and of witnessing their satisfaction at the good news. Thus it 
 came to pass that on leaving the Wady Kuseibeh we were able to continue 
 our march northwards towards TheGhor ; — little thinking that, notwith- 
 standing our reprieve, we were still destined at a future day to visit Gaza ! 
 
 On Wednesday evening (12th December), we encamped near the springs 
 called Ain Abu "Werideh. It was a novel sight to see clear running water 
 lined by thickets of young palms, tamarisks, willows, reeds, and bvilh'ushes ; 
 and the numerous well-trod paths leadiug to the banks of the stream, 
 showing impressions of the feet not only of sheep, but of gazelles and 
 other wild animals, indicated how much the water was appreciated by 
 them. Still, it was saline to the taste, and reminded one of some of the 
 mineral waters sold in England. About half a mile north of our camp we 
 came vipon an extensive swamjj, lying between steep banks of sand, gravel, 
 and marl, and grown over with trees, plants, and reeds. On looking 
 down into this dense mass of vegetation one could not doubt that it was 
 the haunt of wild animals, especially of wild pigs ; and Mr. Laurence, in 
 exploring a part of the thicket, came upon the lairs of two carnivores, in 
 one of which bones of a recently devoured camel were lying about. The 
 sands above the banks were also covered in all directions by the spurs of 
 various animals. 
 
 But a new point of interest regarding the physical history of this part 
 of the Great Valley here presented itself to us. On every side I found 
 myself confronted by banks of horizontally stratified materials, through 
 which the streams had cut down channels, and thus laid them bare and 
 open for examination. These banks were sometimes of coarse material, 
 
 ' We liad afterwards reason to thank Providence that wo bad not to traverse 
 tlie Tlh to Gaza, as it became certain our camels had not sufTioient strength 
 for such a journey. One of them (as we have seen) actually died the day 
 following of exhaustion. 
 
 H 2
 
 100 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA J'ETR.EA, 
 
 such as gravel ; at other times they consisted of fine sand, loam, or white 
 marl, with very even stratification, and contained blanched semi-fossil 
 shells of at least two kmds of univalves, which Professor Haddon has 
 kindly determined for me to be Melania tuberculata, Miill,' and Melanopsis 
 Saulci/i, Bourg. (Fig. 12).' 
 
 From the position of these strata it was clear that they occupy the 
 bed of a wide depression, gradually narrowing southwards, but o])ening 
 northwards in the direction of the great basin of the Salt Sea. In that 
 direction there was no solid barrier by which they could have been banked 
 up so as to form lake deposits isolated from those bordering The Ghor itself. 
 That they were deposits of an ancient lake was to me perfectly clear ; but 
 was I to suppose that they had been deposited under the waters of the 
 
 Salt Sea when they stood at the 
 level of these terraces of marl, 
 silt, and gravel ? This was a 
 question of so startling a kind 
 that I hesitated for some time 
 to reply to it, though my aneroid 
 marked 29 '9 inches — almost 
 exactly that of the shore of the 
 Gulf of Akabah ! We were 
 therefore (approximately) at the 
 level of this gulf and of the 
 Mediterranean, or nearly 1,300 
 feet above the waters of the Salt Sea itself. If therefore these deposits 
 were those of the ancient sea-bed, its waters must have been at least 
 ] ,300 feet higher than at present. I reserved my assent to so startling 
 a conclusion ; but before I left the district no shadow of doubt remained 
 on my mind that this had indeed been the case.'- 
 
 During the three following days we were frequently within view of a 
 remarkable ridge, called Samrat Fiddan, rising to an elevation of 844 feet 
 
 ' Tristram mentions these shells as occiuTiug in great numbers in a semi-fossil 
 condition on the mai-1 deposits by the Dead Sea (" Fauna and Flora of Palestine," 
 p. 196). Both of these genera are also found in the fluTio-mariue beds of the 
 Isle of Wight, formed in brackish or salt waters. 
 
 " The deposits rise about 100 feet higher than that stated. I called 
 Mr. Hart's attention to this interesting physical problem, and he quite concurred 
 in the conclusion I bad arrived at. The evidence will be gireu at greater length 
 in another place. 
 
 Fig. 12.— Shells from the ancient bed of the Salt 
 Sea near Ain Abu Werideh.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 101 
 
 ahove the sea, and only connected by a slight saddle with the heights 
 which form the boundary of the Great Valley on the eastern side. This 
 ridge is formed of red and grey granite, with dykes of porphyry, and from 
 its summit Major Kitchener made a successful series of triangulations. 
 Accompanied by Mr. Armstrong I examined an adjoining ridge of less 
 elevation, at some distance to the westward of Samrat Fiddan, and was 
 surjirised to find its summit composed of gi-avel and boulders of granite, 
 basalt, and porphyry, piled up in the manner of a moraine, or of a vast 
 shingle beach. As the idea of ice action is here out of the question, I was 
 obliged to conclude that we had before us an old littoral beach, belonging to 
 the period when the watere of the Salt Sea washed the base of the adjoining 
 ridge, and that the ridge itself is an old sea margin.* From its base the plain 
 stretches across westward to the escarpment of the Tth at a distance of six 
 or seven miles, and the Great Fault of the Wady el Arabah ranges along 
 the western margin of the ridge, by which the limestone forming the 
 floor of the valley underneath the lacustrine deposit is " brought down " 
 against the granite. The plain is traversed by the Wady el Jeib and 
 its tributaries, along the banks of which occur terraces of breccia or 
 conglomerate, sometimes calcareous, and formed of pebbles of porphyry, 
 limestone, &c., sometimes resting on sand or silt. These beds have been 
 recognised by M. L. Lartet as ancient deposits of the Dead Sea, of a 
 period when the hydrographical conditions were very different from those 
 of the present time.- 
 
 On Friday, 14th December, we pitched our tents near the entrance to 
 the Wady Suweireh, north of the Sami-at ridge ; and as Major Kitchener 
 wished for time to survey the western margin of the limestone plateau 
 beyond the Jeib, it was arranged to remain here two nights. We were now 
 within a day's march of the edge of The Ghor, and it was deemed a good 
 opjwrtunity to desjmtch a messenger to Jenisalem for horses and mules for 
 our party, to meet us on our arrival at Es Safieh, in order to proceed up to 
 the Holy City by the western shore of the Salt Sea and Ain Jidi,^ 
 according to the instructions of the Committee. There was only one 
 Bedawin amongst our party who knew the road, and being aware of this 
 
 1 I here picked up a porcupine's quill. Tliough these animals exist through- 
 out a large tract of The Gh6r, they are so shy and noctural in their habits as to be 
 seldom visible. 
 
 2 " Greologie de la Mer Morte," pp. 171-3, 
 
 3 The Arabic name for En-gedi (1 Sam. xxiv, 1).
 
 102 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIROUOII ARABIA PETR.F.A, 
 
 lie i)ut a high vahie on liis services. Twelve dollars to take a letter to the 
 agent of Messrs. T. Cook and Sou were offered and refused. He demanded 
 fourteen, to which we assented. After this he said he was afi'aid to go 
 lest he should be killed. We began to suspect that our Sheikh was 
 tampering with him, as it was the interest of the former to detain us as 
 long as possible in The Ghor. Under this view*I sent a polite message to 
 Sheikh Ali to inform him that, if he attempted to detain our messenger, we 
 should dismiss him and his men right off', and march down into The Ghor, 
 and place ourselves under the protection of the Ghawarneh. This had the 
 desired effect ; the messenger no longer demurred, but required a com- 
 panion. To this reasonable projiosition we agi'eed, and also to divide 
 sixteen dollars between them both. It was a splendid moonlit night when 
 our Arabs started off on their long and somewhat perilous journey ; for it 
 was just possible they might be cajjtured by the Arabs of Palestine, and 
 be taken for spies or robbers. Nor would this have been surprising, for a 
 more villainous-looking savage was not, I feel sure, to be found in all the 
 Desert of Arabia than was our messenger, Hassam. He was armed with 
 a club which he said he carried to keep off " robbers." This being a term 
 of wide application might be considered to include all who made them- 
 selves obnoxious to its owner. He was induced to jjart with it for a 
 small sum ; and it is now in the possession of my son. One of the Sheikhs 
 of the Hawatha, who " happened to drop in " at this time, gave them advice 
 how to jiroceed, and soon they were off towards the westei'n shore of the 
 Bahr Lut,' each bearing a missive in duplicate to the Agent at Jerusalem. 
 On the following day some of our Jjarty made an excursion into the 
 mountains to the east. We entered the Wady Suweireh, and ascending 
 up its western side, crossed a remarkable gap (or nagb) into the Wady el 
 Weibeh. Just at this spot is the junction of the red sandstone formation 
 with the older rocks. The sandstone rising in a grand cliff on the left of 
 the gap, and the granitic rocks on the right. Just as I was engaged in 
 making a drawing of this remarkable geological feature. Sheikh Ali had 
 reached the crest of the gap mounted on his camel. It was probably the 
 first time he had looked down into the Wady el Weibeh, of which one day 
 he might possibly be the lord. Whatever might have been his reflections, 
 there he stood motionless as a statue, surveying the scene — certainly a 
 grand one — in front of him. The opportunity was not to be lost. In a 
 
 • Lot's Sea, tlie name by wliicb tlie Salt Sea, or Dead Sea, is known amongst 
 the Arabs.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAII, AND ^VESTERN PALESTINE. 103 
 
 few seconds Gordon had set up his camera, and the form of the Sheikh 
 and his surroundings were jwrtrayed on the photographic plate ere he 
 commenced to move away.^ 
 
 The scenery of the Wady el Weibeh was indeed enough to impress a 
 less observant man than Sheikh Ali. After passing through the Gap of 
 the Wady Suweireh (or Valley of the Necklace), so called from the string 
 of palm trees, we found ourselves on the edge of a wide plain, broken by 
 several small ridges and furrows, beyond which rose a grand escarpment 
 of yellow limestone, stretching from the great shoulder it presents to the 
 
 Fra. 13. — Pars txto tue W. el Weibt:h. 
 
 Cliffs of red and purple sandstone and conglomorate (S) resting on porphyry (6), penetrate! by 
 dykes of felstone and diorite. (il) 
 
 valley of the Arabah on the west, to the culminating scarp of Jebel 
 Salamah on the east, a distance of some live or six miles. Parallel to- 
 and below the limestone escarpment, were several others of the sand- 
 stone formation, dipping below the former, and breaking ofl' in steep, 
 sometimes precipitous, cliffs, highly coloured with tints of yellow, brown, 
 red, or purple. The valley itself was by no means destitute of verdure. 
 Numerous small palms, shrubs, and jjlants decorated its sui-face, and set ofl" 
 the coloration of the sandstone cliffs to advantage. On oiir side the vallej'' 
 was limited by a dark ridge of granite, porphyry, and greenstone ; and 
 far away in the distance the horizon was bounded by the limestone table- 
 land of Moab, which looked (from our position) as if decked with a forest 
 
 ' In the photograph, however, the sheikh and his camel only appear like a 
 speck ; so deceiJtive as to size and distance are objects in this region.
 
 104 naerativp: of an expedition through araria petrtea, 
 
 vegetation ; but, as we are informed by the late Mr. W. Amherst Hayne, 
 no trees, not even shrubs or bushes, exist over the whole of the great 
 plateau of Moab, except at Jebel Attarus.^ Perhaps, liowever, this ob- 
 servation does not apply to the sides of the plateau, which were within 
 view from our camp. 
 
 We learn that the Bedawins from Petra are closing arovmd us, and fires 
 are visible in various directions. We think it as well to be on the move, 
 and to get down amongst the friendly Ghawarnehs, by the shore of the 
 Salt Sea. One sheikh has done us the honour to follow us from the Wddy 
 MAsa, and demands " bakhsheesh " for the loss of his valuable time. He 
 has planted his sj^ear in the camp, and had supper ; but on the question of 
 money he finds Bernhard Heilpern " a man of iron." " Why have you 
 followed us ?" he asks. " Have you brought us lettei's from our friends, 
 or desjDatches from Akabah or Petra ? " The sheikh has to admit that he 
 has done nothing to earn the money ; and, deeply offended, he takes his 
 spear, mounts his camel, and rides off, henceforth our enemy. 
 
 As we were retiring for the night, flashes of lightning were seen 
 towards the south-west over the Tth country. Presently the rumbling of 
 thunder grew more and more distinct, and a little later the whole air was 
 resonant with successive peals. One discharge burst forth just over our 
 camp, and the reverberations from the adjoining mountains were so mixed 
 with the direct discharges that the effect was that of a continuous can- 
 nonade. The whole storm passed over in about half-an-hour, and only a 
 few drops of rain fell in our camp, but amongst the mountains to the right 
 the rain had come down in torrents, as was shown by the numerovis water- 
 courses we had to cross the following day. 
 
 Disintegration of the rocks of the Wddy el Arahah. — No one who has not 
 seen it can fully realise the extraordinary way in which the rocks of this 
 tract are breaking down and crumbling into dust. In Europe and the 
 British Isles frost and ice are powerful disintegrators, and Col. Sir C. W. 
 Wilson lias observed the eflfects of frost in the liigher elevationfe of the 
 Sinaitic peninsula in dislodging large masses of granite ; but here there 
 is neither frost nor ice. Still, not less rapidly, but, as I should judge 
 from appearances, even more rapidly, are the agents of disintegration at 
 work. On a large scale, it is true, the mountains and cliifs are solid : 
 but their outer surfaces are generally completely rotten. Whether it be 
 
 1 " Land of Moab," p. 390.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 105 
 
 granite, porphyry, trap of any kind, or limestone, the resvilt is tlie same. 
 Sandstone is, perhaps, the least friable amongst the several varieties of 
 rock. Let any one scramble up the sides of a hill formed of granite, 
 ])orphyry, oi- limestone, and he will find everything give way under his 
 feet. If the side be pretty steep he will experience the not very 
 agreeable sensation of treading upon a heap of loose cinders. The stones 
 have no cohesion ; they are burnt, broken, gritty, and most unpleasant 
 to tread on. I was often reminded on such occasions of the ascent of the 
 slaggy cone of Vesuvius. ^ Again, let any one try to collect specimens of 
 granite, porphyry, or other varieties of trap-rock, and he will find it often 
 next to impossible to get one with a fresh fracture. He strikes with his 
 hammer an apparently solid block, and he finds it break into small pieces, 
 each surface of which (except that of the original exterior) is coated with 
 dust which has somehow penetrated into little joints and fissures quite 
 invisible to the eye. Wlien my son and I were engaged in collecting 
 specimens from the ridge of Samrat Fiddan, we had frequent instances of 
 this kind ; and it was with much difficulty we could obtain speciniens 
 with fresh surfaces. 
 
 What, it may be asked, are the agents of disintegration in a region 
 where frost and snow are unknown, and where the rainfall is small and 
 fitful ? The answer, as it seems to me, is to be found when we consider 
 the extraordinary diurnal ranges of temperature to which this region is 
 subjected. During the day the powerful rays of a nearly vertical sun in 
 a cloudless sky raise the temperature of the rocks to a high degree. They 
 are sometimes almost too hot to be touched by the bare feet of the Aiab, 
 or the bare hand of the European. Thus they are baked and scorched to 
 an extraordinary degree ; all moisture is driven ovit, and the material 
 expands with the high temperature. Afterwards night ensues, and when 
 the sun sets the rapid radiation of the heat into the atmosphere speedily 
 reduces the temperature, which after midnight falls very low. A tem- 
 perature of 85° Fahr. to 90° Fahr. in the shade, and 120° in the sun, falls 
 during the night as low as 45°-50° Fahr. Expansion and contraction are 
 consequently continually operating upon the outer portions of the rocks, 
 
 ' Similar phenomena have been observed by Mr. A. B. Wynne in tlie 
 districts of Kutch, and in the Trans-Indus salt region, where the atmosj)heric 
 conditions, and some parts of the geology, are not unlike those of the district 
 above referred to. See " Geology of Kutcli," Mem. Geol. Survey, India, vol. ix, 
 p. 22, and '' Geol. of Trans-Indus Salt Eegion," ibid., vol. xi, p. 17.
 
 lOfi NAltRATIVF. OF AX EXrEDITIOX THROUGH ARADIA TETR^A, 
 
 which ai'e ready to split up and crvinihle away aloiifr the planes of 
 bedding, or of jointage, whether visible or concealed, by which they are 
 traversed. Then when a thunderstorm happens to come, with its deluge 
 of rain, raising in a few moments a torrent which rushes down every dell, 
 and converts waterless valleys into impetuous river-beds, the stones give 
 way in all directions, and are swept down and spread over the plains to 
 a distance scarcely credible. In such a way may we explain the striking 
 results of atmospheric denudation in this region, — the formation of the 
 lofty precipices, the grand escarpments, the jagged peaks, the long and 
 deep valleys, .and the presence of the alluvial detritus which overspreads 
 the spacious plains. 
 
 Tig. 14. — Tereaces above the descent to The Gh6e. 
 
 Bells of white marl and silt, formerly the bed of the ancient Salt Sea (Bahr Lut). 
 About 1,050 feet above its present level. 
 
 We were now on the road traversed by Robinson, Palmer, and Drake. 
 It was difficult to traverse, being formed alternately of the beds of 
 torrents and of soft sand dunes piled up by winds from the south-west, and 
 often rising high on the sides of the limestone cliffs on oui' right ; for here 
 the limestone forms the flanks of the "WS.dy el Arabah on both sides. On 
 our left the great marly plain, the ancient floor of the Salt Sea, stretched 
 away to the banks of the Jeib, and the escarpment of the Tih beyond. We 
 passed several parties of the Alowlns, and of other tribes about Petra, 
 returning with their little donkeys laden with corn, which they had 
 purchased from the Ghawarnehs of Es Safieh, and were carrying home for 
 the use of their families. 
 
 On crossing the Wady T'lah, a deep ravine, descending from the 
 mountains on the right, and giving rise to a dense vegetation of tamarisks, 
 tliorny acacias, and bamboo canes, we found ourselves for the firet time
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE, 107 
 
 since lea^ang Petra amongst ruins of solid masonry, evidently the •walls of 
 a reservoii', constructed to receive the waters of the brook during floods. 
 The north and south walls were 70 feet long, those east and west 85 feet 
 in the interior. A little below was a pile of ruined walls, probably those 
 of a dwelling, and beyond on the flat the outlines of extensive fields. 
 Major Kitchener considered these ruins to have belonged to one of the 
 numerous Ai-ab cultivators, who, several hundred years ago, had occupied 
 the district we were now traversing. Here there was evidence of an 
 elaborate system of irrigation, and of a state of rural jjrosperity which has 
 since disappeared, probably owing to the depredations of the mountain 
 tribes. We were to have opportunities furtlier north of witnessing 
 similar instances where cultivated places had lapsed into a state of nature. 
 Standing on these ruins, and looking in a north-westerly direction 
 across the A-alley, here about five miles wide, we beheld the terraces of 
 white maii and silt, originally the bed of the Salt Sea, spread over a wide 
 area, and bounded by the limestone clifis of the Tlh. Where cut into by 
 river courses, these nearly horizontal strata form a series of tabulated 
 terraces from 20 to 30 feet high (Fig. 14). We left the road in order to 
 examine them, with the hope of finding shells, or some other relics of former 
 aqueous life ; but our search was not rewarded with success, notwithstand- 
 ing the occurrence of the univalves before referred to in the terraces near 
 our camp at Ain Abu Weiideh. Our elevation here was about 250 feet 
 below the level of the Mediterranean, or 1,050 feet above that of the Salt 
 Sea, now about 15 miles to the north of our position. Towards evening 
 we camped on a terrace near the edge of the deep ravine, the W&dy 
 Butachy ; looking across which the eye rested with admiration on the 
 grand escarpment of the cretaceous limestone surmounting the red clifls 
 and terraces of sandstone, which rise along the line of tlie Wady Gharandel, 
 and range northwards alon<r the eastern shores of the Salt Sea.
 
 108 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRyEA, 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 THE GHOR AND THE SALT SEA. 
 
 On Sunday morning, 16th December, after fifteen days of toilsome travel 
 since leaving Akabah, we found ourselves standing on the brink of that 
 mysterious depression, in Arabic, called "The Ghor," or basin in which lies 
 the still more mysterious inland lake, usually called " the Dead Sea," biit 
 more appropriately " the Salt Sea." This latter name I prefer to the former ; 
 fii-st, on the ground of priority,' and second, on account of its expressive- 
 ness, owing to the intense salinity of the watei\ By this name it was 
 known in the days of Abraham, while its more modern name has been 
 founded on the erroneous impression "that nothing can live in the vicinity 
 of its saline and sulphurous waters,"- an impression disproved by Maundrell, 
 Chateaubriand, and numerous more recent travellers. 
 
 The descent into The Ghor, by a steep and slipjDery path, was most 
 striking. In front to the north stretched a great plain, green with 
 vegetation. To the right, in an ojjen space, might be seen several large 
 Bedawin camps, from which the shouts of wild men, the barking of dogs, 
 and the bellowing of camels ascended. In the distance, but obscured by 
 the haze, were the shores of the Salt Sea, a band of blue indicating the 
 position of the waters ; and on either hand of our pathway stretched the 
 white terraces of the old sea-bed, indented by several deep channels, par- 
 ticularly those of the Kiver Jeib, on the west, and of the Butachy and 
 Gharandel on the east. 
 
 The banks of The Ghor along the southern margin rise in the form of 
 a great white sloping wall to a height of about 600 feet above the plain, 
 and are formed of horizontal courses of sand and gi'avel resting on white 
 marl and loam This mural cliff sweeps round in a semi-circular form from 
 side to side of The Ghor. The uj^per surface is nearly level (excejit where 
 
 ' G-en. xIt, 3 ; Deut. iii, 17. 
 
 ■•' "Survey of the Holy Land," by .1. T. Bannister and Dr. Marsh, 184'^. 
 The Arab name is El Bahr Liit, or the Sea of Lot. Lartet mentions that small 
 fish live in that part of the Salt Sea south of the Lisan.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AXD WESTERN PALESTINE. 109 
 
 broken into by the river channels), and from its base stretches a plain 
 covered partly, over the eastern side, by a forest of small trees and shrubs 
 extending northwards to Es Safieh, and partly by vegetation aifording pas- 
 turage to the numerous flocks of the Arabs who settle down here during 
 the cooler months of the year. It is im])ossible to doubt that at no remote 
 period the waters of the Salt Sea, though now distant some ten miles, 
 washed the base of these cliffs ; and a rise of a few feet would submerge 
 this verdant plain, and bring back the sea to its former more extended 
 limits. 
 
 From this position, also, the white terrace of Khashm (Jebel) Usdum, 
 cleft by a thousand fissures, and channelled by innumerable furrows, is 
 seen projecting from the sides of the loftier limestone terraces of the Judsean 
 hiUs ; and towards the east similar terraces of whitish alluvial deposits are 
 seen clinghig to the sides of the Moabite hills, or running far up the deep 
 glens which penetrate the sides of tlie great table-land. In these terraces, 
 the upper surfaces of which reach a level of about 600 feet above the 
 waters of the Salt Sea, we behold but the remnants of an ancient sea-bed, 
 which must originally have stretched from side to side far into the area 
 now occupied by its waters. We naturally put to ourselves the question, 
 " Since this sea has no outlet, what has become of the materials which have 
 disappeared I " ' 
 
 On descending towards the plain we came upon numerous flocks of black 
 goats and white sheep, tended by women in long blue cloaks, the invariable 
 colour of women's dresses amongst the Arabs ; and our way lay pleasantly 
 through glades and thickets of small trees and bushes, green even at this 
 time of year, but how much more so would they be in a few weeks hence 
 after the winter rains. Through these our long train of camels wended 
 their way, headed by Sheikh Ali, and cropping the tender twigs of the 
 shrubs, till we reached the lower plain on which were pitched the winter 
 camps of some hundreds of Bedawins. Presently, our party being 
 observed from the camps, a group of merry children, with a few elders, 
 came trooping up and arranged themselves along our line of march, regard- 
 ing us with eager curiosity. It was the first group of Arab children I had 
 seen, and a very pretty sight it was ; and as I passed along they returned 
 my "sabah-1-khair" with a hearty chorus of little voices which was very 
 
 * To this question I liope to give a detailed reply in another Toliime in which 
 I propose to deal with the physical history of The Ghor and of the Jordan Valley.
 
 110 NARRATIVE OF AX EXPEDITIOX TIIROUGII ARABIA PETK.EA, 
 
 pleasant to hear. I afterwards learned that these children belonged to the 
 tribe of the Alowtns and Hiiwathas, all friends and relatives of our party, 
 so we had cause for a hearty greeting. 
 
 We were soon, however, to meet with less welcome visitors. On pro- 
 ceeding some distance northwards we observed a small hill about a mile 
 in front of us crowded with horsemen standing as sentinels, and evidently 
 on the look out for us. Presently a Hiwatha, or Alowin, horseman 
 galloped up from behind, and after the usual salutations informed us that 
 the horsemen in front belonged to Sheikh Arari of Petra (who, it will be 
 recollected, was absent at Damascus when we visited that place), and that 
 behind him was the Sheikh of Kerak (Canon Tristram's friend, I presume), 
 who, as our dragoman, Ibraham, informed us, was " a very bad man, and 
 was always at war with all the other tribes." Thus, this personage, with 
 such a bad reputation, happened to be down just at our arrival (so we 
 were informed) amongst the Ghawarneh, whose guests we intended to 
 become while waiting for horses from Jerusalem, and we were aware 
 that he was a deadly enemy to Sheikh Ali, who headed our escort ! It 
 appeared to us we were getting into a trap, of which the door was closed 
 in all directions except that we had just come ; but to turn back was out 
 of the question. After consultation it was decided to camp near the spot 
 we were on, towards the eastern base of the hills, while Major Kitchener 
 and Bernhard Heilpern, with some of the party, went ahead to ascertain 
 on the spot from Sheikh Arari the real state of affairs, and his intentions 
 towards ourselves. 
 
 Proceeding with our camels, we selected a spot for camping, and while 
 tlie tents were being set up Mr. Armstrong and I ascended a little hill, 
 from which we could witness the jM-oceedings of Major Kitchener and those 
 with him. They had reached the hill on which the horsemen had stationed 
 themselves ; and joresently we saw several of these leave the hill, and, de- 
 scending into the plain, commence careering over it, then wheeling round, 
 brandishing their spears, and performing sundry equestrian feats, as is the 
 manner of Arabs. Soon afterwards the whole party came down from the 
 hill, and accompanied by our friends, who were on foot, they api^roached 
 our camp in little parties at the rapid pace of Arab steeds. It was a pretty 
 sight, as the party were handsomely dressed and carried their lances aloft ; 
 the horses, caparisoned with coloured cloths and tassels, were handsome, 
 spirited little animals. The party consisted of Sheikh Arari, his relatives 
 and special retainers ; and no doubt were " the flower " of Arab cavalry.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTEUX PALEi^TLNE. Ill 
 
 Presently some of the troop ascended the hill on which we were seated, and 
 as they approached we rose to our feet and exchanged salutes, then shook 
 hands all round. I said we were friends ; they replied by placing their 
 hands on their heai'ts. I then offered them cigarettes, and so we parted ; — 
 but only for a season. 
 
 It appeared that at the interview between Sheikh Arari and Major 
 Kitchener, the former had demanded tribute for passing through part of 
 his territory. His followers also put in a claim for baklisheesh. The 
 former claim we admitted ; the latter we refused to admit. It was need- 
 ful, however, to act with prudence, for we were practically prisonei-s at the 
 discretion of this powerfid chief, whose camp was only a mile distant from 
 our own, and who could muster a large number of spears at his call. We 
 therefore promised the Sheikh a sum equal to ^£5 if he woidd engage that 
 we should not be molested during the rest of our journey to the territory 
 of the Ghawarneh at Es Safieh ; to this he agreed, and he kept his promise. 
 We all considered Sheikh Ai-ari "a gentleman." Towards evening the 
 spearmen mounted their horses and rode away, and we had evening 
 prayei's in our tent. 
 
 That evening we learned that the story about the Kei'ak men being 
 amongst the Ghawarnehs was, in a great measm-e, an invention, certainly 
 exaggerated ; and we had some reason to suspect that Sheikh Ali was in 
 league with the Petra Ai-abs, who were his relatives, to get us into a trap 
 in order to extort money fi'om us. He himself pretended to be very much 
 alarmed at the report ; but finally, on being pressed by us, he promised to 
 start with us early next morning for Es Safieh, " even if he were to get 
 his throat cut," as he said, passing his hand across his neck ! We felt that 
 the risk was not very gi^eat ; so, accepting the proposal with a good grace, 
 we presented him with a cigar, though our stock of tobacco was getting 
 very short, and parted for the night. 
 
 On Monday morning, 17th December, we were uj) and off by times 
 northwards towards the village of the Ghawarneh, as we wished to get a 
 good start of the Petra Arabs, who, we feared, notwithstanding the pro- 
 mise of Sheikh Arari, might follow in pursuit, and perhaps take possession 
 of some of our baggage, or possibly of the owners. Our route lay along 
 the base of the hills on the east side of The Ghor, and to the right rose the 
 rugged mountains and cliffs leading up to the table-land of Moab, and 
 penetrated by deep valleys or ravines. 
 
 We passed through several thickets of small trees and shrubs, gene-
 
 112 XARI'tATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 rally more or less thoruy, such as the Ziii/phus, the ^eijal Acacia, and the 
 tSalvadora Persica ; all requiring care in order to avoid them. Amongst 
 these were the " apples of Sodom " {Solanum Sodomoeum), a small yellowish 
 fruit of a solanaceous plant, gi'owing to about eight feet high, with prickly 
 branches and a flower of a blue or purple colour, exactly like that of a 
 variety of potato. Amongst other plants was the osher tree {Calotropis 
 procera), indicating truly tropical conditions of climate ; also Balanites 
 ^gyptiaca, Retama rcetem, Morina aptera, and oleanders.' Amongst the 
 dense groves and clumps of small trees birds were fluttering about, ring 
 doves {Turtur risoi'ius), sometimes in flocks, together with bulbuls and 
 finches. It was a lively and pleasant scene to one who had been traversing 
 the comparatively lifeless tract of the Arabah Valley for so many days. 
 But what was still more novel, were the evidences of human industry which 
 we encountered as we approached Es Safieh. We passed over several open 
 spaces where men were ploughing with a yoke of oxen ; many trenches 
 had been dug for irrigating purposes, and we were soon to witness the 
 systematic manner in which irrigation is cai-ried on by the industrious 
 inhabitants of this part of The Ghor. 
 
 Proceeding onwards in single file, we found oui-selves within the ^'illage 
 of the Ghawarneh. This had a most curious appearance, not unlike an 
 extensive encampment of gipsies, such as may be seen in Hungary and 
 along the banks of the Eiver Danube. The tents, formed of dark 
 cloth of camels' hair, supported on poles and rafters, were arranged amongst 
 the thickets in lines or " squares," and tenanted by men, women, and 
 children, together with sheep, goats, dogs, and poultry. As we passed 
 along we heard the sound of the corn miUs, or of coffiee-gi'inding, the 
 bleating of sheep, and barking of the dogs ; but the attitude of the 
 dark inhabitants was quiet and friendly, and they readily returned our 
 salaams.- Having traversed the village we came to an open jjiece of 
 ground surrounded by trees and bushes, and here we camped about noon. 
 
 The \allage of Es Safieh and its inhabitants, the Ghawarnehs, were 
 visited by Canon Tristram,^ who during his short stay does not apjDear to 
 have been as well treated as was the case with oiu'selves during a sojourn 
 of ten days.* Yet it must be admitted that he made good use of the time 
 
 • Mr. Hart has made a good collection of plants from this part of The 
 Gli6r. Tristram has described this vegetation (" Land of Moab," p. 391). 
 - In the East it is the custom for the superior to gi-eet the inferior first. 
 ^ " The Land of Moab," p. 4fi. ■• Uid., p. 51.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 113 
 
 at his disposal, and has left a graphic picture of the locality, which renders 
 much detail in this place unnecessary. 
 
 Shortly after camping, we descended through the jungle separating 
 the park-like region from the great plain of sand and mud, which 
 is liable to inundations when the sea is in flood, and which is lai'gely 
 covered by the prostrate trunks of palms and other trees and plants which 
 have been carried down by the torrents from the mountain valleys. It 
 was the intention of Major Kitchener to measure a base line for trian- 
 gulation along this nearly level plain, but it was found that the mud and 
 slime were too soft in many places to admit of this being done with 
 any approach to accuracy. He and Mr. Armstrong had, therefore, to 
 content themselves with triangulating, and taking magnetic bearings, on 
 known points.* On returning to our camp in the evening, we were enter- 
 tained to a prolonged chorus between the dogs of the village and the 
 jackals of the thickets ; while the discharge of distant guns amongst the 
 hills, which we were informed came from the Haiwatats, announced the 
 proximity of the foes of our present protector. Sheikh Ali. 
 
 The nocturnal noises of Es Safieh were indeed, to our unaccustomed 
 ears, almost appalling. It is the custom of the cocks at this village to crow 
 after sunset ; and up to about bedtime the air was resonant with their 
 voices. To these were added the barking of the dogs and the long shrill 
 cries of the jackals. No one who is not a sound sleejoer should pass a 
 night at Es Safieh I About midnight I was awakened by the most strange 
 and appalling noises. At first I thought we were about to be attacked 
 by the Bedawins ; but on listening for a little, I distinguished the 
 peculiar high-pitched dismal cry of the jackal, mingling with the howling 
 of the village dogs. The whole jackal population of the adjoining thickets 
 and valleys seemed to have congregated around our camp, and to be holding 
 council whether or not to make a raid on us. As, however, we all arose in 
 safety in the morning, it is to be presumed they came to the conclusion 
 to postpone the attack, at least for this night. It was one to be held in 
 remembrance by us ; the place at the time seemed a sort of pandemonium. 
 
 Considering the position of our camp unhealthy, I ordered it to be 
 moved further inland from the jungle, and to one more open to the 
 air, as well as more distant from the village. The spot was surrounded by 
 open groves of small trees, of which several species of acacia and the 
 
 * It has been found as n. result of this survey that there is considerahle error 
 in the form and position of this part of the Dead Sea as given in the maps. 
 
 I
 
 li-i NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRvEA, 
 
 zizyplius were the most abuudaut, generally growing in picturesque clumps, 
 with narrow glades between. The cultivated fields of the Ghawarueh 
 spread around ; and beyond, the river descending from the Wady el Hessi 
 flowed between the plains and the mountain slopes, and bounded the 
 cultivated lauds towards the east. The grand mass of Jebel es Somrah, 
 with its adjoining heights and deep ravines, formed the background at a 
 distance of two or three miles ; and from its ever varying colours, according 
 to the position of the sun's rays and the time of day, formed an object of 
 unwearied study to us during our long detention at Es Safieh. This 
 mountain is remarkable for the interest attaching to its geological structure. 
 Its base is formed of very ancient volcanic materials, consisting of succes- 
 sive beds of trap, porphyry, "ashes," and agglomerates — penetrated by 
 numerous dykes, and dipping at a small inclination towards the north. 
 
 Upon this volcanic platform the horizontal courses of the Desert Sand- 
 stone formation repose, breaking off in great cliffs, and forming the flanks of 
 the mouutain to an elevation of about 3,000 feet above the base ; finally, 
 the sandstone itself is surmounted by an escarpment of limestone, which 
 extends upwards into the table-land of Moab. It will be seen from the 
 above description that this volcanic formation is of more ancient date than 
 that of the Desert Sandstone, and consequently has no connection whatever 
 with the present structure or formation of the valley. 
 
 Fig. 15. — Uoege of the W. ei Hkssi. 
 
 S Cliffs of red sandstone enclosing terraces of gravel, sand, and shingle (&) of the ancient Salt 
 Sea (Bahr Lut), through which the valley of the Hiver Hessi has been channelled out. 
 
 The southern tlank of Jebel es Somrah terminates along the deep gorge 
 called the Wady Salmoodh, the sides of which are in some places flanked 
 by great beds of gravel rising to a level of 600 feet (by aneroid measm-e- 
 jjieut) above the surface of the Salt Sea. These gravel beds mav be
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARAB AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 115 
 
 observed ruiiuiug up the sides, not only of this valley, bnt also those of the 
 Wady el Hessi, and through them the present river channel has been cut 
 down, sometimes to a depth of over 200 feet. There can be no doubt, from 
 their position and the level of their upper surface, that these beds of gravel 
 are jjortions of the ancient floor of the sea, when the waters stood over CiOO 
 feet higher than at present, and that they were once physically connected 
 with the terraces which line the southern and western sides of The 
 Ghor. In both cases the level of the upjier surface is almost the same ; 
 though the materials differ, as might be exjiected, considering the very 
 different formations which line the sides of this great depression on either 
 hand.' 
 
 The Ghawarneh. — It is only due to the people of this tribe to state 
 that after they had satisfied their very natural curiosity by an inspection 
 of our camp on the day of our arrival, we were not troubled with their 
 presence any further, except when they brought poultry, eggs, or flour for 
 us to purchase. On returning from our excursion up the Wady Salmoodh 
 we had a good opportunity of oljserving the habits and mode of agriculture 
 of this industrious jieople. 
 
 I had taken as my guide for the day Sheikh Seyd, the village chief, who, 
 mounted on his pony, led the way going and coming. We crossed a briskly 
 flowing stream of rather muddy water, brought down from the Wady el 
 Hessi by an artificial conduit — like a "mill race" of our own country — by 
 means of which the fields are irrigated, and the peojile and animals of the 
 village supplied with water ; we also noticed men engaged in jjloughing, 
 and others fencing the fields with zizyphus and other prickly branches. 
 
 On our return through the groves we were surprised at the large herds 
 of camels, numbering in all probably two hundred, and in good condition. 
 The males were sometimes of great size and nearly white. They were 
 Itrowsing in groups on the trees and shrubs, and every evening they were 
 driven from their feeding grovind homewards in a long j)rocession. These 
 animals must be a source of considerable revenue to the Ghawarneh, as 
 the price of a camel varies from £5 to £\(\ or even more. There were 
 several young foals amongst them. In addition to the camels the 
 Ghawarneh possess cattle (generally used for ploughing) as well as flocks 
 of sheep and goats, and during our stay of ten days we were regaled with 
 fresh cows' milk for breakfast. From the cultivation of the ground 
 
 ' I only touch on this interesting topic here, reserving fuller details for 
 anotber volume. 
 
 1 2
 
 11(3 NAURATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARAP.LV T'ETK/EA, 
 
 supplies of wlieat, maize, and durni are raised, together witli indigo and 
 cotton. Tlie women were generally busy with household duties, or engaged 
 in tending the flocks of sheep and goats ; while the children might often be 
 noticed playing various games on the ground adjoining the village. On the 
 whole it was pleasant to see for the first time on coming from the desert 
 evidences of industrious habits amongst an Arab tribe. • As a conse- 
 quence, however, of their comparative wealth they are subjected to heavy 
 exactions on the part of the sheikhs and people both of Kerak and of 
 Petra, and while we were camped at Es Safieh we were told that a demand 
 had come from the former for a sum of i.'120 in payment of annual 
 tribute ; a demand which there was no possibility of resisting without the 
 risk of ruin. This poor people are in effect the wheat between the upper 
 millstone of Kerak and the nether of Petra. 
 
 The day after our arrival at Es Safieh we received a polite message from 
 Ibn Mudjelli, the Sheikh of Kerak, to the effect " that he was the friend 
 of travellers" (as any one might know from his treatment of Canon 
 Tristram- and his party !) and that he would send horses and mules to 
 enable us to pay him a visit in his highland fortress ; moreover, that for 
 our sakes he would not attack Sheikh Ali, with whom (as before stated) he 
 was at deadly feud. We replied that we were much obliged for his 
 courtesy, l)ii(. had made arrangements for jDroceeding forthwith to 
 Jerusalem. Perhaps this was a little more than we had a right under the 
 circumstances to say. It is true we had despatched messengers to the 
 Holy City for horses and mules, but we knew not whether they had been 
 able to deliver their message, and consequently whether the horses were 
 on their way to our relief. We hoped the morrow's light might see 
 them arrive — a hope destined to disappointment. Instead of our escort 
 from Jerusalem we had an unwelcome visit from the bandits of Petra, 
 who came up to our camp next day brandishing their sjjears and de- 
 manding money. This demand we felt bound to resist even at some 
 risk ; and being unsuccessful with us they proceeded towards the village 
 to quarter themselves for the night on the Ghawarneh, whom they 
 ordered forthwith to kill a sheep for supper ; and, as no news had 
 
 ' If indeed they are Arahs. It is possible tliev may belons; to the fella- 
 liiti, or culiirators of the ground, tliroughoufc Palestine, whom Captain Conder 
 considers, with great probabilitv, to be the descendants of the inliabitanf s of the 
 country at the time of its conquest by the Israehtes. 
 
 ^ " Land of Moab," p. 84, et seq.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AllACAH, AND WESTERX PALESTINE. 117 
 
 come from Jerusalem, we retired to our tents that night with spirits far 
 from cheerful. 
 
 Next day, Wednesday, 19th December, we made excursions in several 
 directions in seai'ch of objects connected with the topography, geology, anil 
 natural history of the remarkable district in which our lot was for the time 
 cast. Accompanied by Sheikh Seyd, I examined the volcanic rocks along 
 the flanks of Jebel es Somrah, consisting of irregular beds of felstone, por- 
 phyry, and agglomerate, with strata of finer volcanic tuff. From the flanks 
 of this moimtain I had an extensive view across The Ghor, and the waters 
 of the Salt Sea, as fai' north as the Lisan, the remarkable promontory 
 which divides this sea into two unequal portions. I was impressed with the 
 fact, when surveying its blue, still, waters from this point, that there is 
 nothing about the appearance of the sea, or of the surrounding hills, to 
 lead one to suspect that its surface is 1,300 feet below that of the Medi- 
 terranean ; and it is therefore not sur])rising that this physical fact should 
 have remained so long unrecognised by travellers. It is only when one 
 looks at the face of the aneroid, and observes that the index hand has 
 ])assed away beyond the highest (ordinary) reading of 31°, and points to 
 the very lowest in the opposite direction, that we become conscious that 
 we are under extraordinary atmospheric pressure, and only to be accounted 
 for by the inference that we have descended far below the level of the ocean.' 
 The climate of The Ghor at this time of year does not fee) much warmer 
 that we had been accustomed to in the Wady el Arabah ; in fact, 
 during one day of our sojourn at Es Safieh we had a hailstorm ! 
 
 On returning to the camp I received the unwelcome tidings that a rigid 
 quarantine had been established by the Turkish authorities for all 
 travellei-s coming fi-om the direction of Egypt and the Haj Road at 
 Akabah, and that all such travellers Avere obliged to in-oceed to Gaza to put 
 in a term of fifteen days in the quarantine station. It was, therefore, 
 quite possible that our messengers might have been captured on their road 
 to Jerusalem and sent ofi" to Gaza, in which c;ise our prosi>ects would l)e 
 far from enviable. 
 
 Next morning (Thursday, 20th December) we rose with the hope of 
 soon hearinor the tinkling of the ba2[orage mule bells coming across the 
 marsh to our relief, but hour after hour elapsed and no such sound greeted 
 our ears. It was tantalizing to look ju;ix)ss the blue waters of the Salt Sea 
 
 ' Ordinar}- aneroids are not graduated for reading depressions mucli bcljw 
 that of the lerel of the ocean.
 
 118 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THIiOUCill ARABIA RETR/EA, 
 
 to the mysterious salt mountain, which is connected by the traditional 
 name of " Jebel Usdum " with the doomed " cities of the plain," and find 
 ourselves unable to give it a personal examination during the time at our 
 disposal. We thought (it must be confessed) of the letters from home 
 lying for us at Jerusalem, of the possible anxiety of friends who might 
 have expected us within the walls by this time, and of the diminishing 
 prospect of spending Christmas at the birthplace of the Saviour. 
 
 In the afternoon, however, our Arab messengers arrived : they had 
 succeeded in eluding the guards, and had faithfully delivered our letter to 
 the agent of Messrs. Cook and Sou. They produced a letter in reply to 
 say — that " the horses and mules would be with us without fail and without 
 delay ? " — not at all, my dear reader. You have not lived in the East or 
 under Turkish rule ! The reply was, that on receipt of our letter the agent 
 had got horses and mules ready, had then applied to the Pasha for an 
 escort, and had been peremptorily refused. Orders were issued that, 
 before proceeding to Jerusalem, we must undergo quarantine for fifteen 
 days at Gaza, and that the muleteers would also be obliged to undergo 
 a similar detention at our cost, should they leave the city. The agent had 
 then represented the case to Mr. Moore, Her Majesty's Consul, who sent 
 us a kind letter expressing his sympathy, and stating that his efforts 
 with the Pasha to have the orders set aside were ineffectual, as they 
 (the orders) really came from Constantinople. Under these circumstances 
 Messrs. Cook's agent came to the conclusion not to send the mules and horses 
 till further orders ; a conclusion that practically consigned us to imprison- 
 ment for at least another five or six days, and possibly for a much longer 
 period. 
 
 Our feelings at this news " may be better imagined than described," to 
 use a familiar phrase. Christmas at Jerusalem was now out of the question ; 
 letters from home indefinitely postponed. Indeed, our exit from The Ghcr 
 seemed also indefinitely postponed ; and our only consolation was that our 
 friends at Jerusalem were not ignorant of our fate ; and it seemed that it 
 was entirely in their hands whether we were to be left as prisoners 
 amongst the Bedawins till all our money, provisions, and hope were 
 exhausted. Under these circumstances we applied to Sheikh Ali, to 
 ascertain whether he could escort us across to Gaza along the direct road by 
 Ain el Melh and Beersheba. This, however, he positively refused to do ; 
 and we had again to fall back on our Arab messengers, and await the 
 j-esult of a second letter to the agent, with instructions to forward the
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND "WESTERN PALESTINE. 119 
 
 horses immediately, in order that we might proceed to Gaza to undergo 
 the term of quarantine. 
 
 We had on the previous day despatched a second Arab, who had 
 engaged for 20 dollars to take a letter to Consul Moore ; but, much to our 
 annoyance, he returned to us at breakfast time stating that he was sick ; 
 and, throwing down the money and letter, refused to go. This was 
 another day lost. But our former messenger, Hassam, again volunteered ; 
 and, taking up the money and depositing the letter safely in the folds of 
 his dress, departed, with a large supply of good wishes for a successful 
 journey on our part.' 
 
 Having now a prospect of several days stay in The Ghur, we determined 
 to put the time to the best account in exploring more thoroughly the 
 objects of interest arovmd us. We visited the remarkable ruins described 
 by Tristram, lying at the foot of the hills about two miles to the east of 
 Es Safieh, and known as Khasa el Hassa (or Hessi), and of which he says 
 " We have probably here merely the remains of a Roman village in the 
 more peaceful days of the early empire."- While here I proceeded to put 
 into practice a mode of observing the landscape which I first learned some 
 years ago in North Wales. Laying my head on the ground and lying on 
 my side, I viewed in this position, first, the line of the mountain crest, 
 and then the wooded slopes of The Ghor, with the plain and hills beyond. 
 The eflects of colouring when seen in this manner ai'e generally surprising, 
 and often beautiful. In this case, all the colours of the mountain sides, 
 the grey and brown of the limestone above, the red and purple of the 
 sandstone, and the dark grey and brownish-red of the volcanic basis were 
 seen to be blended and harmonised in a manner quite peculiar, and differ- 
 ing from the effect when seen in an erect position. There was thrown 
 over the whole landscape (as it were) a halo of mystery. The softening 
 and blending of the tints were of a kind which a Claud or a Turner have 
 attempted to portray on canvas. My companions were no less struck 
 with the effects than myself. 
 
 A bath in the River Hessi terminated the day's ramble. 
 
 ' It is right that I should state that Mr. Hart more than once volunteered 
 to carry a message to Jerusalem for tlie horses ; but, knowing something of the 
 risk he -would liare to run in traversing a wild and unknown region, inhabited 
 for some distance by Bedawins of ill-repute, I felt unable to give my consent to 
 liis generous proposal. 
 
 '■^ Supra cif., p. IS.
 
 120 NAKRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 On Saturday, 22iid December, we deemed it desirable, on economical 
 grounds, to dismiss the greatei' number of our Arab attendants, only 
 retaining, at a greatly reduced expense, the services of Sheikh Ali and a 
 small guard, till our mules should come from Jerusalem. Let me here do 
 justice to our Bedawin attendants. At the first, on starting from Akabah, 
 we formed (as previously stated) but a low estimate of the Alowln, and of 
 their mental and physical capabilities. They were for the most part 
 inferior in stature and in personal appearance to the Towara, from whom 
 we had parted ; and at first there was great difficulty in getting them to 
 perform the duties of loading the camels, taking down and setting up 
 tents, drawing water, and other daily occupations. Gradually, however, 
 they got accustomed to their work, and more expeditious in performing it. 
 We also began to find that there were with them, as in all communities, 
 differences of character and acquirements : that, while some were lazy and 
 untrustworthy, others were active and entitled to our confidence. They 
 were generally cheerful, pleasant fellows, trying to anticipate our wants, 
 honest to the last degree, and grateful for little kindnesses ; — at least for a 
 time. There were amongst them several j'oung men of handsome featuies 
 and good proportions, and in their gait there was a certain ease and grace of 
 motion, evincing great activity and power of endurance. Their clothing 
 was similar to that of the Towara, except that it was inferior in quality 
 and they wore the khefeyeh* instead of the turban. Such were our 
 Alowln guards. 
 
 As regards the general character of the Bedawins there is much 
 difference of opinion. By some they are regarded as treacherous in the 
 extreme ; others (such as the late Eev. F. W. Holland, who had had 
 much experience and intercourse with them) seem to have entertained 
 a very diff'erent opinion of them.- My own ojjinion, based, it must be 
 confessed, upon a comparatively limited experience, is favourable ; nor 
 does the fate of Palmer and Gill alter my opinion, as this lamentable event 
 arose from circumstances quite exceptional. In recently traversing the 
 district near to which this tragedy occurred. Major Kitchener stated that 
 the Arabs everywhere expressed their detestation of the foid deed, and 
 
 ' Thi8 is a clofh, or sliawl, sometimes of silk, folded back and bound round 
 the head by a double fillet of coloured cord. The ends hang down the back, or 
 are gathered into folds round the neck and chin, and fastened by little tassels 
 into the fillet. It is thus a protection against either heat or cold. 
 
 - See Quarterli/ Siatemeut, P.E.F., April. 188-1..
 
 SKETCH PLAN 
 
 of 
 
 KH .LABRUSH 
 
 & NAWAMIS . 
 
 Jhiijis 
 
 'Sxisrsh ,^ \ 
 
 -^N 
 
 
 eoo Vi 
 
 Ttv^
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AIIABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 121 
 
 their admiration of the gallant Englishmen who entered the Desert subse- 
 quently and cajjtured four of the murderers. There is one vice, at least, 
 common amongst the inhabitants of the British Isles, which amongst the 
 children of the Desert is unknown. Water, milk, or coffee are their only 
 drinks, and as Mahomedans they are free from that temptation which 
 amongst nominal Christians has brought ruin and misery into many a 
 home ; and amongst the aborigines of America and other countries has 
 carried off whole tribes when they have come in contact with the " white 
 man." There can be no question regarding the wisdom of the jn-ohibition 
 of intoxicating drinks in tlie case of the Arabs. Amongst a people whose 
 food is so scanty, and who live under a sub-tropical sim, alcoholic drinks 
 would have been utterly destructive had they been indulged in. The 
 Ai-ab's simjale diet is his best safeguard against disease, and when ill the 
 herbs of the Desert are generally sufficient for medicinal purposes. There 
 are, in truth, many qualities in him to admire ; such as his abstemious- 
 ness, power of endurance under fatigue, fidelity to a stranger when under 
 contract, natural politeness of manner, and (perhaps to a small degree) 
 capability of pereoual attachment. If he is fond of money, and in doing 
 right looks for pecuniary reward, he is not different in this respect from 
 people of more civilised countries. 
 
 Ruins of Lebrusch. — On returning one evening from an excursion up the 
 mountains bounding the W&dy el Hessi, Mr. Hart announced the discovery 
 of " an ancient city," or something of that kind ; and, at his request, we all 
 determined to visit it on the following day. The position of these 
 remarkable ruins is several hundred feet higher up the mountain side 
 than those described by Canon Tristram, and about a mile from them on 
 the south side of the valley. It was a lonely and wild spot, the haunt of the 
 ibex,' which we reached after a stiff climb. The ruins consist of a series of 
 circular enclosures of rough stone (stone circles), running along the edge of a 
 limestone terrace for a distance of 300 yards, and accompanied by a rude wall, 
 behind which the rocks formed a low ridge. Towards the southern end 
 the enclosures take the form of a rampart of stone work, extending about 
 400 yards, and at the end of the hill it turns up towards the crest of the 
 ridge for 200 yards further, so as to form a wall protecting the iuterior.- 
 
 ' Close to this Mr. Uart liad come upon three of these animals, whicli are 
 scldoiu seen except in lerv unfrequented s])ots. 
 
 " The ridge is formed of the " Wadv Nasb limestone," which we here 
 discovered in the centre of tlie sandstone formation. It is fossiliferoiis.
 
 122 NAllRATTVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIROUflH ARABIA PETR/KA, 
 
 Several circular enclosures were found inside the ramparts, and about 
 the centre of the whole structure was a hollow reservoir. The position 
 commands an extensive view of The Ghor, and all the ajjproaches to the 
 valley. Some of the circular enclosures had evidently been covered in, 
 but their form seemed to forbid the supposition that they were tombs. 
 Various conjectures as to the nature and use of this series of structures 
 were hazarded by the members of our party, but no two were identical. Tt 
 was a case of tot homines quot senteniice. For myself, I came to the con- 
 clusion that this spot had been the camping ground of an army ; — but of 
 what nation or period we had no clue. A plan of the hill has been made 
 by Major Kitchener, and drawn for me by Mr. Armstrong (Fig. 16). 
 
 On descending from the ruins for the last time down the mountain 
 side, we were treated to a display of the gorgeous colouring characteristic 
 of the eastern side of The Ghor, when lit up by the slanting rays of the 
 western sun. The evening had been cloudy, and some rain had fallen. 
 Suddenly the sun burst forth through a gap in the clouds, and lighted up 
 the cliffs along the northern side of the valley with tints of surpassing 
 richness and brilliancy. The red colours of the sandstone cliffs, and the 
 yellow tints of the sandy terraces below, brightly illumined where the rays 
 descended directly upon them, gradually faded into the deep purple tints 
 of the higher altitudes and recesses of the mountains ; and high above, the 
 mountain tops were shrouded in heavy cloud, in which was set " the many- 
 coloured bow of heaven." We might have lingered long to watch this 
 wondrous display of natural colouration ; but the sun was nearing the 
 horizon, and it was not a region in which it was desirable to be caught 
 under darkness. We regarded the scene as a parting salutation from 
 Moab to its visitors. 
 
 The days following (Friday and Saturday) had new surprises, and new 
 disappointments, in store for us. We had sent off a third messenger (as 
 has been seen above) to Jerusalem, with positive orders for Mr. Cook's 
 agent to send horses and mules forthwith, to convey us away from our 
 prison-house amongst the Arabs, and we awaited the result with some 
 hope that the messenger would reach his destination on Saturday evening, 
 ^2nd December, and that by Tuesday the animals would arrive at our camp. 
 In the afternoon of Friday, a Bedawin arrived, bringing a letter from a 
 party of excursionists, consisting of the American Consul, Mr. Merrill, and 
 a nephew of General Gordon, who had been on a visit to his uncle at 
 Jaffa, and was making a tour of a few days, accompanied by an escort.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AllABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 123 
 
 aloug tlie shore of the Salt Sea, aiear Jebel Usdum. In this letter (whieli 
 was addressed to Major Kitchener) it was stated that our messenger had 
 shown them our letter to Cook's agent, and that on their return to 
 Jerusalem on Christmas Eve they would leave no stone unturned towards 
 getting us out of The Ghur, and released from quarantine ; also that our 
 Arab had been sent on his viay to Jerusalem. All this seemed very pro- 
 mising ; because, should our messenger not arrive, our friends would be able 
 to deliver our message on reaching the Holy City. The reader may, there- 
 fore, imagine our disappointment on beholding our Arab back again in the 
 camp the next day ! We were all absent at the time in various directions. 
 Bernhard Heilpern was taking a nap ; and, on awakening, could scarcely 
 credit his senses when he beheld Hassam seated at the fire and conversing 
 with Sheikh Ali. The question arose whether some sinister influence had 
 again been at work to prolong our stay, and Heilpem's suspicions fell on 
 Sheikh Ali, who was making money by our detention. When questioned 
 why he had returned, Hassam merely replied that he had heard from some 
 other Arab that we were about to start for Gaza, and had thought it 
 useless to proceed further ; — so here he was again. Thus were two days 
 lost to us, and I began to feel that " hope deferred which makes the heart 
 sick." 
 
 The Sheikh, at Heilpern's request, administered chastisement to his 
 retainer, not a very severe one certainly, and for the thirtl time Hassam 
 was depatched to Jerusalem with the letter. We never saw him again, 
 though we understood he reached the city and fulfilled his errand. 
 
 Christmas Eve. — This afternoon brought with it tidings, not fi'oni 
 Jerusalem, but from Cairo, the first we had received from the outer 
 world for six weeks. In the afternoon four Arabs of the Hawatat tribe 
 on camels, headed by a sheikh, arrived in our camp bearing a letter 
 addressed to me by Sir Evelyn Baring, Her Majesty's Consul-General, to 
 inform us of the defeat of General Hicks' army in the Soudan, and stating 
 that some anxiety had been felt concerning us on the ])art of our friends 
 both in England and Egypt ; as the news of the disaster might have 
 occasioned a hostile feeling amongst the Arabs towards Euroi)eaus. 
 The letter was intended to put us on our guard should we perceive any 
 symptoms of such feeling. The Arab party had tracked us step by stej) from 
 Suez to Jebel Mlisa, thence to Akabah, and then to this spot ; and being 
 well mounted, they had accomplished the whole distance in twenty days. 
 We felt grateful to the Consul-General for his consideration ; and we were
 
 124 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PP:TK.EA, 
 
 by no means sorry to have an addition to our party of four dependable 
 Arabs, whose head Sheikh in Cairo was " to be held responsible for our 
 safety." The messengers were accompanied by a small party of "the 
 hawks " of Petra, who said we must now retrace our steps back to Akabah, 
 as " the infidel dogs " had been defeated. We replied that we were now 
 in the territory of the Sultan, and were in daily expectation of an escort of 
 soldiers from Jerusalem. We added, also, for their infoi'mation, that 
 although it was an Englishman whose army had been defeated by the 
 Mahdi, the army itself was composed of poor cowardly Egyptians who had 
 run away and left their officers to be killed, and that if the Egyptians 
 did not know how to defend their country, an English army would be sent 
 to put matters straight. This \'iew of the subject appeared to have a 
 wholesome effect, as " the Fetra hawks" went off to the village of the 
 Ghawarnehs for the night. We ordered a sheep to be prepared for the 
 entertainment of the Arabs from Cairo, who took up a station behind our 
 camp. 
 
 Christmas Day in the Wilderness amongst a jjeople who love not the 
 Saviour's name, and are governed by laws little in harmony with those He 
 came to proclaim ! Still, even amongst these strange scenes, we can lift up 
 our heai'ts and say, " Glory to God in the highest ; on earth, peace; good 
 will towards men." It was not to be our lot to celebrate this Christian 
 anniversary at the birthplace of the Messiah ; but, for myself, I had 
 rather spend the day here in the Wilderness, than be a witness to the 
 gi'otesque and childish ceremonies which are annually enacted by the 
 Greek and Latin Churches in Bethlehem, and which have brought 
 discredit on the Christian name. 
 
 I had passed a night in which sleep was banished or disturbed by gloomy 
 thoughts. The cries of the jackals and the barking of dogs repeated at 
 intervals caused a cold chill to permeate my frame. Tlie lines I had learnt 
 somewhere when a youth would recur in spite of myself, " Nee spes erat 
 salutis, nee redeundi domum." What if they should be prophetic ! But 
 the bright sunshine of the morn succeeded the deluge of rain and hail of 
 the pi'evious day, and heljjed to disjDel these gloomy forebodings. The 
 river which drains the Wady el Hessi had risen, and the distant roar of the 
 torrent was audible from our camp. A thought occurred to me which 
 rendered me uneasy for a time : — might not the River Jeib, swollen by the 
 same rains, render our camp inaccessible from the opposite side of The 
 Ghor, and thus cut off our succours should they be on their Avay to us from
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 125 
 
 Jei-visalem ; or cut off our retreat by the only door now left \ This sup- 
 position, howev^er, I was relieved to find, on consulting Sheikh Seyd, was 
 not borne out by experience, as the Jeib is nearly always fordable, and 
 falls rapidly after rains have ceased. 
 
 After bi'eakfast I sallied forth with Armstrong to examine the luins 
 described by Canon Tristram, about two miles from our camp. We 
 found a considerable extent of ground occupied with them, and the walls 
 which had enclosed the village on two sides. We also noticed fragments 
 of two or thiee unfluted columns to which Tristram refers, and large 
 quantities of broken pottery along with pieces of green glass. The pottery 
 had glazed surfaces and rude patterns ; but of the age of the village or 
 town we could form little idea. As we were returning we found ourselves 
 in front of a large party of Arab " free-lances," which induced my com- 
 panion and myself "to put the best leg foremost ;" though of course 
 only at a walking pace ; and after a stiff trudge over the fields, and a 
 scramble through a thorny hedge, which we performed with the best grace 
 we coidd muster, we were not sorry to see before us the white tents, 
 which we I'eached very much " blown." There was nothing to have pre- 
 vented these men from carrying iis off to their mountain jjrison had they 
 felt inclined to do so ; at the same time it is probable they did not con- 
 template any such outrage. 
 
 In the evening a crowd of Ai'abs surrounded tlie tents, and by way of 
 a Christmas entertainment, Laurence produced a little galvanic apparatus, 
 and proceeded to operate on our visitors in the usual way, by joining hands 
 or plunging them into the water of a tub into which the ends of the wires 
 were inserted. It was amusing to watch the expression of face and 
 gestm-es of these wild men when engaged in this performance. They 
 behaved very much like school boys at home on like occasions — jumping, 
 grinning and laughing when they felt a " shock," and evidently much 
 astonished at the wonderful English magician who had come amongst 
 them I This little entertainment jnit them all in good humour ; so much 
 so, that after it was over they came back to request that it might be 
 repeated. 
 
 The dinner was the event of the day ; and we endeavoured on this 
 occasion to preserve home traditions as far as the circumstances would 
 allow. Abu Miriam was not unequal to the occasion. For a time we 
 forgot the Wilderness and tlie hawks of Petra, and thought only of home 
 and our relatives, separated from us by a distance of 3,000 miles ; and we
 
 12G NARRATIVE OF AX EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 knew that they were thinking of us as spending the day witliin tlie walls 
 of Jerusalem. A penultimate bottle of claret was produced from the 
 " cellar," in which the memory of absent friends was duly honoured ; and, 
 as a conclusion to the feast. Hart produced a i)lum cake of home 
 manufacture, specially reserved for this occasion. Such was the evening 
 of Christmas Day as observed in The Ghor in the year 1883, by a party of 
 deserted Englishmen ! 
 
 On the evening of the day following Sheikh Arari, of Wady Mtisa, 
 came into our camp on a visit to Sheikh Ali, and I took the opportunity 
 of making his acquaintance. The interview was of some interest to us 
 from the fact that he is supreme over all the chiefs of the district 
 about Petra and the mountainous region extending to Kerak and the 
 shores of the Salt Sea. The interview was witnessed by parties of his 
 own retainers on the one hand, and of the Ghawarneh on the other ; and 
 I determined to take the opportunity of pleading the cause of these quiet 
 and oppressed people. 
 
 Sheikh Arari is a man of about forty-five years, of a countenance 
 somewhat Israelitish, and quite devoid of any sinister expression. We 
 both remained standing in the open air ; and after the usual salutations 
 and expression of pleasure on my part at making his acquaintance, the 
 following conversation took place. 
 
 Sheikh Arari expressed his regret that some of his followers had given 
 us annoyance the evening before we left our camp at the head of The 
 Ghor, but reminded me that after he had given his promise (to Major 
 Kitchener) that we should not be further disturbed this had been faith- 
 fully kej^t. 
 
 I replied that I was quite aware of this, and thanked him for his 
 consideration. 
 
 Sheikh Arari then said he was friendly to English travellers, and did 
 not wish they should be put to any annoyance while passing through his 
 territory. 
 
 I replied that English travellers were always ready to pay what was 
 just and reasonable to the sheikhs through whose territories they happened 
 to travel ; — but nothing more. Arari replied he did not wish them to pay 
 more than that. 
 
 I then said the Ghawarneh are our friends and hosts. We are 
 camping on their ground, and we wish them to be fairly and kindly 
 treated ; that they ought to be paid for whatever was got from them
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKAI5AH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 127 
 
 (slight murmurs amongst Arari's attendants), which I feared was not 
 always the case. ' 
 
 Arari replied that the Ghawarneh were also his friends ; that he would 
 not allow them to be iU-treated, and that they (Ai-ari's peoi)le) always paid 
 for what they got.- 
 
 Knowiug this to be a slight stretch of the truth, I rei)lied that the 
 Ghawarneh were a peaceful jieople, cultivating the ground, and raising 
 crops of corn, tobacco, and other produce, which are necessary for the 
 Bedawin ; and that if they shoukl be driven away by oppression they 
 (the Bedawin) would have no means of procuring necessary sujaplies ; 
 therefore it was their interest to protect them. We then parted with 
 expressions of goodwill, and with the hope on my part that this interview 
 may not have been without some benefit to our oppressed friends. 
 
 While I was writing the above an Arab came into the camp with 
 the good tidings that he had seen the mules and horses approaching 
 from the opposite side of The Ghor, and that they would be here before 
 sunset. This intelligence was received with a general cheer from our 
 party, and I slipped a dollar into the hands of the bearer of the good 
 news. Orders wei-e issued to prepare for an early start on the following 
 day. 
 
 Some time after, and (as the Arab had stated) before sunset, a muleteer 
 rode into the camp, and was welcomed by Bernhard Heilpern, who 
 recognised an old friend from Jerusalem ; others soon followed, and 
 presently some thirty horses and mules were gathered round oiir camp, 
 accompanied by a very ancient sheikh, already known to most of our 
 readers — Sheikh Hamzi, of Hebron,'* whom Major Kitchener immediately 
 recognised. 
 
 We now learned that notwithstanding it had been represented to the 
 Pasha of Jerusalem that we had been for over a month in Turkish 
 territory, and all in perfect health, we were again ordered to proceed to 
 Gaza for quarantine of fifteen days. An adtlitioual evidence of the hostility 
 of the Tui-kish authorities was their refusal to send a guard of soldiers, and 
 it was only on the strong representations of our Consul that on the 
 
 ' Tliis was not a surmise on my part, but a uotorious fact. 
 
 - This is, perhaps, hterally true, but as I was informed the mode of bartrr 
 is, that tlie Arabs offer about one-fourth of the value of the article, and the 
 Cjliawarneli dare not refuse the offer. 
 
 •' Tristram's " Land of Israel," 2nd edition, pp. 195, .352 &c.
 
 128 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRtEA, 
 
 following day we were joined by a guard of four mounted soldiers, who 
 had to travel day and night to reach our camp. 
 
 It was clear we were regarded by the authorities with suspicion as in 
 some way connected with "the Jordan Valley scheme" ; and it was probable 
 that our protestations to the contrary, conveyed to the Turkish government 
 through Sir E. Baring before we left Cairo, only tended to confirm their 
 impressions ; and, all things considered, it must be confessed that appear- 
 ances were against us ! 
 
 The diversion of our course towards Gaza, with the prospect of captivity 
 for fifteen days was, it must be confessed, a great disappointment to us. 
 "We were thus deprived of the opportunity of visiting the western shore of 
 the Salt Sea beyond Jebel Usdum and about Ain Jidi (Engedi) as we had 
 intended. Moreover, our letters, which must have been lying for us at 
 Jerusalem for several weeks, had not been sent by the muleteers, and 
 some days had now to elapse ere we could receive them. Still, we were 
 again about to go forward after a detention in The Ghor of eleven days, 
 and we could not but esteem "the passage of our weary steps as foil 
 wherein to set the precious jewel of our home return." We had much of 
 interest still to see, and the march to Gaza would enable us to make a 
 geological traverse of Southern Palestine. 
 
 It now appears that we did not get out of The Ghor at all too soon. I 
 learn, through Major Kitchener (letter dated ..4.bbassiyeh, March 21), 
 that Sheikh Arari of Petra is at war with Ibn MujeUi of Kerak, and the 
 battleground is doubtless the neighbourhood of Es Safieh. Had this war 
 broken out when we were there our position would not have been pleasant. 
 As neutrals we should have been regarded by both parties with suspicion ; 
 and possibly have been treated as they treat the Ghawarneh. 
 
 The evening was spent in preparation for the morrow's march. The 
 important question of the proper amount of bakhsheesh for Sheikh Ali 
 and his retainers had to be decided, as well as the sum to be presented to 
 Sheikh Seyd as " ground rent " during our encampment. The former 
 question was the more difficult of the two ; because it was certain Ali 
 placed a high value on his services over and above that previously 
 arranged, a value much in excess of our estimate. Finally, we agreed to 
 give him 30 mejedies (about .£5), and the money having been tightly 
 bound up in a little parcel was entrusted to me to be slipped into his 
 hands when biddinir him farewell next moruinff.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARARAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 129 
 
 CHAPTEE XIV. 
 
 MARCH FEOM ES SAFIEH AND JEBEL USDUM, 
 
 The morning of Thursday, 27th December, saw our deliverance from 
 the enforced captivity of The Ghor. We were up before daybreak, for we 
 knew that we had a long day's march before us, and much to see on the 
 road. The baggage was distributed amongst the mules, and we selected 
 our riding horses ; and so well was everything done that by 8 a.m. we 
 were in the saddle, and headed l:)y Sheikh Seyd, as guide to the passage 
 across the slimy jilain, we were wending our way amongst the thickets of 
 Es Safieh. We were a merry party ; light of heart as boys leaving school 
 for the holidays. Our cavalcade consisted of 30 horses and mules, the 
 four camels which had come from Cairo, and were now to return through 
 part of the way with us, and four mounted soldiers who had arrived by 
 forced marches from Hebron during the night. We took farewell of 
 Sheikh Seyd at the edge of the marsh, and bent our steps towards the foot 
 of Jebel XJsdum — that mysterious tabulated hill we had so often contem- 
 plated from the eastern side of The Ghor. 
 
 Having halted for a litte, we commenced to examine the clilTs of 
 Jebel Usdum, and to penetrate some of the caves which open into their 
 sides. These caves give egi'ess to the torrents which issue forth after rain, 
 and along their walls the rock salt is constantly melting. Hart and 
 Laurence scrambled up to the summit of the cliff, and for the first time 
 the upper surface of this remarkable saliferous plateau was examined by a 
 European.' The difficulties of both reaching and traversing its upper 
 surface are considerable, owing to the holes and fissures by which the 
 strata are penetrated. Mr. Hart informs me that the upper surface is 
 composed of shales and marls with gypsum and selenite, much broken, and 
 not consolidated. They do not at all resemble the limestone strata of 
 the Cretaceo-nummulitic formation, of which the adjoining table-land is 
 
 ' Tristram describes the face as " quite impracticable," " Land of Israel," 
 p. 326 ; and Lartet speaks of it in similar language, " Voyage d'Exploration," 
 vol. iii.
 
 loO NAERATIVE OF AN EXrEDITION THROUGH ARABIA TETR^A, 
 
 composed, and with wliifh they are grouped by Lartet. Tliere are also 
 fine sandy bands with i^seudomorphs of salt crystals, all indicating lacus- 
 trine conditions. 
 
 At the cave I examined, immense masses of the rock salt had fallen 
 down quite recently; and further north, wheie the rock is traversed by
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTEKN PALESTINE. 131 
 
 vertical joint planes, there have been large dislodgments of the sides of the 
 clitf, supposed to have been due to an earthquake ; while the rock-salt 
 uusujjported by the firmer sides, has been bent along the faces of the 
 joints by the superincumbent weight of materials. This remarkable 
 jjlienomenon is represented in the adjoining sketch. Fig. 17. 
 
 The lower part of Jebel Usdtmi is formed of solid bluish rock-salt, 
 which reaches a thickness from 30 to 50 feet, and this is capj^ed by beds 
 of marl, salt, and gypsum ; while below the rock-salt are beds of gravel, 
 shale, and laminated sandstone, often crushed out and lying in heaps at 
 the base of the cliffs. There was no doubt in the mind of myself, or of any 
 of our party, that this salt mountain is a portion of the ancient bed of the 
 Salt Sea, and the elevation of its upper surface, 600 feet above the waters 
 of the sea itself, confirms this view.' 
 
 Mr. Hart furnishes the following account of the upper surface of this 
 hill :— 
 
 " On Thursday, the 27th of December, when passing under the eastei'n 
 base of Jebel Usdum, en route from Es Safieh to Gaza, it occurred 
 to me that the salt cliifs of that unique eminence did not look by any 
 means so inaccessible as writers had led me to suppose. Choosing a point 
 about half-way in its length on the steep eastern face, I scrambled up the 
 rock-salt and white powdery marls which partly covered it for about 200 
 feet ; — my f liend, Mr. Eeginald Laurence, following me ; after that there 
 was no further difficulty. The solid mineral salt appeared to cease at 
 about 100 or 150 feet, and the remainder of the elevation was a cap of 
 marl. The salt is cut and broken into all sorts of glacier-like crevasses 
 and ugly black holes visible for another hundred feet or so. A slip down 
 one of these treacherous caverns, where ice is replaced by glittering salt, 
 and snow by white marl, would j^roduce a well-preserved museum speci- 
 men for future naturalists. The marl is here scooped out by water action 
 into blocks and beds and mounds of dust, often half concealing the jjits. 
 After a while the cijacks are filled (at least as I passed over them I hoped 
 so), and in about a mile I reached the base of the inner ridge, the highest 
 point of which my aneroid gave me at 600 feet above the Dead Sea. In 
 
 ' M. Louis Liirtet states the tlui-kuess of tlie rock salt to be 20 metres, aud Hut 
 the sumiuit is formed of chalky limestone witli bands of flijit, belonging to the 
 Cretaeeo-nummiilitic formation. In this yiew I am unable to concur ; and 
 possibly, if M. Lartet had been able to examine the summit himself, ho would 
 have arrived at a different conclusion. 
 
 K 2
 
 132 NA^inJATlVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH AKABIA PETE^A, 
 
 many places this marl, tlie ancient floor of the Dead Sea, is solidified into 
 calcareous crusts and blocks of various degrees of consistency ; and fre- 
 quently crystals of selenite, in stellate patches, from 1 to 3 inches 
 across, of a pale brown colour, lie on the surface. The central ridge 
 is about 200 yards from the western edge of Jebel Usduni, and forms 
 its axis, lying north and south magnetic. An easier descent would 
 bring one down to an inner wady, sloping north and south from a central 
 height of about 400 feet above the Dead Sea, or 200 below the summit. 
 Thus this mountain of salt, or rather of marl with a foundation of salt, is 
 completely isolated. Its length is about six miles. It would be easy to 
 ascend Jebel Usdum from either end, or from the inner wMy between it 
 and the limestone declivities of Judsea about a mile beyond. The summit 
 corresponds accurately with the height of the consjjicuous marls all round 
 the southern base of the Dead Sea. I estimated their levels in Wady 
 Arabah, and in two or three places in the ravines, and on the cliflF sides 
 to the east and south-east of our encampment in The Ghor near Es Safieh, 
 and their upper limit always lay somewhere been 600 and 650 feet. 
 
 " From the plateau on the summit of Jebel Usdum there descends a gully 
 to the north, which one would imagine it would take a wider watershed 
 to form. Down this we descended, Laurence having joined me on the 
 top, by a cutting through deep smoothly-sliced walls of marl, white and 
 unspeakably dusty. Often these are finely and beautifully laminated with 
 great regularity, showing the ancient planes of deposition. No trace of 
 organic matter could be detected in them. Nevertheless, at the very sum- 
 mit almost, were the burrows of a small rodent (I believe the porcupine 
 mouse Acomys dimidiatics, Gray) ; and a solitary sparrow-hawk, perched 
 on the highest point, was hardly induced to make room for me. A coiiple 
 of tamarisk bushes reminded me of botany, and about six other species of 
 plants, all of the Desert type, were noted in the upper hundred feet. As 
 we descended straggler after straggler appeared in the dry watei-course ; 
 and by the time we reached the wide Muhauwat Wady at the north- 
 west corner of Jebel Usdum, some forty thirsty feverish grey weeds had 
 put in their appearance. Here our successful little detour was somewhat 
 marred by finding we had caused our comrades alarm, and our ever- 
 watchful guardian had been induced to send Bedawins to scour the 
 country for us. We availed ourselves of the delay by a swim, or rather 
 wade, in the Dead Sea, an experience which I shall ever recall with a j^ious 
 liorror of smarting eyes and inflamed scratches."
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 133 
 
 While exploring the shores of the Salt Sea, I saw evidence which con- 
 vinced me that its waters are still receding. A terrace of gravel stretches 
 from the base of the salt cliffs outwards towards the margin of the sea to 
 a distance, in some places, of 30 yards ; it then abruptly terminates in a 
 descent of about 5 feet to the line of drift wood which marks the upper 
 limit of the waters. That the gravel teiTace was originally the bed of the 
 Salt Sea does not admit of a doubt, so that since it was laid dry the waters 
 have fallen to the extent (5 feet) above indicated. The formation of this 
 terrace must be of very recent date, but that may be over a thousand years. 
 When the waters covered the tei'race they washed the base of the cliffs of 
 the salt mountain, which they do not now a])pear to be ever able to reach. 
 
 We lunched on this terrace by the shores of the sea, in which some of 
 our party were courageous enough to bathe. My aneroid marked 32° 1', 
 which, according to the determination of the Ordnance Survey, would 
 mean for that day 1,292 feet below the level of the Mediterranean. 
 
 Leaving the shores of the Salt Sea, and the northern extremity of the 
 Jebel Usdum, we crossed the stony bed of the Muhauwat, which sometimes 
 sweeps down from the interior, and is joined by that of the Zuweirah, so 
 that the combined effects of these torrents is to cover an area of about 
 half-a-mile with great piles of shingle and large blocks of limestone and 
 chert. Here it was that Canon Tristram started a herd of twenty-two 
 gazelles ; but we weie not so fortunate. 
 
 As the sun was now approaching the horizon, and we had done a good 
 deal in the way of exploration, we would gladly have camped at the base 
 of the hills to the north of Jebel Usdum, but the time at our disposal did 
 not permit of so leisurely a progress. Our stations had been arranged 
 beforehand, and our mules with the tent-equipage were far in advance ; it 
 was therefore necessary to press onwards, and we turned our horses' heads 
 up the bed of the Wady Zuweirah, along which the only practicable ])ath 
 to Beersheba and Gaza lies. The pathway through the windings of this 
 ravine was steep, and often difficult, owing to the slippery surface of the 
 limestone ledges ; but our good steeds never lost their footing. Often the 
 walls of rock, constructed of beds of limestone and dark chot,' rose high 
 above our heads, while the terraces of marl, sand, and gravel, belonging to 
 the ancient Salt Sea bed, might be observed clinging to the sides of the 
 older formation, and running up the branching ravines to a level of about 
 600 feet above the waters of the Salt Sea. It was clear from the relations 
 
 ' Chert is a silicious stone often found in limestones, and like flint is very hard.
 
 134 NARRATIVE OF AX EXPEDITION^ THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 of these two formations that this deep glen had been hollowed out before 
 it had been invaded by the waters of the sea. At a subsequent period 
 these rose to a level of about 600 feet above the present surface ; and while 
 wearing down the walls of the valley allowed the beds of marl and 
 gravel by which the valley itself was partially filled up to be accumulated ; 
 when again the waters fell away, and receded to their present level, the 
 torrent channelled out its bed chiefly through these softer materials, 
 which, by their lighter colours as well as by their composition, can be 
 easily distinguished from the older limestone strata.^ 
 
 We passed the interesting ruins, described by Canon Tristram, and 
 referred by him to the period of the Crusades,* though referred by Dr. 
 Robinson, to the Saracens, and continuing our course ultimately attained 
 to the upper surface of the table-land. The sun was now setting, and we 
 had yet several miles of broken country to cross before reaching our camj) 
 in the WMy el Abd. It soon became pitch dark ; but fortunately two of 
 our Arabs from Hebron were well acquainted with the path, which they 
 tracked with wonderful sagacity ; while our horses managed to keep their 
 footing, even when sliding down into a rocky ravine, the floor of which was 
 quite invisible, at least to my eyes ; or when climbing some slij^pery bank. 
 Mile after mile was traversed in the darkness, and yet no kindly light 
 gleamed forth amid the encircling gloom to indicate the place of our 
 oamp. At length, as we were beginning to fear we had lost our way, or 
 had passed the camping ground in the darkness, Gordon appeared on the 
 top of a bank holding a lantern and pointing out the way. On arriving 
 we found ourselves inside a stony glen, the floor of which had to be 
 cleared of stones before the tents could be pitched, and nothing was 
 prepared for our reception. Cold and weary with a march of twelve 
 hours or more, we went down to join our Arab escort, who, seated around 
 their fires, were preparing the evening meal. They politely welcomed us, 
 spread their sheepskins on the ground for us to rest on, and then pro- 
 ceeded to prepare coff'ee for us ere partaking of any themselves. After 
 awhile our tents were got ready, and throwing ourselves on our beds 
 "tired nature's sweet restorer — balmy sleep," soon came to our relief. 
 
 The next morning we were up and off" betimes, and we continuetl 
 our ascent towards the table-land by a path which wound along the 
 
 ' A drawing showing the relations of the ancient deposits of the Dead Sea 
 to those of older date at W. Suweirali is giren by Lartet, " Toyage d'ExpIora- 
 tion," Plate II. - " Land of Israel," p. 356.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AXD WESTEE^J PALESTINE. 135 
 
 sides of the limestone hills, sometimes crossing ledges of bare slippery 
 rock, on which our horses had much ado to keep their footing. In some 
 places the rounded foim of the hills, the close herbage, and the numei'ous 
 sheep-tracks running along the sides, reminded me of the chalky downs of 
 the South of England ; and we noticed several flocks of white sheep and 
 black goata of the Jah§,lin Arabs pasturing on the fresh grass and tender 
 herbs which the recent rains were causing to spring up. On reaching the 
 summit we noticed a large cairn a short distance to our left, on which 
 Major Kitchener had planted his theodolite ; and, assisted by Mr. Arm- 
 strong, was taking bearings on several prominent points and objects which 
 here came into view. We were now at an elevation of about 3,500 feet 
 above the Salt Sea, and consequently we were in a commanding position 
 for a view in every direction. Far below, towards the east, was the deep 
 depression of The Ghor, holding in its spacious lap the blue waters of the 
 Salt Sea. Beyond the hills and table-land of Moab, and towards the 
 south-east, the green oasis of Es Satieh, which had sheltered us for so 
 many days. The whole surroundings of the sea, except the northern end, 
 lay spread out before us like a map. There was the Lissan, projecting 
 far into its waters from the eastern side, its white surface glistering in 
 the morning sun. Far away towards the south were seen the range of 
 hills bordering the Wady el Arabah, and conspicuous amongst the several 
 heights rose the conical summit of Mount Hor. At our feet the limestone 
 hills resembled a continuous sea of ridges and furrows, tumultuously 
 thrown together, and jjresenting every variety of brown, yellow, and 
 light green shades amongst the hollow.s, while the dark brown befls of 
 chert imparted definite form and outline to the ridges and scarps. The 
 white table-land of Jebel Usdum, deeply scored and furrowed, was just 
 visible behind the darker cliffs of limestone to the south of our position. 
 The cairn on which we stood was of large dimensions, about 50 feet in 
 diameter, circular in form, and constructed of large blocks of chert. The 
 centre was hollow and about 10 feet in depth ; it probably marks the 
 grave of some great chief. 
 
 We camped for luncheon on the rolling plains of " The Wilderness 
 of Paran," which, if the hollows were cultivated, might produce 
 abundant crops of wheat and other grain. The only inhabitant now is 
 the Jahalin shepherd and his flock, and a few wild animals. \\\ some 
 places the herbage was freckled over with multitudes of little white 
 snails {Helix seetzeni and H. vesialis), covering the ground and climbin:g
 
 136 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^EA, 
 
 lip the desert-plants, which appeared as if sprinkled with snow. 
 Along with these were a few specimens of a shell in form like a small 
 Trochus, of a brown colour, and the whorls handsomely sculptured 
 {H. tuberculosa) . I presented the specimens to Mr. Hart for description. 
 The plains are entirely treeless — neither tree nor shrub are to be seen 
 for miles ; nevertheless, the ground was green with herbs, small plants, 
 and grass ; and amongst them could be distinguished, even at this early 
 season, cyclamens, a pretty little marigold, and a mallow in much esteem 
 with the Arabs as a vegetable. Flocks of small birds, such as larks, 
 wagtails, starlings, green plover, and pin-tailed grouse, abounded, and 
 imparted somewhat of life to the otherwise desolate landscape. In the 
 afternoon we pitched our tents at Tel-el-Milh, the Moladah of the Bible,^ 
 where water is always to be found. From the reference to Moladah, 
 Beersheba, and other cities with the villages thereof, it seems evident 
 that the tract of country, through which our road towards Gaza lay, 
 had been largely inhabited both before and after the Captivity ; — but 
 how great is now the change ! Of the works of man little remain but a 
 few wells, which fortunately preserve the names of the original sites, 
 together with the foundations of stone walls, or small mounds of stone, 
 bricks, and pottery. The physical features alone remain ; the hills, 
 valleys, river channels, and brook courses are probably much as they 
 were in the time of the pi'ophet Nehemiah, or even earlier. The 
 patriarchs and prophets gazed on the same hills, valleys, and plains 
 that we do now ; and in reading the sacred records we recognise the 
 careful accuracy of the references to these phenomena on every hand. 
 There is, as it seems to me, some satisfaction in this reflection ; and in 
 surveying the landscape one is tempted to recall the pathetic lines of Sir 
 Walter Scott, as applied by him to the natural scenery of his native land — 
 
 " It seems to us of all bereft, 
 Sole friends thj hills aud vales are left ; 
 And thus we love them better still, 
 E'en in the extremity of ill." 
 
 The wells of Tel-el-Milh are sunk about 60 yards from the river bank 
 — one shallow and dry, the other deep and containiiig water. They are of 
 excellent construction, built throughout of hewn blocks of limestone in 
 regular courses ; the depth to the water I estimated at 60 feet. The edge 
 stones are deeply grooved by the ropes of men who have drawn water 
 
 ' One of the outpost cities of Judah towards Edom (Josh, xv, 26 ; Nehem. xi, 26).
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 137 
 
 therefrom during a period of perhajis thi'ee thonsaud years ; and in an 
 outer circle round the well are ranged nine large stone troughs for cattle 
 to drink out of. These are supported in position by little piles of stones.' 
 We arrived at Beersheba early in the afternoon of Saturday, and 
 pitched in the vicinity of " Abraham's Wells," which, like these of Tel-el- 
 Milh, are sunk a few yards from the river's brink. The reason for this 
 
 -**^ 
 
 N^^Cs>^^ 
 
 Fig. is. — Abraham's Well, Bekksheba. 
 is obvious. The well-sinker knew that the chances of a constant sup))ly 
 were g-reatest in the low ground which borders a river's bank, and that the 
 water from the river itself would find its way by percolation into the 
 well. Yet are the wells themselves at a sufficient elevation to prevent 
 
 ' For a picture and account of these wells, see " Tlie Land of Israel," p. 374.
 
 138 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA VETRMX, 
 
 the river water, which is generally turgid, from getting direct access to 
 the water of the wells. In the selection of the sites, as well as in the 
 execution of the work, there has, therefore, been displayed both judgment 
 and skill ; while it must have been a work requiring both strength and 
 perseverance to hollow out of the hard limestone rock, of which this region 
 is formed, wells of such depth and excellence of construction. Captain 
 Conder states that the depth of the larger well is over 45 feet, lined with 
 rings of masonry to a depth of 28 feet, and he made a discovery which, as 
 he remarks, was rather disappointing, namely, that the masonry is not 
 very ancient. Fifteen courses down, on the south side of the large well, 
 he found a stone with an inscription in Arabic on a tablet dated 505 a.h., 
 that is, in the twelfth century.^ This discovery, however, does not throw 
 any doubt on the antiquity of the wells themselves, but may only refer to 
 the date of their restoration from a state of previous dilapidation. 
 
 Beersheba and its surroundings haA'^e been so often described that it 
 is not my intention to dwell further on this most interesting locality. It 
 was a reward of many a day's toil to stand on the spot where dwelt the 
 Father of the Faithful ; to drink of the same well of which he drank ; and 
 to look upon the same scenes which, day after day for several years of his 
 eventful life, met his gaze. The history of the Patriarch becomes on this 
 spot a vivid reality. 
 
 We had now reached the southern margin of the tract included in 
 the Ordnance Survey Map of Western Palestine.^ All the way between 
 Tel-el-Milh and Bir es Seba (Beersheba) the country is strewn with ruins 
 of walls and foundations of buildings, showing how thickly it was once 
 inhabited. Now, the land is " desolate, almost without inhabitant ; " for 
 during the fourteen miles of march between these places, we only twice 
 fell in with human beings : on one occasion a Bedawin ; on the other, 
 fellahin ploughing with their camels. 
 
 The pressure on our time, the expense consequent on our detention 
 in The Gh6r, and prospective detention in Gaza, forbade the idea of the 
 usual Sunday rest ; we therefore pressed on for another day's march to 
 Tel Abu Hareireh, a distance of about fifteen miles. The country we 
 traversed consisted of an undulating plain, over the sides and hollows of 
 
 ' " Tent Work in Palestine." New edition, p. 246. 
 
 - The district about Tel-el-Milh and Beersheba was surveyed by Captain 
 Conder and Major Kitchener, assisted by Serjeant Armstrong, who, ^-ith the 
 exception of the first, were now revisiting the scene of their former labours.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 139 
 
 which was spread a deep covering of loam of a veiy fertile nature ; while 
 from time to time horizontal beds of white chalky limestone cropped out 
 along the sides of the valleys. The district is extensively cultivated by 
 the Terabhi Arabs, and by little parties of fellahin, who annually squat 
 down for the season between sowing and reaping, living with their 
 families in tents pitched in sheltered spots. Here the camel is largely 
 used for ploughing, one camel being equal to two oxen, and the tall gaunt 
 form of " the ship of the desert " might often be seen against the sky-line 
 moving slowly along in front of the plough and the plougher. This was 
 a kind of work at which some of us had not hitherto seen the camel 
 employed. The extent of ground here cultivated, as well as all the way 
 to Gaza, is immense, and the crops of wheat, barley, and maize must 
 vastly exceed the requirements of the population. In fact, large quanti- 
 ties of agricl^ltural produce raised in this jiart of Palestine are annually 
 exported from Jaffa and other towns ; and as we approach the western sea- 
 board the cultivation improves, till about Gaza, El Medjel, and Jaffa, it 
 attains a degree of excellence scarcely surpassed by that of Italy, France, 
 or England. 
 
 We camped by the side of a running stream at the foot of Tel Abu 
 Hareireh, on which is placed the tomb of the distinguished personage of 
 that name. Our dragoman, Ibraham, who is a great authority on all 
 matters connected with "the Prophet," informed me that Abu Hareireh 
 was one of the " companions " of Mohammed, and a great scribe and com- 
 mentator on the Koran. How he came to die, and be interred in this 
 out-of-the-way spot, is a point on which my informant was unable to 
 throw light. The spot, however, was of other interest to us, for here we 
 came into contact with a new geological formation, hitherto, as I believe, 
 unrecognised, but which occupies an extensive area stretching through 
 the land of Philistia northwards to the base of Mount Carmel. This 
 formation consists of rather hard yellow calcareous sandstone, traversed 
 by joint planes similar to those of the limestone. I was unable any- 
 where to observe a junction between the two formations, but judging 
 by the general position of the strata thi'oughout this part of Palestine, 
 there can be little doubt that the sandstone is newer than the limestone 
 of the central plateau, which dips towards the west and passes below the 
 sandstone in the direction of the Meditenanean sea-board. (See 
 Geological Map.) 
 
 In the position and relations of these two sets of strata, we have, as it
 
 140 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA RETR.^A, 
 
 seems to me, an explanation of the features of "Western Palestine. It is 
 now generally known that the whole of the interior table-land of Judah, 
 and of Ephraim, is formed of exceedingly hard beds of limestone. In the 
 centre of the table-land the strata reach their highest altitude, and are 
 in a nearly horizontal position ; but along the western slope they dip 
 westwards, as may be seen in the sections along the Jaffa and Jerusalem 
 road at Bab-el-Wady, east of Ramleh.^ At the western margin of the 
 table-land, which, commencing at Tel es Sherlah on the south, ranges 
 northwards by 'Arak el Menshiyet, Kezazeh, Eamleh, Ludd, Kalkilieh, 
 and El Marah to the sea at Mount Carmel, the limestone gives place to 
 the yellow sandstone. This latter being of a much softer character, and 
 having been denuded from off the upper surface of the limestone plateau, 
 it has also been deeply worn down along the tract of Philistia, and the 
 Plain of Sharon ; in consequence of which, this tract is much depressed, 
 and is at a lower level than that formed of the limestone beds. As 
 regards the geological age of the sandstone formation, my impression is, 
 that it forms an upper member of the Eocene Tertiary series, and that 
 it was accumulated beneath the waters of the sea, mider conditions some- 
 what different from those which prevailed during the deposition of the 
 Cretaceo-nummulitic limestone.^ 
 
 Another object of interest which attracted our notice in the Wady es 
 Sheriah, when camped at Tel Abu Hereirah, was the presence of beds of 
 calcareous sand and gravel, containing numerous shells of varieties now 
 living in the Mediterranean, including species of the genera Pecten, 
 Cardium, Ostrea, Dentalium, TurriteUa, and species of Echini. The 
 aneroid showed that we were here about 200 feet above the level of the 
 Mediterranean, so that we could not dovibt we had again before us a por- 
 tion of " the 200 feet raised beach," which we had seen along the shores 
 of the Gulf of Suez, and to the north of the Gulf of Akabah. We subse- 
 quently noticed this raised sea-bed at intervals all the way to Jaffa, 
 where its presence is marked by a sandy or gravelly terrace, containing 
 numerous sea-shells, amongst which Pectunculus violascens, Purpura hemi- 
 
 • This is very well represented by Lartet in the " Coupe hypothetique dc 
 Jaffa a Shihan," supra cit., Plate II. 
 
 ^ We examined this rock at Jaffa, Yaziir, Yebnah, Gaza, and other places, 
 but were unable to discover the presence of fossils. It seems to be represented in 
 Egvpt by Sehweinfurth's " brauner kalksandstein " of the upper Eocene period. 
 (" Ueber die Geol. Schichten d. Mokattam b. Cairo." " Abd. a, d. Zeit. d. Deuts. 
 Geol. Gesellschaft." 1883.)
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAH, AND "WESTERN ]'ALESTINE. 141 
 
 stoma, Murex brandaris, and Columhella rustica ai'e the most abundant 
 forms.^ This sea-beach runs up the valleys, and occupies the plains, of 
 Western Palestine along the sea-board to a level of about 200 feet, as in 
 the valley below Tel Abu Hareireh. 
 
 On the last day of the year 1883 we parted with our colleague, Major. 
 Kitchener, who had arranged to return to Cairo, and thus escape deten- 
 tion in quarantine at Gaza. His departure was greatly regretted by us 
 all. He had proved a most agreeable companion during our journeyings 
 of nearly two months, while his knowledge of the Arab customs and 
 language, and his skill in dealing with the Bedawins, proved of much 
 service to the Expedition. Assisted by Mr. Armstrong, Major Kitchener 
 had worked unsparingly, and under many dithculties, owing to the necessary 
 rapidity of our movements, in order to produce a correct outline map of 
 the district we had traversed between Mount Sinai and Southern Pales- 
 tine. The necessary observations had now been made ; and there was, 
 therefore, no necessity that he should accompany us further, much less 
 that he should subject himself to the restrictions of a quarantine deten- 
 tion. He, therefore, made arrangements with the four Hawatat Arabs, 
 who had arrived when we were camping in The Ghor, to return with them 
 to Cairo, though by a road probably never before traversed by an 
 Englishman ; and ere we struck our tents for the day's march into Gaza, 
 Kitchener, mounted on his little horse, and accompanied by his four 
 Arabs on their camels, crossed the Wady es Sheriah, and taking a south- 
 westerly line of march, made for Ismailia, which he ultimately reached iu 
 safety.^ 
 
 Our march towards Gaza lay over an undulating country, generally 
 covered deeply with loam, and extensively cultivated by the Terabtn 
 Arabs, whose camps we frequently passed. Numerous small plants were 
 unfolding their petals under the influence of the warm sunshine, and 
 amongst others the scarlet anemone {Anemone coronaria, Lin.), so rich and 
 beautiful in colour that on seeing it for the first time I involuntarily 
 exclaimed, "Surely this is the 'lily of the field' I" — a view in which 
 Mr. Hart concurred.* Numerous bulbous plants overspread the ground, 
 
 ^ The first-named is by far the most abundant, as it is on the sea-shore at 
 the present day. The other forms are much rarer, and are given by Lartet, 
 supra cit., p. 170. 
 
 2 The distance was about 140 EngKsh miles, and he was everywhere well 
 received by the Arabs whom he happened to meet. 
 
 •* On referring to the " Teacher's Oxford Bible," I find tlie scarlet anemone
 
 142 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEIJITION THROUGH ARABIA RETR/EA, 
 
 Imt liad not yet come into flower; and occasionally we came upon the 
 leafy tuft of that peculiar plant, the mandrake {Mandragora ojjiciiialis), 
 supposed to be the same as that mentioned in Genesis xxx, 14, with its 
 j)urple bell-shaped flowei's concealed within the interior of its "primrose- 
 like" leaves. 
 
 About noon we reached Khurbet el Baha, an artificial mound, marked 
 on the Ordnance Survey Map, about 120 feet across at the base, and 
 30 feet high. It is covered by broken pottery and pieces of slag, and 
 commands an extensive prospect over the plains. Here we set up our 
 luncheon tent and rested for a while. Just as we were preparing to 
 remount our horses, an Arab Sheikh, gorgeously arrayed, with two atten- 
 dants, and spear in hand, rode up towards our tent, and after the usual 
 salutations, we inquired of him to what tribe he belonged. He replied, 
 " I am Sheikh of the Tihyaha. All the lands you see around (waving his 
 hand proudly) we have taken from the Terabtn, who have gone further 
 south to the country of the Az§,zimeh." After a little more conversation 
 he bid us farewell and rode away. This Sheikh was certainly the finest 
 representative of an Arab chief I had seen. What he had mentioned 
 referred to a contest which had raged for several years between the 
 Tihyaha and the Terabin tribes about the ownership of a tract of land 
 in which the former were the victors. The Government were obliged 
 ultimately to interfere ; and, having sent a body of soldiers with guns 
 into the district, compelled the Sheikhs of the respective parties to 
 come to terms, the Terabin being obliged to surrender a portion of 
 their territory. 
 
 Shortly after starting, a herd of fifteen gazelles crossed our path 
 in open order some distance ahead of us. It was the largest herd I 
 had seen ; and it was a beautiful sight to see these graceful animals 
 bounding across the plain ; of covirse, no one was prepared for this, and the 
 gazelles passed unmolested by us. Coming to the foot of a low ridge 
 which our path crossed, and from which we exjjected to get a sight of the 
 Mediterranean and of Gaza in the foreground, we put our horses into a 
 gallop, which, to do them justice, they were always ready to go in for. 
 On reaching the summit, we had an extensive prospect. Gaza, our future 
 prison, lay at the other side of an extensive and fertile plain, which swept 
 
 mentioned as most probably that with which our Lord contrasted the raiment of 
 King Solomon. Canou Tristram entertains a similar view.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 143 
 
 away from our feet for several miles ; beyond, was the broad blue streak 
 of the Mediterranean, our pathway to Europe and home ! Gaza itself 
 looked inviting ; charmingly situated on a low range of hills amongst 
 palm-trees and olive gardens, while numerous flocks of sheep and goats, 
 together with herds of cattle, were pasturing at intervals upon the plain. 
 The sight of the sea raised our spirits, notwithstanding the prospect of 
 imprisonment. Cantering along we passed a picket of soldiers belong- 
 ing to the quarantine, and soon were winding our way through tlie 
 gardens and hedgerows of cacti towards the sand-hills on the west of the 
 city, where arrangements had been made by Bernhard Heilpern, who had 
 preceded us, for our encampment. To the last we had flattered ourselves 
 with the hope that our friends in Jerusalem had succeeded in getting a 
 remission of the order for our imprisonment, and that Heilpern would 
 have good news for us upon our arrival. But no ! On the contrary, orders 
 had come that we were to put in our fifteen days at Gaza. Amongst 
 other letters was one from the British Consul, Mr. Moore, confirming the 
 tidings, and recommending that, as he was unable to effect our release, I 
 should telegraph to Lord Duflerin, the British Ambassador at Constanti- 
 nople, asking his intervention on our behalf. This I lost no time in 
 doing ; and, as will be seen in the sequel, had an immediate reply of the 
 most fiiendly kind. The delay to this extent would have proved a serious 
 loss of time as well as of money, as we should have had to pay foi-, and 
 suj^iJort, not only ourselves, but our muleteers, and even our guard of 
 soldiers, of whom three were placed as sentries round our camp. We 
 estimated that, for the whole time, the cost would amount to £150, or 
 possibly more. 
 
 We found our tents pleasantly situated, beneath a small grove of locust 
 trees, tamarisks, and sycamores, in a hollow, bounded on one side by 
 gardens, and on the other by sand-hills which stretched towards the sea- 
 shore, and formed an excellent protection from the westerly winds. From 
 the sand-hills behind our tents we had a good view of Gaza and the 
 district towards the east, but the sea was completely hidden from our 
 view. The Eev. Mr. Schapira, of the Church Missionary Society, was 
 waiting to receive us, and to offer us every assistance in his power, and 
 duiing our stay we weie indebted to him for numerous friendly others. 
 A budget of letters and ] apers, the first we had received since leaving 
 Suez, gave us abundant occupation for the rest of the day, and we awaited 
 with some equanimity the result of our application to Lord Duflerin.
 
 144 XAREATIVE OF AX EXrEDITION TIIEOUGII ARABIA PETIi.EA. 
 
 CHAPTEE XV. 
 AMONGST THE PHILISTINES. 
 
 Neio Year's Day^ 1884.^Tliis day was .spent in camp, writing letters 
 and sending telegrams. Mr. Scliapira came early to the camp, to wish 
 us "a happy new year," and brought a copy of the Standard of the 
 9th December, which was very acceptable. Shortly afterwards came the 
 medical officer of quarantine, mounted on a pony, with an attendant. 
 He was an Italian, and spoke his own language, or French, with great 
 volubility. We endeavoured to impress upon him the absurdity of 
 keeping our party in durance, as it was six weeks since we left Egypt, 
 and, therefore, we might be presumed to be perfectly free from the taint of 
 infection. He replied that his orders to detain us were imperative, and 
 that the quarantine regulations wei'e " international." That it did not 
 matter how long we had been out of Egypt, and that he could only 
 release us if we gave him our word of honour that we had not come from 
 that country. He congratulated us on our healthy appearance, and 
 expressed his regret at the necessity for keeping us in quarantine for 
 fifteen days ; and wished us " good-bye," remarking that he " must return 
 home to dinner." He then formally declared us in quarantine, and rode 
 away. Two additional sentries were placed round our camp, cutting oif 
 our outlet to the sand-hills, which the day previous we had been allowed 
 to ramble over. 
 
 Early in the morning of Wednesday, 3rd January, a telegram was 
 received from Lord DufFerin, stating that he was doing all in his power 
 to obtain our release from quarantine. This was good news, and we all 
 felt grateful to his lordship for so promptly complying with our request. 
 Shortly after, the medical officer again arrived, bringing newspapers, 
 copies of the Revue des deux Mondes, and desiring special introductions 
 to each member of our party. He then presented us with a bottle of 
 wine, another of excellent Trieste beer, and wished us — " adieu." 
 
 On Saturday morning, the tifth from our entrance into Gaza, our eyes
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 145 
 
 were gladdened by the sight of the doctor, accompanied by Mr. Schapira, 
 making their way towards the camp. A wave from Mr. Schapira's 
 hand was the first intimation of our release, and a telegram from Lord 
 DufFerin was handed to me intimating the immediate prospect of this 
 event. This I read out, and a cheer for his lordship burst forth from all 
 the party. I immediately telegraphed our thanks, and also expressed to 
 Mr. Schapira our gratitude for his friendly offices. Orders were given 
 to prepare ovir horses for a ramble through and around Gaza, and 
 my son returned to the city in company with the doctor, Mr. Schapira, 
 and Benihard Heilpern, to square up accounts — a most unpleasant 
 transaction, as it afterwards proved.' 
 
 On Sunday, 6th January, after prayers in the tent, we left our camp 
 at Gaza, in the' forenoon, so as to reach El Medjet by the evening, on 
 our way to Jaffa. Winding through the hedgerows of prickly pear, we 
 entered an extensive forest of very ancient olive-trees, some of gi'eat size 
 and girth, and some of which may have been at least a thousand years 
 old. All along our way on the right the land was extensively cultivated, 
 and numerous teams of oxen or camels were turning up the fallow 
 ground. On the left, however, a different scene presented itself. The 
 high sand-hills, under which we had camped at Gaza, continued all 
 along, advancing inland or retreating towards the coast, but on the 
 whole a continuous feature all along the sea-board of Philistia.- These 
 enormous accumulations of fine sand, being driven by the westerly winds, 
 are constantly advancing towards the east ; swallowing up lands, gardens, 
 farms, and even villages, in their resistless progress. They thus con- 
 stitute a serious source of danger, and a constant menace to such towns 
 as Gaza, El Jora, Ascalon (now partly buried in sand), Esdtid, and Yazllr, 
 which are situated near their borders. It is well known, in fact, that 
 ruins of the ancient Gaza are now lying buried beneath the sandhills ; 
 
 • The early release of our party jjroved a great disappointment to tlie doctor, 
 who, notwithstanding his attentions above stated, really expected to make a very 
 handsome thing out of us — five Englislimen. Owing, however, to Mr. Schapira's 
 interference we were not allowed to pay more than was legally due, amounting 
 to 53i dollars, the sum originally demanded being 20 dollars for each of the 
 five travellers, and 10 to 15 dollars for each of the attendants and muleteers. 
 They also wanted us to pay for the use of our own tents, and for the custody of 
 our baggage which we had in the camp ! 
 
 ^ The sandhills are clearly marked on the Ordnance Map of Western 
 Palestine.
 
 14G NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA TETR^A, 
 
 and, as tliis city had a port named Majuma as late as the sixth century 
 of our era, which has now disappeared, it is quite possible that the 
 ancient city, which it cost Alexander the Great such an effort to take, 
 may have been swallowed up, and that the present site may be much 
 more recent. The only jjlace where I observed a barrier to the progress 
 of " the in^esistible destroyer," was along the banks of the Wady-el- 
 Hallb, where for some distance the sand appears to be swept away by 
 the waters of the river as fast as it enters its channel. On the eastei'n 
 bank the country was free from sand.^ 
 
 Towards evening we pitched our tent in an open sjDace outside the 
 walls of Medjet (Migdol Gad, one of the towns given to Judah, Josh, xv, 
 37) amidst cultivated fields, gardens, and olive groves. Some of the 
 olive-trees are of large size, and hollow in the interior ; one which I 
 measured was 19 feet in circumference at 4 feet from the ground. Hart 
 measured others of even greater girth. The district around is the 
 raised sea-bed, and in the loam and sand occur numerous shells, especially 
 those of the Pectunculus glycineris. 
 
 It was with extreme regret that we were unable to visit Ascalon, 
 which lay several miles to the west of our road, but time did not per- 
 mit. The reader, however, will have less cause of regret owing to the 
 excellent description of this most interesting city given by Captain 
 Conder.2 i^ the course of the following day we passed through another 
 of the five cities of the Philistines, Ashdod (AsdM), standing on two 
 hillocks surrounded by gardens ; and in the afternoon we camped for the 
 midday meal at Yebna (Jabneel, Josh. xv. 11). It is remarkable how 
 slightly the old Scripture names have changed, and consequently in 
 traversing this interesting country our thoughts are from time to time 
 carried back to the wars of Israel with the Philistines, and the eventful 
 histories of David, of Saul, and of Sampson. The huge form of Goliath 
 of Gath rises before our eyes ; and at some distance to the right of our 
 
 ^ On tlie origin of these remarkable sand-hills, I shall hare a good deal to 
 say when I come to deal with the geology of this part of the country. I may 
 here briefly state that I consider the sands to have been previously derived 
 from the disintegration of the sandstone of Philistia, and their accumulation 
 by the winds to be consequent on the elevation of the coast-Hne and the 
 sea-bed. 
 
 2 " Tent Work in Palestine," p. 281. The author states that the sands are 
 advancing year by year, and having climbed over the southern walls are destroy- 
 ing the fruitfid gardens on that side of the city.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND "WESTERN PALESTINE. 147 
 
 line of march we could see the great valley on either side of which were 
 drawn up in martial array the armies of the Philistines and " the hosts 
 of the Living God," and where the stripling laid the monster giant low 
 with a stone from the slmg. The road we were travelling had often felt 
 the tramp of armies. Here the hosts of Assyria and of Egypt had 
 passed and repassed. Later on, those of Alexander, of the Eomans, 
 the Crusaders, and last of all, of Napoleon Buonaparte. The country 
 along which we wended our way was excellently cultivated, and often 
 formed of rich brown loam many feet deep. Camels and oxen weie 
 busy in the fields, or passed us laden with agricultural produce, while 
 large herds and flocks of cattle and sheej) covei'ed the pasture lands. The 
 land is cultivated by the fellahin ; and, if any of them are descended from 
 the race of the giants, I can well believe it, as they are for the most 
 part men of good stature, if not of gigantic proportions. All along our 
 road to the left, the desolating sand-hills might be seen — sometimes at a 
 distance i-ising in steep slopes, threatening to bury the country at their 
 feet. In one spot, a short distance south of Yaz(ir, the sandy avalanche 
 had descended the hillside, and had partially covered the gardens and 
 park of some important householder (apparently in the position of a 
 " country gentlemen " at home), and it seemed only a question of time 
 when the house itself would be entombed ; some fine trees, which had 
 originally decorated the grassy slopes of the adjoining park, were now 
 rising out of a surface of sand. At length, after passing the suburbs of 
 YazAr, we emerged towards evening on the high road from Jaffa to 
 Jerusalem. It was a new experience to tread on a paved or " metalled " 
 road, and to meet a waggonette carrying passengers. For two months 
 we had been traversing pathless wastes, or following tracks of animals, 
 sometimes scarcely perceptible ; but we had not till now trod a carriage 
 road, nor witnessed any vehicle in the form of a stage coach. "We felt 
 that we had now left the desert and its people behind, and were coming 
 in contact with Western civilisation ! This feeling was intensified when, 
 after winding along lanes in the suburbs of Jaffa, bordered by groves of 
 orange and lemon trees laden with fruit, we found ourselves within the four 
 walls of " the Jerusalem Hotel," and were able to stretch our limbs on a bed 
 under cover of a roof, and to rest after a ride of thirty English miles. Per- 
 haps it was ungrateful not to feel in boisterous spirits at the change in our 
 surroundings which we had exiDerienced ; but, truth to tell, camp life had 
 become, not only familiar, but pleasant to us ; and our feelings at clianging 
 
 L 2
 
 148 NAKRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA TETRyEA, 
 
 it for one of a more civilised kind were not altogether those of unmixed 
 pleasure. 
 
 Time did not admit of a ])rolonged stay at this interesting old city, 
 but only of a visit to the beach, the fountain, and " the House of Simon 
 the Tanner."* A. natural breakwater of calcareous sandstone jjrojects 
 outwards into the Mediterranean from the ancient walls at the south end 
 of the town. Outside this all large ships are obliged to cast anchor ; and 
 passengers as well as cargoes have to be received and discharged by means 
 of boats, which frequently have to breast a heavy surf. The rock is seen 
 under the lens to be composed of comminuted shells, pieces of coral, and 
 other marine forms ; and it appeared to me to be of recent formation, 
 raised into the air when the whole sea-bed was being elevated. A similar 
 formation of shelly limestone appears still to be in process of consolida- 
 tion along the shore further towards the north, where it is quarried just 
 under the sands at the margin of low water. The shells of which it is 
 formed are those which strew the shore in immense numbers, chiefly 
 those of Pectunculus glycineris. 
 
 A similar foimation has been recognised by Drs. Hedenborg and 
 Lartet as occurring at other points of the coast of Palestine and Syria, as, 
 for example, at Tyre and Sidon, and they attribute its position at, or near, 
 the surface, to the recent slow elevation of the sea-bed, which may be still 
 in progress.^ 
 
 Having made a circuit of the town, and paid off our dragoman Ibraham 
 and his assistant, we mounted our horses early in tlie afternoon in order 
 to proceed to Eamleli, where we projjosed to break the journey by passing 
 the night on our way to Jerusalem. The hotel at Eamleh, like that at 
 Jaffa, was kept by a German Lutheran, and was clean and comfortable. 
 A pretty little gazelle was the playmate of the family, and we felt grateful 
 to the German nation all round, who send settlers to Palestine in order 
 to provide " gasthausen " for weary travellers. Eamleh is a village plea- 
 santly situated amongst gardens, and groves of olive-trees, sycamores, and 
 carob-trees. Its lofty tower rises high above the surrounding country, 
 and is a work of great skill and excellence ; both Christians and Moslems 
 claim the honour of having erected it, and if we are to believe the inscrip- 
 tion over the door, the honour is due to the latter. Eamleh is a town of 
 
 * The traditional " House of Simon the Tanner " overlooks the breakwater ; 
 it is now used as a small mosque. 
 
 ^ "Voyage d'Exploration de k Mar Morte," Vol. HI, chap, x, p. 198, &c.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND AVESTEEN PALESTINE. 149 
 
 comparatively modem date, founded in a.d. 716 by 'Omayyad Khalif 
 Suleiman,' but at a distance of only two miles to the north, on the old 
 road to Jerusalem, is the village of Lydda (Lud), the name of which is 
 dear to every reader of the New Testament, the home of yEneas. We are 
 told that Lydda was nigh to Joppa,- — that is just twelve miles, — and thither 
 the messengers from Joppa were sent to hasten the steps of the Apostle 
 to the deathbed of Dorcas. Like Ramleh, Lydda is surrounded by exten- 
 sive olive-groves, and seems a pleasant sj^ot. 
 
 The road from Jaffa to Jerusalem is not one of the best in the world, 
 but it is the best in Palestine. It is repaired when there is a prospect of 
 the visit of some foreign prince or potentate. Not far out of Jatfa we 
 passed a large number of men busily engaged in breaking stones for 
 repairing the specially bad places, and near Ramleh we found them laying 
 the stones on the mud and (will the reader credit the fact ?) rolling them 
 with segments of marble, or granite, columns which may have adorned 
 some ancient palace, temple, or theatre ! On seeing this desecration one 
 might well exclaim — 
 
 " Sic transit gloria mundi !" 
 
 On leaving the courtyai'd of our hotel next morning I was shocked to 
 behold, for the first time, a group of lepers, who, lining the wayside on 
 either hand, plaintively called on the " hawajahs " for bakhsheesh, and 
 holding out their hands approached unj^leasantly close to the horses. 
 Except on the Bethlehem road outside the walls of Jerusalem I nowhere 
 else saw any persons afflicted with this incurable disease. An excellent 
 hospital for the reception of these unhappy beings has been established 
 outside Jerusalem by the liberality of Germans and English. It is pre- 
 sided over by a pious German, who has devoted himself to the duty of 
 attending on the patients, who are well cared for when within the walls. 
 Unfortunately, however, for society, seclusion of lepers is not compulsory, 
 and thus the disease, which is hereditary, is perpetuated. Under the 
 circumstances, of which I was fully informed,^ it is a crime against society 
 to give alms to the lejjers of Palestine. 
 
 On leaving Ramleh the sky was cloudy, and rain was falling ; but as we 
 proceeded the weather improved, and our ride was full of interest. About 
 
 ' According to Baedeker, "Palestine and Sjria," p. 133. 
 
 * Acts ix, 36. 
 
 •' By our conductor, B. Heilpcrn.
 
 150 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^EA, 
 
 noon we came in view of the Valley of Ajaloii, renowned in Jewish 
 history, stretching away to the northwards till lost amidst the hills ; and 
 shortly after, we halted at Bab-el-Wady (the mouth of the Valley) for the 
 midday meal. Here the table-land of Central Palestine rises from the 
 plain, and the glen itself, hollowed out of sheets of limestone, affords a 
 field of great interest to the botanist. As we ascend it gradually expands 
 in breadth ; and the olive-trees, which line the brook-course, gradually 
 spread over the sides of the glen, and ultimately rise to the hill-tops, so 
 as to cover, as with a forest, the whole surface of the country. Hart soon 
 found abundant occupation amongst the shrubs and plants which lined 
 the ledges of the limestone rocks, or had obtained a footing in their 
 fissures or on their sides. They were for the most part evergreens, 
 apjjroaching in character those of the south or west of Europe and the 
 British Isles ; — or, perhaps, rather those of the Jura hills and the borders 
 of the Alps. One could recognise a large-leafed barberry, an arbutus, a 
 dwarf oak with large acorns {Quercus pseiido-coccifera, Desp.) a Poterium 
 spinosum, and several prickly shrubs. A pretty little cyclamen, a large 
 daisy, and a "bachelor's button" peejoed out here and there from under 
 the bushes. To make the surroimdings more homelike there were our 
 robin redbreast and a blackbird flying about, and coming as confidingly 
 close to us as they are wont to do in England when unmolested. On 
 a3cending to the top of the long valley, and turning a point of the road, 
 we were able to look back through a gap in the hills, and we could see 
 far- below us the plain of Eamleh and Lydda, and in the distance the 
 blue waters of the Mediterranean. 
 
 Our road for many miles wound along the sides of these bare limestone 
 hills, or overlooked the very deep ramifying valleys which penetrate far 
 into the central table-land. The scenery was most peculiar, and diiTering 
 from any I had seen elsewhere. The absence of natural forest trees in 
 valleys, which one would suppose were peculiarly fitted for their presence, 
 together with the scarcity of verdure, cannot but strike the eye even of 
 the most cursory spectator ; while on the other hand, where labour had 
 been bestowed in cultivating these stony valley sides, the results were 
 evidently most successful ; as, for instance, in the vicinity of Loba and 
 Kastal. At length, on reaching a bend in the road on the verge of the 
 spacious WSdy Suleiman, we noticed a little hamlet perched on the hill- 
 side to our left, and marked by three small white domes. " That," said 
 Bernhard Heilpern, " is Kfilcnieh, in all probability the village of Em-
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 151 
 
 maus ;> it is just the distance of a ' sabbath-day's journey ' from Jeru- 
 salem." So now we were for the first time approaching the scene of the 
 Saviour's converse with the disciples when about to leave our world, and 
 in a few minutes we should be treading the very road which had been 
 jiressed by His footsteps. I felt that the place was to me holy ground. 
 We recollect Cowper's lines : — , 
 
 " It happened on a solemn eventide, 
 Soon after He, who was our Surety, died, 
 Two bosom friends, each pensively inclined. 
 The scene of all those sorrows left behind, 
 Sought their own vUlage, busied as they went 
 In musings worthy of the great event. 
 They thought Ilini, and they justly thought Ilini, one 
 Sent to do more than He appeared to have done — 
 To exalt a people, and to place them high 
 Above all else, and wondered He should die ! 
 Ere yet they brought their journey to an end, 
 A stranger joined them, courteous as a friend, 
 And asked them with a kind, engaging air, 
 What their affliction was, and begged a share. 
 Informed, He gathered up the broken thread 
 And, truth and wisdom gracing all He said, 
 Explained, illustrated, and searched so well 
 The tender theme on which they chose to dwell, 
 That, reaching home, ' the night,' they said, ' is near, 
 We must not now be parted — sojourn here.' 
 The new acquaintance soon became a guest. 
 And, made so welcome at their simple feast, 
 He blessed the bread, but vanished at the word, 
 And left them both exclaiming, ' 'Tis the Lord ! ' " 
 
 Full of such thoughts we pressed onwards along the rugged road 
 towards the sacred city, and entered its gates just before sunset. 
 
 1 Conder, " Tent Work in Palestine," p. 140.
 
 152 NAllRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRiEA, 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 JEEUSALEM, BETHLEHEM, AND SOLOMON'S POOLS. 
 
 We were very kindly received by the friends of the Palestine Survey in 
 Jerusalem, including H.B.M. Consul, Mr. Noel T. Moore ; the American 
 Consul, Dr. Selah Merrill, Dr. Chaplin, Dr. Sandreczky, the Eev. A. H. 
 Kelk, and Mr. Schick. Preparations were set on foot for a visit to 
 Bethlehem and the Pools of Solomon, the Jordan Valley, and Jericho. 
 Meanwhile we examined the quarries and rock-exposures in the vicinity 
 of the Holy City. 
 
 The geological structure of the district is sufficiently simple to be 
 explained within a short compass. Jervisalem itself is built on a platform 
 of nearly horizontal strata of limestone, bounded in every direction 
 except the north by deep valleys, along which the beds occasionally crop 
 out in gently sloping courses. The valley along which the plateau termi- 
 nates on the east is the Wady Sitti Mariana, or Valley of Jehoshaphat ; 
 that on the west is the Wady Eahabi, or Valley of Hinnom, aiid these 
 two unite to form the Wady-en-Nar, or the Valley of the Kedron, which 
 follows a somewhat irregular course towards the south and east till it 
 enters the Salt Sea south of Eas Feshkah. The Valley of Jehoshaphat is 
 204 feet in depth under the Mosque of Omar, and is bounded on the east 
 by the Mount of Olives, which at Kefr-el-Ttlr reaches an elevation of 
 2,683 feet above the level of the Mediterranean.' The hills to the outside 
 of the valleys are somewhat higher than the Jerusalem platform, and thus, 
 as has been often remarked, bear out the beautiful simile of Psalm cxxv, 2. 
 They are composed of similar calcareous strata, and have a slight dip 
 towards the south in the direction of the general drainage of the 
 country. The valleys are therefore due to erosion facilitated by the sol- 
 vent action of water containing carbonic acid gas ; the present streams, 
 however, are only periodical and intermittent ; and it is probable that 
 the remarkably deep valleys of the table-land of Palestine, as well as the 
 
 ' As determined bj the Ordnance Survey.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 153 
 
 principal physical features, were hollowed out and sculptured at a time 
 when the amount of rainfall was much greater than at present, and when 
 these valleys and ravines formed the channels of swift perennial rivers. 
 It is impossible to suppose that such deep and precipitous ravines as that 
 of the Kedron at Mar Saba, and of the Cherith near Jericho, can be due 
 to the action of the little rills that from time to time creep along their 
 beds.' 
 
 Viewed on a large scale the limestone table-land of Judaja forms a 
 great arch, near the centre of which is situated the capital of the country. 
 As we have already obsei'ved, the general dip of the strata on entering 
 the table-land at Bab-el-Wady is westward ; but as we ascend towards the 
 higher elevations in an easterly direction the strata become flatter, and 
 at length, at Beit Nakuba, they assume a nearly horizontal position. This 
 continues as far as Jenisalem, where the beds begin to slope gently 
 towards the south, and on passing by Bethany, and onwards along the 
 road to Jericho, we find the dip to take a strong easterly trend, until close 
 to the margin of the Jordan Valley, where they again ajjproach the hori- 
 zontal position. Over the whole of this region the depth of soil is exceed- 
 ingly slight, and the solid framework may be clearly seen. "Where the 
 beds are horizontal they crop out along the sides of the deep glens and 
 profound ravines in courses and ledges, the upper surfaces of which 
 support a little reddish soil and a vegetation of small plants, but capable 
 when cultivated of being turned to excellent account. The rock itself 
 presents considerable variations in character as well as colour. Around 
 Jerusalem it produces not only a solid and durable white building stone, 
 but marbles of red, pink, and yellow colours capable of receiving a fine 
 polish. In other places it is mottled, veined, or pure white. The upper 
 beds, which occur in the direction of the Jordan Valley, contain numerous 
 bands of dark chert (or flint); and where the strata are contorted, these 
 bauds, which are exceedingly hard, stand out on the hillsides and describe 
 curiously curved lines and patterns which may be seen from considerable 
 distances. All these strata, whether calcareous or silicious, are of organic 
 origin, and were deposited below the waters of the sea during the Cre- 
 taceous and early Tertiary periods. 
 
 1 I refer here to a period which may be termed " the Pluvial period " for tliis 
 part of the world, which is represented by the " Glacial " and " post-Glacial " 
 epochs of Britain and Europe. We have already seen evidence of a former 
 Pluvial period in the Sinaitic Desert.
 
 154 NARKATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA RETRiEA, 
 
 Dr. Fraas, in his geological map of the environs of Jerusalem,' shows 
 that the strata consist of the following in descending order : — 
 
 1. Craie blanche (white chalk). Senonien, D'Orb. 
 
 2. Etage superieur des Hippurites (locally called " Misseh "). 
 
 3. Etage inferieur des Hippurites (locally called " Melekeh "). 
 
 4. Zone des Ammonites rhotamargensis. Senonien, D'Orb. 
 
 The above strata are of Cretaceous age, but in the upper Hippurite lime- 
 stone Dr. Fraas fo*nd nummiilites, from which it would appear that there 
 is a passage in this region from the Cretaceous into the lower Tertiary 
 strata. Mr. Etheridge, also, identifies the uppermost strata of the Mount 
 of Olives as of nummulitic Tertiary age. 
 
 The beds of the upper Hippurite stage (" Misseh ") have yielded the 
 large blocks used in the ancient structures of Jerusalem, such as those of 
 the Wailing Place of the Jews, which have been extracted from the 
 quarries near the Damascus Gate. They also yield the blocks used for 
 ornamental purposes and works of art at the present day. 
 
 Sir Charles Wilson has shown that the reservoirs, sepulchres, and 
 cellars under, and around, the sacred city are hewn out of the softer beds 
 of the lower Hippurite limestone ("Melekeh") underneath the firmer 
 and more durable marble beds of the upper zone. But, throughout 
 Palestine and Arabia Petreea, the Cretaceous and Tertiary limestones are 
 so intimately connected that it would be impossible, without a long and 
 detailed survey, to represent on a geological map their respective limits. 
 
 It is not my intention in this place to inflict upon my readers my views 
 regarding the sights and objects, sacred or secular, real or pretended, with 
 which Jerusalem abounds, though I may have a little to add on some of 
 these topics further on. I shall, therefore, restrict myself to the personal 
 narrative of our Expedition down to the time when we bid farewell to 
 Palestine and Syria. 
 
 From Jerusalem as a centre we had arranged to make excursions, 
 southwards, to Bethlehem and the Pools of Solomon, and eastwards, to the 
 Jordan Valley and Jericho, after which we were to proceed on horseback 
 through North-Western Palestine, to visit the Sea of Galilee ; and crossing 
 the country to Haifa and Mount Carmel, to proceed northwards along 
 the coast to Beyrllt, from which we should leave for Europe. Events 
 beyond our control prevented the accomplishment of the last stage of our 
 programme, as will be seen in the sequel. 
 
 ' PubUshed in 1869.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 155 
 
 January I2th. — We left Jenisalem early for the Pools of Solomon, and 
 passing through the Jaffa Gate, proceeded southwards by the Hebron 
 road, if such it could be called, as it is in many places in a semi-chaotic 
 condition, rendering an occcasional excursus into the fields alongside 
 desirable or prudent. Everywhere along our route there were signs of 
 improvement, barren spots being reclaimed and cultivated, fields enclosed 
 and cleared of stones, and olive groves planted on the hill slopes. At 
 length, after a ride which tried the mettle of our little horses, and some- 
 times the patience of the riders, we reached the brow of the valley in 
 which are situated these remarkable reservoirs.^ They are sui)posed to 
 be referred to in Ecclesiastes ii, 6, but though the statement, " I made 
 me pools of water," is a general one, there is little reason to doubt 
 that these pools are included therein. The aqueduct which originally 
 connected these reservoirs with the city has been partially cleared by 
 Colonels Wilson and Warren, and is capable of being again utilised for 
 the purpose. I was infonned that the Baroness Burdett-Coutts, some 
 time ago, offered at her own expense to have the water from the Pools 
 re-introduced into Jerusalem, where it would have afforded a permanent 
 and abundant supply of excellent spring water. Permission had, in the 
 first instance, to be obtained from the Pasha, who replied, " Very well, 
 give me the money and I will have the work done." To this her lady- 
 ship replied, " Thank you, but I fear if I hand you the money I shall 
 never see either it or the water. If I have the work done, I shall employ 
 English engineers and English workmen to do it, and entrust the super- 
 vision to Captain Wilson." This difficulty, however, was ultimately got 
 over ; but a fatal obstacle was raised by the Turkish authorities on the 
 question of distribution of the water and the permanent management," so 
 that the desire of this noble-hearted lady to confer a permanent benefit 
 upon the inhabitants of the city, Mohammedans as well as Christians, has 
 been frustrated through Turkish obstinacy ! The cost was estimated at 
 thirty thousand pounds sterling. 
 
 1 A good account of these pools and tlie gardens lower down the valley is 
 given by Tristram, " Land of Israel," p. 403. The plan of tlie conduits is accu- 
 rately laid down on the maps of the Ordnance Surrey of Jerusalem. 
 
 2 Lady Biu'dett-Coutts desired that the water should be introduced by the 
 high-level aqueduct, which would have entered at the Jaffa Gate and sufficed for 
 the wants of the liiglier parts of the city ; the Turkish authorities, liowever, 
 insisted on the low-level aqueduct being used, which would have left a large 
 nortion of the city unbenefited. The existing sources of supply are most impure.
 
 156 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 The Pools, by whomsoever constructed, are certainly of great antiquity, 
 and of excellent workmanship. They are still in remarkably good preser- 
 vation, and could easily be put into perfect order. Their construction at 
 this spot is doubtless due to the existence of a fine spring of water, which 
 is still utilised for the supply of Bethlehem, to which place it is conducted 
 by a culvert which runs along the side of the valley with a gradual down- 
 ward slope. On descending the hill by the large Turkish castle which has 
 been built close to the upper jjool, the unusual sound of running and fall- 
 ing water saluted our ears. The spring rises in the limestone hills above 
 the pool to the northwards and enters the pool by an underground culvert 
 which may be examined by means of a ladder giving access thereto a 
 few feet below the surface. The aqueduct was repaired and lined with 
 pipes by the Crusaders, after which it again fell into ruin, but was ojsened 
 and explored by Colonels Wilson and Warren. There is a fall of about 
 400 feet towards Jerusalem. • On our way down the valley towards 
 Bethlehem, we noticed ancient terraces which had doubtless once been 
 fruitful vineyards or olive-yards ; and on turning the angle of the valley 
 towards the left, we beheld at our feet " the Gardens of Solomon," neatly 
 laid out over the bed of the valley, and extending, according to Canon 
 Tristram, for more than two miles in all, from the little village of Urtas. 
 This spot was first reclaimed and cultivated about thirty years ago by 
 Mr. MeshuUam, a converted Jew, who settled down here with the object 
 of proving that the land if cultivated was capable of producing a rich 
 return to the cultivator. Soon after some fellahin followed and settled 
 by his side ; Germans followed, and patch after patch was brought under 
 culture, and now the whole valley has been convei'ted into a series of well- 
 tilled gardens, producing vegetables for the Jerusalem market, besides 
 numerous fruit trees, such as those of the apricot, peach, almond, fig, 
 and pomegranate. The hillsides are also being banked up into terraces 
 for the growth of vines and olive-trees. It can scarcely be denied, after 
 viewing the pretty picture of a garden valley, that Meshullam has 
 succeeded in demonstrating that the vales of Palestine are capable of 
 becoming as fruitful as in former ages, if only persevering industry be 
 applied to the work of reclamation. 
 
 Following a pathway, along which the aqueduct is carried, we turned 
 another angle of the valley, and came in sight of Bethlehem as seen from 
 the south ; the City of David and the birthjilace of the Messiah. 
 
 • The dimensions of these pools are given by Tristram and Baedeker,
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND "WESTERN PALESTINE. 357 
 
 Bethlehem is now altogether a Christian town, and has a thriving and 
 progressive appearance. The top of the ridge on which it is built is 
 covered by substantial stone houses, while the valleys around are 
 clothed with verdure, and planted out in extensive olive gardens. Terrace 
 succeeds ten-ace from the bottom to the summits of the hills, which are 
 steep-sided, and require to be thus laid out in order to aftord footing to 
 the plants. The work of construction must have been labourious, and 
 brings to mind some of the vine terraces along the banks of the Ehine. 
 Through these olive groves our pathway lay ; and having climbed to the 
 summit of the hill we entered the city, and after winding through narrow 
 streets and passages, we at length found ourselves in front of the 
 Franciscan Convent adjoining the Church of the Nativity. Here we were 
 admitted by a brother who recognised our conductor, Bernhard Heilpern, 
 and after a short consultation we were shown into the Guest Hall, 
 where lunch, which we carried with us, was spread. Here we partook of 
 the Convent wine, grown on the spot, which was good ; and of the Con- 
 vent coffee, which was better ! 
 
 After lunch we proceeded to visit " the Holy Places," and the interior 
 of the church. It was strange to see a Turkish soldier keeping guard 
 while service was proceeding in the Greek portion of the building ; but 
 since 1873, when an attack was made by the Greeks on the Romans, a 
 guard is always present to keep the peace between the rival Christian 
 sects at the birthplace of their Founder, the Prince of Peace. The dis- 
 graceful riot referred to above, and the scenes of violence which annually 
 take place at Christmas round the site of the Nativity, are little calculated 
 to impress Moslems with a reverence for Christianity. 
 
 Leaving the town, and having jmssed numerous workshops, where the 
 hum of industry was everywhere to be heard, we turned a little oft' our 
 road to visit the " Well of David," and observe the extensive prospect 
 from this position. Here we had a view of Bethlehem from the northern 
 side, where it is best seen. Between our position and the City of David 
 lay a wide valley, sloping downwards in the direction of the Jordan 
 depression and partially laid out in gardens, terraced vineyards, and olive 
 groves. On the ojaposite side the stone and arched buildings cover 
 the sides and summit of the ridge, terminating with the Church and 
 Convent of the Nativity on the left. Turning eastwards, and looking 
 down the valley, we recognised the deep depression of The Ghor by the 
 haze which rises over the hollow ; and beyond was the table-land of Moab,
 
 158 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRyEA, 
 
 bounded by sides deeply furrowed. At a distance of about four miles 
 from Bethlehem, and on the ojjposite side of the valley amongst the hills, 
 is a x'emarkable elevation with the form of a truncated cone, planted on 
 a nearly level platform, on which Herod the Great erected his summer 
 palace, and also his tomb. Its ancient name was Herodium ; its present, 
 Jebel Fureidis. Captain Conder states that this cone is surrounded by 
 a circular wall, on which are four round towers.' Under this is the 
 remarkable Cave of Khureitdn, generally supposed to be the " Cave of 
 AduUam," - but this is a view in which Conder does not concur.* We may 
 suppose, however, that while David lay in concealment, and his enemies, 
 the Philistines, held possession of Bethlehem audits approaches, the newly 
 anointed king cast longing eyes towards the city of his birth, and the 
 well of whose cool waters he had doubtless drunk when a boy. Parched 
 with thirst and weary of life, " hunted like a partridge on the mountains," 
 he exclaimed, " Oh that one would give me drink of the water of the well 
 of Bethlehem, that is at the gate ! " Hearing this exclamation of their 
 king, the three valiant captains, at the risk of their lives, brake through 
 the line of the Philistine guards and drew water from the well. But here 
 the nobility of David's character was strikingly shown. Notwithstanding 
 his thirst, and the aident longing for water to cool his tongue, he pours 
 out the water on the ground, exclaiming, " Shall I drink the blood of 
 these men which have put their lives in jeopardy" for my sake ? How 
 such an act must have endeared David to his soldiers. As one stands by 
 the well, and looks down the valley, the whole scene becomes a vivid 
 reality. 
 
 This day's excursion enabled me to get a good idea of the character of 
 the country south of Jerusalem, and of its geological conformation. It 
 consists of beds of limestone, white, yellow, or reddish, sometimes chalky, 
 and with bands of chert. The strata undulate slightly in varioiis direc- 
 tions. 
 
 ' " Tent Work in Palestine." New edition, p. 152. 
 2 1 Chron. xi, 15. 
 
 * Nevertheless, the spot where David was at the time of the narrative, called 
 " the liold," coidd not have been far distant from Bethlehem.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERX PALESTINE. 159 
 
 CHAPTEE XVII. 
 JEEICHO AND THE JOEDAN VALLEY. 
 
 Our next excursion was to Jericho and the banks of the Jordan. "We 
 left Jerusalem early on Monday morning, 14th January, and crossing the 
 valley ascended the Mount of Olives, passing the Garden of Gethsemane, 
 and the \'illage of Bethany, the home of the young Sheikh who accom- 
 panied our party, and whose father is lord paramoimt of the district we 
 were to traverse. I took a great fancy to this young fellow from his 
 appearance and conduct. He was slight of build, sat his horse gracefully, 
 and was always polite and ready to oblige. It is unnecessary for me to 
 attempt to describe the well-known road from Jerusalem to Jericho ; no 
 parable is better known than that of which the scene is laid here ; and, one 
 may add, no examjile is more rarely followed than that of the Good 
 Samaritan ! 
 
 The hills which bound the valley are much of the nature of the chalk 
 downs of the South of England. From Bethany onwards towards the 
 Widy-es-Sidr they consist of limestone, sometimes clialky, and dipping 
 steadily eastwards. "We are now on the eastern side of the great arch of 
 Central Palestine, as we were on the western side when ascending towards 
 Jerusalem from Eamleh. On approaching the "Wady-es-Sidr, however, 
 we find that the strata become contorted; and on crossing the brook, the 
 cause of this disturbance of the beds becomes evident, in the occurrence 
 of a mass of volcanic rock, which has here been intruded into the lime- 
 stone, and has to a great extent altered and calcined the rock itself. This 
 volcanic rock is of a red colour, variegated with yellow and white ; it is 
 soft, and resembles " Domite " in general character, except that I could 
 not recognise any crystals of mica, hornblende, or other minerals. It 
 seemed to me, that we have only here the upper surface of a deep-seated 
 mass, where it has come in contact with the limestone, so that we have 
 no opportunity of judging of its characters as they would appear if 
 observed at some depth. Its presence at the surface is due entirely to
 
 IGO NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^EA, 
 
 denudation, and it again breaks out under the Khan el Ahmar, where 
 the limestone beds are contorted and calcined.' 
 
 As we were resting under the rocks near the Khan, a large party of 
 Russian pilgrims, mounted on donkeys and ponies, arrived on their way 
 to receive baptism from the Patriarch of the Greek Cliurch in the sacred 
 waters of the Jordan. They presented a strange spectacle — their pots and 
 pans for cooking, their little stores of food and clothes fastened on the 
 pommels of their saddles — all chattering briskly and pressing onwards to 
 reach the hosj^itable roof of the Greek Convent (which stands in the 
 midst of the Jordan Valley) before nightfall. We were j^retty well 
 mixed up with these pilgrims for the most part of our way, which did 
 not tend to our own gratification, or facilitate observation on the natural 
 phenomena around us. At length, towards evening, we found ourselves 
 on the brink of the Wady Kelt, one of the deepest ravines in Palestine, 
 generally considered to be " the Brook Cherith that is before Jordan," 
 where Elijah was fed by the ravens.^ As Conder says, the whole gorge 
 is wonderfully wild and romantic. It is bounded by vertical cliffs of 
 limestone in nearly horizontal courses several hundred feet in depth, and 
 hollowed into eaves, the abode in past times of Anchorites. The bottom 
 of the gorge is lined with tall canes, and the water, which rises in a spring 
 amongst the mountains, nearly four miles from the spot where it debouclies 
 on the plain of Jericho,* is probably jDerennial, even during the longest 
 droughts. Terrible, therefore, must have been the drought in the days 
 of Ahab, " when the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in 
 the land." 
 
 At a bend of the road near the mouth of the Kelt we found ourselves 
 overlooking the plain of Jordan, The pilgrims gave a shout of joy as 
 they beheld the object of their long and toilsome journey. A vast expanse 
 of green and brownish tints stretched from our feet away to the distant 
 hills of Moab ; and in front, amongst the groves and gardens of Gilgal, 
 
 ' This rock is noticed by Tristram, " Land of Israel," p. 200, as also the 
 occiirrence of the " wavy undulations and folds " of chert ; but surely not 
 " irrespective of the stratification " ? 
 
 2 1 Kings xyii, 3. The term is 'Oreb (Corvus umhrhuts), but it has been 
 suggested that by the word in this passage is meant the Arabs. I confess to a 
 preference for the usually received interpretation. The Kfe of Elijah was one 
 dependent throughout on the miraculous interposition of God ; and this was 
 only one amongst many miracles. 
 
 ^ Conder, " Tent Life in Palestine," p. 211.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. IGl 
 
 rose the huge pile of the Greek Convent, where the travellers were to 
 rest. 
 
 To the extreme right we could get a glimpse of the northern lip of 
 the Salt Sea ; and to the left, looking across the deeply worn channel of 
 the Kelt, were the mounds of Jericho rising from amongst gardens, and 
 lying near the foot of the stupendous cliffs of Jebel Karantul, which here 
 bound the plain of the Jordan. Over the whole scene was spread a lurid 
 haze, indicative of the grand thunderstorm which was to burst upon us 
 during the night. 
 
 Descending by the steep pathway into the plain, we turned our horses' 
 heads towards the left ; and crossing the Kelt pushed onwards towards 
 the mounds of ancient Jericho, where our tents had been pitched, by the 
 side of the warm and copiovis sj^ring of Ain es Sultan. The site and 
 surroundings of ancient Jericho have often been described, and it is 
 unnecessary for me to say much on tlie subject.' It is a spot of great 
 interest, where baths, aqvieducts, roads, and mounds of potter)' attest its 
 former importance. The source of this is, witliout doubt, to be fovmd in 
 its magnificent springs, both of tepid and cold waters. These impart 
 verdure to the soil ; and for sanitary purposes were, as we know, highly 
 prized, especially in Roman times. Jericho was the city of palm-trees, of 
 which none now remain ; but the constant supply of running water, 
 combined with the intense heat, causes the gardens of Gilgal, close by, 
 to produce lemons and oranges, bananas, castor-oil plants, besides 
 melons, figs, and grapes. Sugarcanes were extensively cultivated down 
 to the time of the Crusaders, and the ruins of the svigar-mills formed a 
 prominent object on the hill above our camp. 
 
 Our tents were pitched a few yards below the Sultan's Spring, which 
 issues forth into an ancient basin of hewn stone. The temperature of the 
 water is 84° Fahr.,'- and the stony bed of the brook is thickly strewn 
 with the dark purple shells of several species of molluscs. Our camp 
 was at an elevation (by aneroid) of 520 feet above the Salt Sea, and on 
 the margin of a terrace which stretches for several miles towards the 
 banks of the Jordan. A second terrace of gravel may be observed on 
 both sides of the limestone ridge on which were erected the sugar-mills ; 
 this terrace is G30 feet above tlie same datimi, and seems to re])i-esent 
 
 ' The account in Murray's Handbook is excellent. 
 
 - According to Baedeker; but only 71° Falir. as detoriuincd by Mr. 
 Laurence, of our party. 
 
 3J
 
 162 NARRATIVE OF AX EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 the principal terrace wliicli borders the southern margin of The Ghor, 
 to which Jebel Usdum belongs. According to Tristram, the surface of 
 the lower jalain is formed of mud and silt, containing fi'esh-water shells 
 of the Jordan and its tributary streams, of which Melanopsis prcerosa 
 and M. Haulcyi occur in this locality ; and lead him to the conclusion, 
 that within a comparatively recent geological period, the whole lower 
 valley has been exposed to fresh-water floods from the upper Jordan, 
 where these shells abound. ' When crossing the Cheritli Valle}^ on our 
 way to the banks of the Jordan on the following day, we searched the 
 marly and gravelly banks for remains of shells, but without success ; we 
 wer'e then about 275 feet above the surface of the Salt Sea.^ 
 
 At about a mile from the banks of the Jordan, we descended about 
 40 feet on to a lower terrace, a little over 200 feet above the same datum. 
 The materials are of white marl, encrusted with saline matter, and they 
 break off in a succession of little plateaux with symmetrical banks, 
 descending to the alluvial plain which borders the river, and which 
 sustains a dense growth of trees, shrubs, and reeds — the haunts of the 
 wild boar. Altogether, between the escarpment of Jebel Karantul, 
 which bounds the valley of the Jordan on the west, there are three well- 
 marked terraces, which have successively formed the bed of the ancient 
 inland sea, namel}'^ : — 
 
 The Upper Terrace, with an elevation of 630 to 600 feet. 
 The Second Terrace „ 520 „ 250 „ 
 
 The Third Terrace „ 200 „ 130 „ 
 
 The Alluvial Plain, liable to floods .... 90 „ „ 
 All these terraces, except perhaps the upper, have doubly sloping surfaces, 
 both towards the centre of the valley, and towards the Salt Sea, so that 
 the levels taken along one line would not correspond exactly with those 
 taken along another. The upper terrace only slopes towards the centre 
 of the valley, as its upper surface corresponds almost exactly with the 
 terrace of Jebel Usdum, and the other old sea margins, near the southern 
 end of The Ghor. 
 
 ' "Land of Israel." 2nd edition, p. 221. 
 
 2 This is probably the same terrace described by Tristram near Ain Jidi, 
 consisting of " chalky limestone and gravel " mixed with shells of existing 
 species at a level of 250 feet above the Salt Sea -n aters. This terrace slopes 
 upwards into the valleys which open out on the plain. {Ibid., p. 281.) 
 
 ^ The elevations, as detennined by the aneroid, are only approximate.
 
 THE VALLEY OF TILE ARABAH, AND WESTERX PALESTINE. 163 
 
 On arriving at the fords of the Jordan, which have been so often 
 described as to require biit little notice here,' some of our party prepared 
 for a plunge into its turgid waters, with, I fear, less reverent thoughts 
 than the ardent pilgrims we had fallen in with the day before. The 
 stream is about 50 yards from bank to bank, which are clothed with 
 tamarisks, willows, and tall reeds. 
 
 While we were having lunch on the grassy terrace, some Greek or 
 Russian pilgrims came down from the convent to bathe, and it was an 
 amusing, if not very edifying, sight to watch their performances. From 
 the delicate manner in which they entered the stream, it might be inferred 
 that bathing was not a pastime in which they often indulged ; and as some 
 of them, at least, probably recollected that they would not again have so 
 excellent an opportunity for fleshly purification, they proceeded to a very 
 systematic coui-se of washing, aided by a good lather of soap ! 
 
 I was surprised to observe the water of the Jordan so turgid that it 
 reminded me of the waters of the Nile, or of some streams descending 
 fi-om glacier valleys. It is well known that streams which issue forth 
 from lakes, as is the case with the Jordan, are generally clear, as the 
 mud is deposited in each instance over the bed of the lake itself. The 
 Rhone may be cited as an illustration. Entering the head of the Lake of 
 Geneva, charged with mud from the Alpine glaciers, the suspended matter 
 subsides, and the waters issue forth at the lower end clear as crystal. 
 Such, I supposed, would be the case with the Jordan ; but, as I am 
 informed, though the river issues forth from the Sea of Galilee as a clear 
 stream, it flows along between muddy banks, so that its waters become 
 more and more impregnated with silt, till on entering the head of the 
 Salt Sea they resemble those of the Nile at Cairo. The temperature of 
 the water was 61° Fahr. ; that of the air 72° Fahr., in the shade about 
 noon.- 
 
 On our way back from the Jordan, both we and our horses were 
 unanimous as to the excellence of the ground for a trial of speed, so 
 giving them the reins we were soon flying over the ground neck to neck. 
 It required neither whip nor spur to make our little steeds show their 
 mettle, for they were ever ready for the course, and none liked to be 
 beaten. Gordon's horse proved, I think, to be the fastest ; Laurence's 
 
 ' See Tristram's graphic picture, and more graphic description, of crossing 
 the fords, " Land of Israel," p. 523, et seq. 
 ■ As determined by Mr. Laurence. 
 
 M 2
 
 164: NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 next ; but we were all very nearly matched. We reached our tents in 
 the evening, well satisfied with our day's ramble. ^ 
 
 ' The great, almost only, danger from a gallop in this country, is due to the 
 burrowing animals, such as moles, jerboas, &c., and the rider has to keep a sharp 
 look out to prevent his horse putting his foot into one of the holes. A lady 
 whom we met on board the steamer at Beyriit was thrown from her horse which 
 had stumbled in consequence of a mole bm-row.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 165 
 
 CHAPTEli XVIII. 
 
 EETUEN TO JERUSALEM BY ^lAE SABA. 
 
 Next morning we left Jericho on our return journey by Nebi Mtisa 
 and Mar Saba. For several miles after again crossing the Kelt, our way 
 ran along the base of the escarpments of limestone which form the 
 western margin of the Jordan Valley. The beds of limestone are here 
 largely interstratified with dark chert, and are often contorted > but the 
 general dip is westwards, from the plain into the hillside. An excellent 
 section of the strata is. shown in the W. Jorif Guzel, three miles south 
 of the Kelt. After passing this, we struck up the deep gorge of the 
 W. el Kueiserah. This valley introduces us into a country of smooth 
 chalky downs, traversed by deep ravines, sometimes covered with grass, 
 but generally bare and white. Here amongst the beds of limestone occur 
 others, consisting of dark sliales and bituminous limestone, which, as it is 
 compact and takes a good polish, is manufactured into vases, cups, dishes, 
 and ornaments by the artizans of Bethlehem and Jerusalem. 
 
 The Cities of the Plain. — If any of oui* friends expected that we should 
 discover the ruins of Sodom or Gomorrah, they will be disappointed. I 
 might add that we also failed to discover Pharaoh's chariots in the Red 
 Sea ! Both were eqiially probable, or impossible. As Captain Conder 
 has well observed, it ought not to heive been exj)ected that ruins of such 
 antiquity would remain to the present day ; and the remarks which I 
 have hazarded regarding the rapid disintegration of tlie native rocks 
 apply with even greater force to ruined walls of an antiquity of nearly 
 four thousand years. From the description in the Bible, I have always 
 felt satisfied that these cities lay in some part of the fertile plain of the 
 Jordan to the north of the Salt Sea, and to the west of that river ; and 
 when visiting the ruins of Jericho, and beholding the copious springs 
 and streams of that spot, and how applicable to it would be the expression 
 " that it was well watered everywhere,"' the thought occurred. May not 
 the more modern city (ancient Jericho) have arisen from the ruins of the 
 Cities of the Plain 1 A period of (jver four hundred years intervenes between 
 
 ' Geii. xiii, 10.
 
 166 NAKllATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA RETRyKA, 
 
 the destruction of these cities and the first mention of Jericho.^ There 
 seems to be nothing improbable in the supposition that, at some period 
 during this interval, the materials may have been vitilised in the erection 
 of the latter city ; even as those of the older Jericho were utilised (as we 
 may suppose) in the construction of the more modern city of the same 
 name, built by Hiel the Bethelite, 534 years after.'- But of this second 
 city, which, according to Eusebius, was destroyed by the Romans during 
 the siege of Jerusalem, how little even now remains ! Nothing, in effect, 
 but the foundations and tanks. 
 
 Amongst these hills has been erected the huge mosque of the Nebi 
 MAsa (Tomb of Moses), where the remains of the prophet are supposed 
 to lie ; — in defiance of all history. Thus we have had the name of the 
 prophet of Israel "cropping up" no less than four times during our 
 pilgrimage : first, at Ayun Mflsa, near Suez ; then at Jebel Mdsa 
 (Mount Sinai) ; again at the Wady Mlisa (or Valley of Petra) ; and, 
 lastly, at Nebi MAsa, on the western side of the Jordan ! It is certain 
 the prophet of Israel never came here ; and exceedingly improbable (as 
 it seems to me) that he ever entered the Valley of Petra. The place, 
 however, is worthy of honour, as there are excellent wells in the valley 
 below, from which, as we passed, damsels were drawing water, and 
 readily allowed us to slake our thirst at their pitchers. 
 
 After crossing another ridge we descended into another glen, the 
 "Wady Mukalik, by a path so steep that it was found desirable to dis- 
 mount and lead our horses. At the bottom we found ourselves in the dry 
 bed of a mountain torrent amongst nearly vertical cliffs of gravel, clinging 
 to the sides of the older limestone strata. Here we rested, partly to allow 
 the baggage mules to come up with us, and we watched with some curiosity 
 to see how they would manage to scramble down the almost preci2:)itous 
 path with their ponderous loads. Wonderful indeed was the strength, 
 skill, and sagacity they displayed in supporting their loads, choosing 
 their footing, and scrambling down the banks. All arrived safely at 
 the bottom ; and, after a rest, commenced the as nearly steep ascent of 
 the opposite bank. Next to the mountain road from the Wady Kuseibeh 
 to Petra this was the most difficult road we had yet travelled in the East. 
 
 ' Compare Genesis xix and I^umbers xxii, 1. 
 
 - 1 Kings xvi, 34. The city of Jericho mentioned in connection with our 
 Lord's ministry was a third city, or village, probably situated where is now the 
 modern viHage of Er Riha.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 167 
 
 The Wady Mukalik is of much interest from the fact that it once 
 formed the bed of an ancient lake, probably at the time when the waters 
 of the Salt Sea rose about 600 feet above their present surface. When 
 first we came in sight of the valley there appeared in the centre of a 
 circular range of limestone hills a flat terrace of lighter coloured material, 
 through which numerous deep channels had been cut by torrent action. 
 On descending into one of these it was found that the terrace is formed of 
 sand, marly gravel, and boulders, more or less rudely stratified, and ter- 
 minating against the marginal banks of limestone, which rise in some 
 directions several hundred feet above the surface of the terrace. The only 
 outlet is the narrow gorge in the direction of the Salt Sea plain ; and it 
 is easy to conceive that when this plain was filled with water to the level 
 above indicated the waters of the lake basin were banked up ; but that as 
 those of the Jordan Valley were lowered, the channel communicating with 
 them became deepened, until ultimately the lake itself was drained. It 
 is not imjjrobable there may be other lake deposits of a like description 
 amongst these hills. 
 
 I was unable to observe any good evidence of the unconformity be- 
 tween two sets of limestone beds to which Canon Tristram refers when 
 describing this tract of country. The appearance to which he alludes is 
 probably due to the plications and contortions into which the strata have 
 been thrown ; so that, when seen on the side of a hill, or of a valley, the 
 upper portions of the same beds are not parallel to those below, and in 
 fact recline at a considerable angle from them. All along the district, 
 from the entrance to the Wady-el-Kueiserah to that of the Kedron near 
 Mar Saba, the strata are much disturbed, and their contortions are often 
 visible from long distances on the chalky downs, owing to the scantiness 
 of the herbage, and the occurrence of numerous banils of dark chert. 
 These bands enable the eye to follow the planes of bedding, with their 
 numerous curves and foldings on the sides of the chalky downs, and the 
 effect is often very striking. 
 
 "We camped at noonday for luncheon near the borders of an extensive 
 undulating plain. It was usually our practice at such times to loose the 
 horses and mules and let them feed on the pastures — in some cases fasten- 
 ing the head by a halter to one of the legs. Generally the animals were 
 easily secured when wanted ; but on this day the horse which Beruhard 
 Heilpern bestrode, having gained liis liberty, and rejoicing in getting rid 
 of a tolerably heavy load, showed a marked preference for the i)lea8ures
 
 168 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR.EA, 
 
 of freedom over the duties of the saddle. Several times he was driven 
 up towards the tent Ijy one of the muleteers, but no sooner was an 
 attempt made to seize his halter or his mane than tossing his head he 
 would turn round and bolt ! 
 
 Having watched this manoeuvring for a little, and having mounted on 
 my own more tractable steed, I put him in pursuit of the runaway. After 
 an exciting chase I managed to turn his head towards the tent, and to 
 drive him up towards a long rope held at either end by the muleteers in 
 readiness to throw round him ; but just at the critical moment he would 
 turn and be off again, I in hot pursuit. Others now joined, and for the space 
 of about half-an-hour our steeds were galloping over the plain after the 
 fugitive ; and we thus gained some idea of the excitement of lassoing wild 
 horses in the pampas of South America ! Our young Sheikh also joined, 
 and we soon left the chase to him. It was amusing to watch the display 
 of horsemanship ; and [the graceful curves, windings, and retrogressions 
 through which he put his Arabian, but he was no more successful than 
 ourselves ; the fugitive was not to be caught just yet ; and as time was 
 wearing on, and we had still a long ride before us, we left the horse to his 
 fate ; for we well knew that when we had all started he would rejoin his 
 companions. And so it proved. We had not proceeded more than two or 
 three miles when, on turning round, I perceived Heilpern cantering after 
 us, and doubtless his steed had to pay dearly foi his escapade. 
 
 The road to the entrance of the Kedron Valley was in some places 
 difficult in the extreme, and with less trustworthy horses than ours would 
 have been even dangerous. Eisiug at one moment over steep banks of 
 bi'oken rock it woiild then descend along slippery slopes, or skirt the sides 
 of a precipice where a false step would result in precipitating horse and 
 rider to the bottom. The hills were often formed of alternating beds of 
 chert and limestone folded and waved ; and there were interesting examples 
 of the process of the formation of ridges and scarps by atmospheric agency. 
 This was specially remarkable along the southern slopes of El Muntar, 
 where the harder cherty strata form the crests and upper surfaces of the 
 ridges, and from their dark hues contrast remarkably with the white 
 chalky limestones which enclose them above and below. Towards evening 
 we reached the road which w^nds along the deep gorge of the Kedron, and 
 shortly afterwards our tents, which we found pitched in a rocky glen 
 behind the Convent. 
 
 The remarkable goi'ge of the Kedron at Mar Saba has been often
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAII, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 169 
 
 described. Like that of the Kelt it is a water-worn channel of the Kedron 
 when in flood, carried down through nearly vertical walls of limestone to a 
 depth of about 400 feet from the upper surface of the country.' Tristram 
 mentions the occurrence of a fossiliferous bed of Hippuritcs liratus. It 
 occurs at a depth of 82 feet from the surface, and indicates the Cretaceous 
 affinities of the strata. With the exception of this bed of characteristic 
 fossils the limestone is remarkably unprodvictive of organic remains. 
 The depth of this channel, with its dry bed, is one of the many indications 
 one meets with in Palestine, that at a former period fluviatile action was 
 much more effective than at present. The channel owes its existence 
 entirely to water action, and there is no evidence of any "rent" or fissure 
 running parallel with its course. The only fissure (or fault) is that which 
 crosses the gorge transversely at its northern entrance. This fault ranges 
 in a due east and west direction, with a " downthrow " on the northern 
 side, by which the white chalky beds on that side are brought into contact 
 with the yellowish limestone of the Mar Saba gorge which belongs to a 
 lower geological horizon. On crossing the faidt the dip of tlie beds is 
 nortliwards, but they afterwards become flat, and then dip towards the 
 south. On approaching the Valley of Hinnom, by the Kedron Valley, 
 the marble beds of the Jerusalem plateau rise from below the white chalk, 
 and crop out in the cliffs of Aceldama. 
 
 We returned to Jerusalem on Thursday evening, the 17tii January, 
 and made pi-eparations for our final journey through Northern Palestine 
 (as we hoped), upon which we intended to set out early on the following 
 Monday. We little anticipated the disappointment which was in store 
 for us I 
 
 Our traverses from tlie shores of the Salt Sea to Gaza, and again from 
 Jaffa to Jeiiisalem and the Jordan Valley, together with our excursions 
 to Bethlehem and Solomon's Pools, had enabled us to obtain an apjiroxi- 
 mately complete knowledge of the general features of the country and of 
 its geological structure, and we looked forward to a further reconnais- 
 sance northwards to the shores of the Lake of Galilee, and thence across 
 to Mount Carmel and onwards to Beyrdt, to enable us to complete our 
 geological survey of the whole country ; — but this was not to l>e, as my 
 narrative will show. 
 
 ' Tristram, sitprn cil., p. 2(it, &c. There is au excellent ciipraviiig of tliis 
 gorge iu " T'icturosqiR' I'lilostino."
 
 170 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA l'ETILT.A, 
 
 CHAPTEE XIX. 
 SNOWED UP IN JERUSALEM. 
 
 Br Saturday evening all our preparations for an early start on 
 Monday morning were concluded. We had taken leave of our friends, 
 made our last purchases in the shops and bazaars, sorted our baggage, 
 a large portion of which was entrusted to Mr. Clarke, the agent of 
 Messrs. T. Cook and Son, for direct transmission to England. The horses 
 and baggage mules had also been secured, and Bernhard Heilpern was 
 again to act as our conductor as far as Beyrdt. The length of the 
 jouniey was estimated for fifteen days. 
 
 On the following day we attended Divine Service in the English church, 
 and we retired to rest expecting to be on our way soon after daybreak ; 
 but it was not so to be ! At the time appointed Heilpern knocked at our 
 doors, saying, " You need not stir, gentlemen, we are snowed up ; travel- 
 ling is impossible I" So it was ! The wind had shifted to the west, 
 increasing to a gale, and with it came a heavy snowfall, which did not 
 cease till the whole country was covered to a depth of 2 feet and up- 
 wards. Such a fall had not occurred for five years. During the whole of 
 Monday the storm raged furiously, accompanied by snow and rain, and 
 during that night Laurence's thermometer registered four degrees of 
 frost (28° Fahr.). But we resolved to wait for a day or two longer in 
 hopes of a change of wind and a rapid thaw such as sometimes happens in 
 these parts. Our hopes, however, were not destined to be realised. The 
 air continued bitterly cold up till Tuesday evening, and little progress 
 was made in thawing the snow even during the noonday sun. All traffic, 
 even by road, was stopped ; the postman to Jaffa was obliged to halt at 
 " half-way house," and the telegraph wires were broken. On Wednesday 
 morning, seeing that further delay woidd be useless, arrangements were 
 made for a return to Jaffa in order to catch the Austrian Lloyd's steamer 
 on the following Friday; and I despatched letters to the Secretary of thf
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AKABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 171 
 
 Society, and to relations at home, to announce the termination of our 
 Expedition.' 
 
 Our hotel at Jerusalem, however comfortable it may have been in 
 warm weather, was far from being so in winter with snow on the ground. 
 The upper part being open to the air affords a good supply of oxygen, 
 where it is very much needed, but also admits snow or rain without stint. 
 Fuel also began to run short ; it had not been thought necessary to lay in 
 a large store, and the daily supplies were cut off ; so that at length we 
 were obliged to have recourse to old boxes, or other useless lumber, 
 wherewith to feed our .stoves. Still, Jerusalem under snow had its 
 attractions. The howling of the dogs at night ceased for the nonce ; 
 what became of these wretched animals during this period I could not 
 make out — they must have had a bad time of it ! It was pitiable to 
 see the inhabitants, sometimes barefooted, or thinly shod, and clad in 
 apparel fit only for the summer months. To protect the head and 
 neck seemed their chief cause of anxiety ; and these parts of the body 
 they enveloped in thick shawls ; — the wearers seeming to care little for the 
 feet and legs. The market-place in front of the hotel, usually the scene 
 of a noisy crowd bartering for fruit, vegetables, firewood, and other 
 necessaries, was tenantless. Snow covered the whole country in every 
 direction, rendering communication difficult or impossible ; while a most 
 bitter wind caused all who could do so to keep within shelter. By 
 Wednesday, however, the wind fell, and a rapid thaw set in, so as to 
 lead us to expect that by the following day we should be able to 
 accomplish our journey of forty miles to Jaffa. I took the opportunity 
 of ascending to the roof of our hotel for a last look over the sacred city, 
 and the surrounding country. The scene was most striking. So clear 
 was the air, that the snow-clad plains of Moab and Jebel Attarus, though 
 at a distance of thirty miles, were quite distinct ; as were also the glens 
 and promontories descending therefrom on to the Valley of the Jordan. 
 The snow lay still undisturbed in the sheltered spots, and ice was on the 
 surface of the Pool of Hezekiah below us ; the well-known solitary palm 
 flung its plumes into the cold air, high above the buildings, bravely 
 
 ' T need scorcelj observe that in a country where tliere are no roads, only 
 mountain paths, travelling on horseback and camping at night with thick snow- 
 on the ground was not practicnble ; but, even had tliis been the case, it would 
 not have been possible to make observations on the geology, or on the natural 
 history of the region traversed.
 
 172 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA I'ETRiEA, 
 
 defying the ungeiiial eleineuts : under no circumstances could a better 
 view be obtained. 
 
 Looking away in the far distance, towards the table-land of Moab, 
 past " the green domed mosque," and through the deep depression of the 
 Kedron Valley, the upper terrace of limestone, and the lower of sand- 
 stone of a faint reddish hue, were clearly discernible ; while the sunlight 
 brought out in relief the bold headlands and ridges, and cast into shadow 
 the deep furrows and glens which descend into the Jordan valley along 
 the Land of Gilead on its eastern side. Amongst these, the cliffs bordering 
 the gorge of the Wady Zerka Main were the most prominent. It was 
 truly astonishing how objects so distant could be seen so plainly. I was 
 able to distinguish even the bands of colouring of the sandstone cliffs 
 at this distance, which was over twenty-five miles in a straight line 1 
 
 Withdrawing our eyes from these distant points, we observe how 
 truly the hills are said to " stand round about Jerusalem," in almost 
 every direction, except the goi'ge of the Kedron which forms the natural 
 outlet for the waters which descend, on the one hand, from the Valley of 
 Jehoshaphat, and on the other from the Valley of Hinnom. Looking 
 across the valley towards the east, there lay the Mount of Olives, crowned 
 by its mosque and minaret, from the summit of which we had enjoyed 
 so extensive a prospect on the morning of our descent into the plains of 
 Jericho, crossed by the road from Bethany, and recalling an event ever 
 memorable in Christian annals. Below, towards the right, the little 
 Garden of Gethsemane, shaded by its ancient olive-trees, and decorated 
 with flowers. In our immediate front is the beautiful dome of the mosque 
 of Omar, standing as a stately monument oA'er a spot once the " Most Holy 
 Place " of the children of Israel, now regarded as sacred by Jew, Moslem, 
 and Christian alike ; a little beyond, the Church of El Aksa, built over 
 the ancient approaches to the Temple of Solonmn. Ai'ound, extends the 
 spacious court of the Temple, white with unmelted snow. 
 
 Looking across the domes and flat-roofed houses, crowded together, 
 and beyond the Damascus Gate towards the north, there may be observed 
 a low, flat-tojjped hill, usually covered with grass, now with a sheet of 
 snow ; and breaking off in the direction of the city wall in a clifi" of 
 limestone rock. A cave, known as " Jeremiah s Grotto," where the 
 prophet is supposed to have dwelt when penning the Book of 
 Lamentations, has been hewn in the face of the 0113". The hill is the 
 ]jroperty of a Sheikh, and its summit is used as a Moslem burying,
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERX PALESTINE. 173 
 
 ground. Unprofaiied by any structure, secular or sacred, thi.s platform 
 " without the Gate," and overlooking the city from the north, as Olivet 
 does from the south, is now generally regarded as Mount Calvary. For 
 myself, I feel confident that this is so ; and I am happily spared any 
 necessity for adducing arguments in favour of this view, after those 
 which have been so clearly stated by Captain Conder.i Seen in 
 certain directions, the rocky platform bears a not unfanciful resemblance 
 to a skull, which may have given to it the name of " Golgotha." It lies 
 beyond the gates of the city ;- and an ancient Eonian road has been 
 discovered to lead from the precincts of the temjjle in this direction — 
 probably that by which the Saviour was led to Calvary. No determi- 
 nation carries with it more interest, or certainty, than that of the place 
 of the Crucifixion. It is exactly on the opposite side of the city from 
 that of the Mount of Olives, where the Lurd first " beheld the city ami 
 wept over it."^ 
 
 Such is the scene which presented itself on the day previous to our 
 departure — one of indescribable interest rather than of beauty ; but so 
 rich in the memorials of the past, that no scenic beauty could enhance the 
 interest in the mind of the Christian traveller. 
 
 Having taken leave of our friends, we left Jerusalem on Friday 
 morning, 25th January, for Jaffa, in order to catch the Austrian 
 Lloyd's steamer which was to touch at that port, on her way to 
 Constantinople.'' Snow covered the country all the way to the entrance 
 of the Bab-el-Wady. We passed a carriage imbedded in the snow drift, 
 which had been left behind, horses and passengers having proceeded 
 onwards to Jerusalem. The storm had made much havoc amongst the 
 olive groves ; and notwithstanding the Government prohibition against 
 cutting firewood, abundance of this material had been provided by the 
 power of the winds, especially amongst the older trees. As we rode over 
 the plain of Ramleh, the early flowers were already beginning to decorate 
 
 ' Supra cit., p. 195, et seq., and still more recently by General Gordon. 
 
 - The present wall is stated to have been built by Agrippa, about ten years 
 after the Urucifixion, to enclose the surburbs north of the city, but tlie Church 
 of the Sepulchre was probably inside the former wall. (Ibid., p. 195.) 
 
 ^ I have again referred to this interesting case of recent identification furtlier 
 on page 190. 
 
 ■* Mr. Armstrong remained behind, in order to complete the drawing of the 
 map ofthoArabah Valley, and to complete some business connected with the 
 Palestine Survey. He retui'ned to London a few weeks later.
 
 174 XARRATmi: of an expedition through ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 the fields, amongst which the brilliant scarlet anemone, and the 
 delicately tinted dwarf iris, were the most conspicuous. We wound our 
 way to the Jerusalem Hotel, amongst the orange and lemon groves, 
 heavily laden with ripe fniit, which the rigorous enforcement of 
 quarantine in the Mediterranean ports was causing to rot on the ground. 
 For a few pence we purchased a small hamper of these delicious fruits 
 for use on our voyage ; but it was clear that, at this late period, it would 
 be utterly impossible to send to market one half of the magnificent crop 
 which was blooming on the trees, and bending with the weight of fruit 
 their branches to the oround.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AliABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 175 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 Next morning, having made all arrangements with the agent of 
 Messrs. Cook and Son, and bid a warm farewell to our trusty conductor, 
 Bernhard Heilpern, we sailed from the JaflFii roads, and cast anchor off 
 the port of Beyrflt. 
 
 On reaching the deck of the steamer, on Sunday morning, our eyes 
 were charmed with the view of the mountain range of the Lebanon, the 
 snows of which were glistening in the sunlight, and from below which 
 the well-wooded slopes, channelled and furi'owed by many a glen and 
 ravine, descended to the sea. In front lay the spacious and busy city 
 of Beyrllt, with its little harbour, far too little for the requirements 
 • of so important a port. To the right rose conspicuously the fine buildings 
 of the American Pi'otestant College, which is doing such excellent work 
 in the education of the Syrian youth. 
 
 Early in the afternoon, accompanied by my son, and Dr. Selim, of 
 Gaza, who had kindly constituted himself our guide, I called on the 
 Rev. Dr. Bliss, Principal of the College, who received us most kindly, and 
 arranged to show us the museum the day following. I then went to paj' 
 my respects to Mr. Aldridge, H.B.M. Consul-General of Syria, who 
 was also most friendly, and invited us to lunch with him the next day. 
 After this I took a ramble over the city, under the guidance of Dr. Selim, 
 visiting the excellent School for the children of Druses, kept by Miss 
 Taylor. Here I saw about twenty nice little girls, who looked very 
 happy, and evidently much attached to this devoted lady, whose cheerful 
 and loving care could not fail to win their affections. After they had 
 sung some hymns, both in English and Arabic, I gave them a little 
 address, which Miss Taylor interpreted to them, and took leave of the 
 good lady who has devoted her life to this useful work. 
 
 The day following I made the acquaintance of Dr. Post, Head of the 
 Surgical Department of the College and Hospital of St. John, and after
 
 170 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION TIIKOUGII ARABIA PETK^EA, 
 
 inspecting the geological collection, proceeded with Dr. Bliss to lunch at 
 the Consulate. The afternoon was spent in an excursion, kindly arranged 
 for me by Dr. Bliss, into the borders of the Lebanon, during which I 
 had an opportunity of examining the remarkable conglomerate of 
 Lokandel el Motram, about three miles from Beyrfit, which Dr. Bliss has 
 very properly recognised as a portion of the old bed of the straits which 
 ran up the valley to the east of the ridge on which Beyrdt is built, and 
 which at that time must have existed as an island. This old sea-bed 
 reaches levels varying from 120 to 150 feet above the present sea-level.' 
 
 Having thus made the acquaintance of the capital of Western Syria 
 and its surroundings under very faA^ourable circumstances, we returned 
 on board our ship, and in the evening weighed anchor, and steamed 
 westwai'd towards the coast of Cyprus. Gradually the shadows deepened, 
 and the snow-clad Lebanon and the dark headlands of the Syrian coast 
 faded from view, and only the waters of the Mediterranean bounded the 
 horizon as the darkness of night set in.- 
 
 We returned home by Cypius, Smyrna, Constantinople,'and Varna ; 
 and when resting for a short time in the capital of the Turkish Empire, 
 I took the opportunity of calling on Lord DufFerin, in oixler to express, in 
 person, the thanks of myself, and of our party, for his prompt and 
 effective services in procuring our release from quarantine at Gaza. 
 His Excellency received me in the most friendly manner, and I shall 
 ever retain a pleasant recollection of my interview with this distinguished 
 representative of the British Empire in the East. We were greatly 
 favoured by the weather in our passage through the Dardanelles and the 
 Black Sea ; but I could well understand how in rough weather the land- 
 ino- at Varna must be both difficult and dangerous. We reached Vienna 
 by " the Oriental Express " train on February 7th, and on the morning 
 of the 13th of the same month touched again the shores of "Old 
 
 ^ I regretted much not baring time to visit the waterworks of Beyrut, the 
 construction of which was carried out under the direction of my valued friend, 
 the late W. J. Maxwell, C.E., acting as representative of the firm of Sir J. MacNeil 
 and Son. The water is taken from the Nahr-el-Kelb, which issues forth from an 
 underground channel in tlie mountains explored by Mr. Maxwell and described 
 by Rev. J. Robertson in " Good Words," November, 1875. 
 
 ^ At Beyrut we bid farewell to Messrs. Hart and Laurence, who had 
 arranged to make a bold attempt to see Damascus and Baalbec, notwithstanding 
 the deep snows wliich covered the country. This they happily succeeded in 
 doing, as the " French road " to Damascus liad just been cleared.
 
 IC^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 ,5ca.of' 
 iGeaaesaTetb. 
 
 AsJcalonJ yJERUSALEMS^ 
 Bethlehfj^nz 
 
 Gaza, ofSolom 
 
 OxTrcL* 
 
 31'- 
 
 
 tNaTM. 
 
 V * G^np {/Deo"/ 
 y 'W.Ghanmdel
 
 Sketch map 
 Rdf'TEOF PROF HrU. S FARTl' 
 
 1883-84- 
 
 B B D a f. .1 
 
 c
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 177 
 
 England." On hearing of our arrival in London, Mr. "Walter Besant, 
 whose courtesy and desire at all times to meet our wishes I am happy 
 to have an opportunity of acknowledging, summoned a meeting of the 
 Executive Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, at which the 
 Chairman, Mr. Glaisher, presided ; and from one and all we received a 
 most hearty welcome. A few hours later, and I was on my way home- 
 ward by the Irish Express to receive another welcome from those on 
 earth most dear to me, just four months since I had bid them farewell.
 
 178 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^TiA, 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 SUMMAEY OF SCIENTIFIC EESULTS. 
 
 I PROPOSE to give here a summary of the scientific results of the Expedi- 
 tion ; reserving for a future work, which will be devoted to this subject 
 fuller details on the several heads here referred to, and which I hope 
 will be completed in the course of the year 1885. I do not wish it to be 
 supposed that the work done by the members of our Expedition was 
 always new, and altogether original. Several men of science of great 
 eminence — amongst whom the names of Eusseger, Fraas, Lartet, Vignes, 
 together with those of investigators connected with the Palestine and 
 Sinaitic Surveys, will always hold a prominent place — had previously 
 entered this field. The members of the Expedition have had the advan- 
 tage of their labours, and it would have been culpable on their part 
 either to neglect or ignore them. On the contrary, we have endeavoured, 
 I trust with proper acknowledgment, to utilise the observations of our 
 predecessors in this wide field of research, which is every day receiving 
 fresh accessions of explorers." The results, then, are as follows : — 
 
 1. A complete triangulation of the district lying between the moun- 
 tains of Sinai and the Wady el Arabah, together with that of the Wady 
 el Arabah itself, bounded on the west by the tableland of the Tih, and on 
 the east by the mountains of Edom and Moab. This was entirely the 
 work of Major Kitchener, and his assistant, Mr. G. Armstrong (formerly 
 Sergeant-Major R.E.). An outline survey along the line of route was 
 also made, and has been laid down in MS. on a map prepared by 
 Mr. Armstrong on the same scale as the reduced Map of Palestine, viz., 
 f inch to one statute mile, or ^gg^^^ . 
 
 2. Some important rectifications of the bordei's of the Salt Sea, and of 
 the Gulf of Akabah, were also made. 
 
 ^ Amongst the most recent contributions to the natural history of this part 
 oi the globe may be mentioned Tristram's " Fauna and Flora of Palestine," and 
 C. and W. Barbey's " Herborisations au Levant, Egypt, Syrie, et Mediterranee " 
 (Lausanne).
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 179 
 
 3. A geological reconnaissance along the line of route through the 
 districts of Sinai, Akabah, and the Wady el Arabah, including tlie follow- 
 ing particulars : — 
 
 (a) Collections of fossils from the Wady Nasb Limestone ; additions 
 to those already made by Mr. Bauerman and Colonel Sir C. W. "Wilson. 
 These fossils (which are being examined by Professor Sollas) go to show 
 that this limestone is of Carboniferous age. The Wady Nasb limestone 
 was found to continue over a considerable region north of Mount Sinai, 
 and was again recognised amongst the mountains of Moab on the east 
 side of the Salt Sea in the WMy el Hessi. As this limestone rests upon a 
 red sandstone foundation, this latter may also be assumed to be of the 
 same geological age, and therefore cannot be the representative of the 
 " Nubian Sandstone " of Rosiere, which (as Professor Zittel has shown) 
 is of Cretaceous age. I propose to call this formation, therefore, "the 
 Desert Sandstone." It forms, with the limestone, a strip along the 
 borders of the ancient rocks of Paleozoic, or Archaean, age, and is about 
 400 feet in average thickness ; the base is generally a conglomerate. 
 
 (6) Above the Wady Nasb limestone is another sandstone formation, 
 of which a large portion of the Debbet er Ramleh is formed. It is laid 
 open in the Wadies Zelegah, Biyar, &c., and along the mountains of 
 Edom and Moab. Out of this rock have been hewn the ancient temples, 
 tombs, and dwellings of Petra and the Wady M(isa. It stretches along 
 the southern escarpment of the Tlh plateau, and forms the base of the 
 limestone cliffs along the margin of the W4dy el Arabah as far north 
 as Nagb es Salni. This sandstone formation is soft, red, or beautifully 
 variegated. It is (in all probability) of Cretaceous age, and, if so, the 
 true representative of the " Nubian Sandstone " of Eusseger. It will 
 thus be seen that there are two red sandstone formations, one below, 
 the other above the Carboniferous limestone of the WMy Nasb. 
 
 (c) The geological structure of the Wady el Arabah was examined 
 throughout a distance of 120 miles from south to north. That it has been 
 hollowed out along the line of a main fault (or line of fracture and 
 displacement) ranging from the eastern shore of the Salt Sea to that of 
 the Gulf of Akabah, was clearly determined. The position of the fault 
 itself was made out and laid down on the map' in six or seven jjlaces ; 
 one being about ten miles north of Akabah, another near the watershed, 
 
 ' The map used was an enlarged plan from Smith and Groves' Ancient Atlas 
 (J. Murray). 
 
 N 2
 
 180 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 in which places the limestone of the Tlh (Cretaceo-nummulitic) is faulted 
 against the old porphyritic and metamorphic rocks, as illustrated by the 
 section across the Arabah Valley, given in a previous page (p. 77). 
 
 There are numerous parallel and branching faults along the Arabah 
 Valley, but there is one leading fracture running along the base of 
 the Edomite Mountains, to which the others are of secondary import- 
 tance ; this may be called "the Great Jordan Valley fault." The 
 relations of the rocks in The Gh6r and Joi'dan Valley have already been 
 shown by Lartet, Tristram, Wilson, and others, to indicate the presence 
 of a large fault corresponding with the line of this remarkable depression, 
 and the author considers the fracture he has observed in the Arabah 
 Valley to be continuous with that of the Jordan. 
 
 {d) The ancient rocks which form the floor either of the Desert, or 
 Nubian, Sandstone formations, consist of granite, gneiss, porphyries, 
 and more rarely of metamorphic schists — together with volcanic rocks, 
 consisting of agglomerates, tuffs, and beds of felspathic trap. The author 
 is disposed to concur with Dr. Lartet in considering the gneissose and 
 granitoid rocks to be of Archaean (or Laurentian) age, as they are probably 
 representative of those of Assouan in Upper Egypt, which Prof. Sir J. W. 
 Dawson has recently identified with those of this age.' The granites and 
 porphyries are traversed by innumerable dykes of porphyry and diorite 
 both throughout the Sinaitic mountains and those of Edom and Moab ; 
 and the author considers it jjrobable that the volcanic rocks which are largely 
 represented along the bases of Mount Hor, and of Jebel es Somrah near 
 Es Safieh, are contemjjoraneous with these dykes. As far as the author 
 was able to observe, none of these dykes penetrate the Desert or Nubian 
 Sandstones, and, if so, they may be considered of pre-Carboniferous age. 
 The upper surface of the ancient rocks was originally extremely uneven, 
 having been worn and denuded into ridges and hollows, previous to the 
 deposition of the Desert Sandstone ; over this irregular floor the sandstone 
 strata were deposited. 
 
 4. The occurrence of terraces of marl, gravel, and silt, through which 
 the ravines of existing streams have been cut at an elevation (according 
 to aneroid determination) of about 100 feet above the level of the Mediter- 
 ranean, was taken to show that the level of the Salt Sea (Bahr Lut) at 
 
 ' Dawson has shown, however, that there are two metamorphic series in 
 Upper Egypt. Geol. Mncjazine, Oct., 1884.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABJtH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 181 
 
 one time stood about 1,400 feet higher than at present. These beds of 
 marl were first observed at the camp at 'Ain Abu Beweireh ; they contain 
 blanched shells of the genera Melanopsis and Melania. The beds of marl 
 "were obser^'ed to be enclosed by liigher ground of more ancient strata in 
 every direction except towards tlie north, where they gently slope down- 
 wards towards the borders of The Ghor, and become incorporated with 
 strata of the 600 feet terrace. 
 
 5. The author concurs with Dr. Lartet in thinking that the waters of 
 the Jordan Valley did not flow down into the Gulf of Akabah after the 
 land had emei'ged from the sea ; the disconnection of the inner and outer 
 waters was very ancient, dating back to Miocene times. 
 
 6. The occurrence of beds of ancient lakes — consisting of coarse gravel, 
 sand, and marl, amongst the mountains of Sinai, and in the Wady el 
 Arabah, where now only waterless valleys occur, taken in connection with 
 other phenomena, have impressed the author with the conviction that the 
 former climatic conditions of Arabia Peti'Pea were A'ery different from 
 those of the present day. Such terraces have been observed by Dr. Post 
 in the W&dy Feiran, and Colonel Sir W. Wilson in the "Wady Solaf, and 
 by the author in the Wadies Gharandel, Goweisah, Hamr, Solaf, and Es 
 Sheikh or Watiyeh. It would appear that, at a period coming down 
 probably to the prehistoric, a chain of lakes existed amongst the tortuous 
 valleys and hollows of the Sinaitic peninsula. The gypseous deposits of 
 Wady Amarah and of Ain Hawareh are considered to be old lake beds, 
 and Mr. Bauerman has observed remains of fresh-water shells {Lymn(ea 
 truncatula) and a species of Pisidium in " lake or river alluvium " of the 
 Wadies Feiran and Es Sheikh (" Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc," Vol. XXV, 
 p. 35). 
 
 7. The author considers it probable that these ancient Sinaitic lakes 
 belong to an epoch when the waters of the Mediterranean and of the Eed 
 Sea rose to a level considerably higher than at present ; and when, 
 consequently, there was less fall for the inland waters in an outer direc- 
 tion. The evidence of a submergence, to a depth of at least 200 feet, is 
 abundantly clear in the occurrence of raised beaches or sea beds with 
 shells, corals, and crinoids, of species still living in the adjoining waters. 
 Tlie raised beaches of the Mediterranean and Eed Sea coasts have been 
 observed by the officers of the Ordnance Survey, and by Fraas, Lartet, 
 Schweinfurth, Post, and others. They were obsen^ed by members of the 
 Expedition at the southern extremity of the Wady el Arabah, and shells
 
 182 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 and corals were found round the camp of the 3rd December at an eleva- 
 tion of about 130 feet above the Gulf of Akabah. 
 
 These ancient sea beds are represented in the Egyptian area by the 
 old coast-line of 220 feet, discovered by Fraas along the flanks of the 
 Mokattam Hills above Cairo, and recently described by Schweinfurth. 
 (^Uber die geol. schichtungliederung d. Mokottam bei Cairo ; Zeit. d. 
 Deuts. Geol. Gesel, 1883.) The period in which the sea rose to this level 
 may be stated in general terms as the Pliocene, but it continued down- 
 wards till more recent times ; and the author believes that at the time of 
 the Exodus the Gulf of Suez reached as far as the Great Bitter Lake 
 (Quarterli/ Siatement, April, 1884). It is scarcely necessary to observe that 
 throughout the longer portion of this period of submergence Africa was 
 disconnected from Asia. 
 
 8. The Miocene period is not represented by any strata throughout the 
 district traversed by the Expedition. The author considers that in this 
 part of the world the Miocene period was one of elevation, disturbance, 
 and denudation of strata ; not of accumulation. To this epoch he refers 
 the emergence of the whole of the Palestine, and of the greater part of 
 the Sinaitic areas, from the sea, in which the Cretaceo-nummulitic lime- 
 stone formations were deposited. To the same epoch also he considers 
 the faulting and flexuring of the strata is chiefly referable ; and notably 
 the formation of the great Jordanic line of fault, with its branches and 
 accompanying flexurings of the strata — which are very remarkable along 
 the western sides of The Gh6r. These phenomena were accompanied and 
 followed by extensive denudation, and the production of many of the 
 principal physical features of the region referred to. 
 
 9. The evidences of a Pluvial period throughout this region are to be 
 found (a) in the remains of ancient lake beds, (6) in the existence of 
 terraces in the river valleys, (c) in the great size and depth of many valleys 
 and gorges, now waterless except after sevei'e thunderstorms, and (d) in 
 the vastly greater size of the Salt Sea (or Dead Sea), which must have 
 had a length of nearly 200 English miles from north to south, at the time 
 when its surface was at a higher level than that of the Mediterranean 
 at the present day. The author considers that this Pluvial period 
 extended from the Pliocene through the post-Pliocene (or Glacial) down 
 to recent times. As it is known, from the observations of Sir J. D. 
 Hooker, Canon Tristram, and others, that perennial snow and glaciers 
 existed in the Lebanon during the Glacial epoch, the author infers
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 183 
 
 that the adjoining districts to the south of the Lebanon must have 
 had a climate approaching that of the British Isles at the present day ; 
 and that, in a region of which many parts are over 2,000 feet in elevation, 
 there must have been abundant rainfall. Even when the snows and 
 glaciers of the Lebanon had disappeared, the effects of the colder climate 
 which was passing away may be supposed to have remained for some 
 time, and the vegetation to have been more luxuriant down to within 
 the epoch of human habitation. The author's views generally coincide 
 with those of Theobold Fisher, as extended by him to a much wider area 
 (Studien Uber das Klima der Mediterranean Lander," Peterman's 
 Mittheilungen, 1879). 
 
 10. The author considers that there are reasons for concluding that 
 the outburst of volcanic phenomena in North-Eastern Palestine in the 
 region of the Jaulan and Hauran, &c., has an indirect connection with the 
 formation of the great Jordan Sea of the Pluvial period. The presence 
 of water in considerable volume is now recognised as necessary to volcanic 
 activity, and the author submits that this interdependence was brought 
 about when the waters of the Lake stretched as far north as the little Lake 
 of Hiileh. These waters, under a pressure of several hundred feet, would 
 find their way into the interior of the earth's crust along the lines of the 
 great Jordan Valley fault, and of its branches, and thus supply the neces- 
 sary " steam power " for volcanic action. The period when the volcanoes 
 of the Jaulan and Haui-an were in action appears to have ranged from the 
 Pliocene through the post-Pliocene to the beginning of the recent ; when, 
 concurrently with the falling away and partial drying up of the waters 
 of the great inland sea, the volcanic fires became extinct and the out- 
 pourings of basaltic lava ceased to flow. 
 
 If these views are correct, it would seem that during the Glacial 
 epoch, Palestine and Southern Syria presented an aspect very different 
 from the present. The Lebanon throughout the year was snow-clad over 
 its higher elevations, while glaciers descended into some of its valleys. 
 The region of the Hauran, lying at its southern base, was the site of 
 several extensive volcanoes, while the district around, and the Jordan 
 Valley itself, was invaded by floods of lava. A great inland sea, 
 occupying the Jordan Valley, together with the existing comparatively 
 restricted sheets of water, extended from Lake Hdleh on the north, to a 
 southern margin near the base of Samrat Fiddan in the Wady el Arabah 
 of the present day, while numerous arms and bays stretched into the
 
 184 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^':A, 
 
 glens and valleys of Palestine and Moab on either hand. Under such 
 climatic conditions, we may feel assured, a luxuriant vegetation decked 
 with verdure the hills and vales of Palestine and Arabia Petrsea to an 
 extent far beyond that of the present ; and amongst the trees, as Sir 
 J. D. Hooker has shown, the cedar may have spread far and wide. 
 
 11. The author has not thought it necessary to go into the question of 
 the origin of the salinity of the Salt Sea, as this question is now fully 
 understood. He is obliged to differ with Dr. Lartet in his view of the 
 origin of the salt mountain, Jebel Usdum,' which he (the author), as also 
 Mr. Hart, regards as a portioii of the bed of the Salt Sea, when it stood about 
 600 feet above its present level. This level exactly corresponds to that 
 of the terraces, both along the south and east of The Ghor, formed of 
 lacustrine materials. The upper surface of Jebel Usdum was examined 
 by Messrs. Hart and Laurence, of the Expedition, but previous explorers 
 had considered the sides inaccessible. 
 
 12. The author concurs with previous writers in considering that the 
 Cretaceous and Tertiary periods succeeded each other over this region (at 
 least as far as the marine deposits are concerned) without any important 
 physical disturbances ; in consequence of which the limestone formations 
 of these periods are in physical conformity and are generally incapable of 
 separation without prolonged and detailed examination. It seems 
 probable, however, that while the Nvimmulitic limestones predominate 
 in the Egyptian and Nubian areas, those of the Cretaceous period were 
 more fully developed over the area of Arabia Petrsea and Palestine. 
 
 13. A complete series of meteorological observations, consisting of 
 maxima and minima readings of the thermometer, and levels of the 
 barometer, were made by Mr. Laurence, and will appear in the scientific 
 work to follow. 
 
 14. A series of photographic views were taken by Dr. E. G. Hull, and 
 a selection from them will be published. 
 
 15. A large collection of plants, and a smaller of animals, was made 
 by Mr. H. C Hart. 
 
 1 Lartet regards the strata of this mountain as belonging to the Nummuhtic 
 period.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 185 
 
 CHAPTEE XXII. 
 
 SOME REMAEKABLE SITES CONNECTED WITH BIBLICAL 
 HISTOEY VISITED BY THE EXPEDITION. 
 
 Advances in the identification of most of the places connected with the 
 Exodus, and with early Christian history, are being daily made, and I 
 propose here to deal with a few cases which have come under my own 
 immediate notice (with one exception), and to offer some observations 
 upon them. They are as follows : — 
 
 1. The Passage of the Eed Sea by the Israelites under Moses. 
 
 2. The Giving of the Law from Mount Sinai. 
 
 3. Kadesh Barnea and Mount Hor. 
 
 4. The Site of Calvary. 
 
 Making three illustrations from the Old Testament, and one from the 
 New. 
 
 1. The. Passage of the Red Sea by the Israelites.— From the earliest 
 period of history Egypt was connected with Asia by a narrow neck of 
 land occupying a position to the north of the ^3 resent Great Bitter Lake 
 Over this neck lay the road connecting the capital of the Pharaohs at 
 Tanis, or Zoan, with the East by way of Philistia on the one hand, or, again, 
 by the way of Shur, or finally by the way of Elath, at the head of the 
 .Elanitic Gulf. 
 
 By the first of these roads, leading into Philistia, the Israelites could 
 have reached the Promised Land within the shortest time ; but, enfeebled 
 and dispirited by long cajjtivity, they were forbidden to face the warlike 
 inhabitants of Philistia, and on reaching the neck they were ordered by 
 the Lord to turn southwards, and in this direction they continued their 
 march till they found themselves confronted by the sterile mountain 
 range of Jebel Attakah, flanked by the waters of the Red Sea on the 
 east, and pursued by the army of Pharoah on the north and west. That 
 the place of the passage called " Pi-hahiroth before Baal-Zephon " was in 
 the neighbourhood of the present town of Suez, at the head of the Gulf,
 
 186 NARRA.TIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^.A, 
 
 there can be little doubt. The locality, as suggested by Dean Stanley, 
 was probably in the vicinity of Ajrtid, the halting-place of the Mecca 
 pilgrims. Now, to the north of the Gulf of Suez, and extending a distance 
 of ten statute miles to the Bitter Lakes, there exists at the present day a 
 neck of land, across which the Israelitish host might have marched into 
 the wilderness of Etham on their way to Mount Sinai, and over which 
 the army of Pharaoh, with its chariots, would probably have been unable 
 to follow ; at any rate (if the conditions had been the same then as now) 
 there would have been no necessity for the performance of a miracle in 
 dividing the waters of a sea which at the present day does not exist. 
 Here is a difficulty ; arising from the impossibility of reconciling the 
 Scriptural narrative with observed physical phenomena. 
 
 It seems to me, however, that the explanation is sufficiently clear to 
 any one who considers that ever since the Pliocene period down to very 
 recent times the land has been gaining on the sea over the area which was 
 the scene of these events. At the Pliocene period the whole of Lower 
 Egypt and the borders of the Mediterranean were submerged to a depth 
 of (at least) 200 feet below the present sea-level, and since that period the 
 land has been slowly rising. It is not too much to assume that at a 
 period of four thousand years ago the process of elevation had not been 
 completed to its present extent ; and that, in consequence, the waters of 
 the Gulf of Suez stretched northwards into the Bitter Lakes, forming a 
 channel, perhaps of no great depth, but requiring the exercise of Almighty 
 Power to convert it into a causeway of dry land in order to rescue the 
 chosen people from their impending peril. The levels taken for the 
 Suez Canal show that a depression of about 25 feet would suffice to bring 
 the waters of the Gulf of Suez into the Bitter Lakes ; and this submer- 
 gence would still leave the neck to the north of the Bitter Lakes in the 
 position of land such as we know it to have been in the time of the 
 Pharaohs, and which formed the line of communication between Egypt 
 and the East. In this way, as it appears to me, we may bring the 
 Bible narrative into harmony with physical phenomena. 
 
 2. The Giving of the Law from Mount Sinai. — The claims of the diflferent 
 mountains of the Sinaitic peninsula to be that from which the Law was 
 delivered to Israel have been carefully analysed by one who knows the 
 topographical details perhaps better than any other Englishman, Colonel 
 Sir Charles Wilson,' who gives his decision in favour of Jebel MAsa, or 
 ' " Ordnance Survey of Sinai," p. 140.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 187 
 
 Moses' Mount — a decision which must be accepted as final. It has been 
 shown in detail by this author, that all the requirements of the case as 
 described in the Bible are met in their minutest details, if we accept 
 Jebel MAsa as the " Mount of the Law." In this view the late Professor 
 Palmer concurred.' 
 
 This mountain rises to an elevation of 7,363 feet, and at its southern 
 end the grand precipitous cliff of Eds Sufsafeh, reaching an elevation of 
 6,937 feet, rises directly from the plain or wide valley called the WSdy 
 er Rahah, with a front of 2,000 feet. This plain contains 400 acres of 
 convenient standing ground ; while at its further extremity it opens out 
 into the wide valley of Es Sheikh, which would easily afford camping 
 ground for the people with their flocks and herds. Here then we have 
 all the requirements for the events related during the sojouni of the 
 Israelites. We may well suppose that Moses was called up to be with 
 Jehovah on the higher summit of Jebel MAsa, while the people watched 
 his ascent from the plain and from the slopes of the mountains. Sir Charles 
 Wilson lays special stress on the position and character of the cliff of Et'is 
 Sufsafeh. Nothing can be more graphic than the description of this noble, 
 precipitous mass of granite, as the mountain which "may be touched." 
 Its almost sheer rise from the plain lends force to this description, while 
 it afforded facilities for marking off its sacred precincts from trespassers. 
 
 One other point may be noticed. In the vicinity of this mountain 
 group are several perennial springs and six streams affording cool and 
 delicious water throughout the year. They derive their sources from the 
 snow which, for a few weeks in winter time, caps the upper heights of 
 Jebels Mtisa and Katarina. One of these streams descending along the 
 Wady Sh'reich was probably that into which Moses cast the dust of the 
 Golden Calf. 
 
 The late eminent Astronomer Royal, in his attempt to trace the events 
 connected with the journeys of the Israelites to pui-ely natural causes, 
 has advanced the view that the thunderings and lightnings of Sinai 
 were caused by the outburst of volcanic forces. If such had been the case 
 we might have expected some evidence of volcanic action, or of a modern 
 volcanic mountain, in this neighbourhood. Jebel MAsa, however, together 
 with all the mountain groups forming the southern extremity of the 
 
 ' "The Desert of the Exodus," pp. 55, 99, and 102. T cnnnot hx nny 
 means accept Mr. Baker Greene's views of tlie identity of Mount Siiiiii with 
 Mount Hor.
 
 188 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR^A, 
 
 Sinaitic peninsula, consists of granitic and metamorphic rocks of immense 
 geological antiquity ; nor are there any traces of recent volcanic products.* 
 3. Kadesh Barnea and Mount Hor. — The position of Kadesh Bamea, a 
 locality for ever memorable in the history of the Israelitish wanderings, 
 has been a question of controversy amongst geographers down to the 
 present day. According to the sacred text it was eleven days' journey 
 from Horeb (Mount Sinai) by way of Mount Seir,- and it was, also, 
 immediately to the south of the borders of Canaan,^ and not far from 
 those of Edom or Mount Seir. From this description, Kadesh Barnea 
 might lie either along the western border of the Wady el Arabah, or at 
 some distance further west amongst the valleys of the Tih. Accordingly, 
 the spring called Ain el Weibeh, discovered by Dr. Eobinson, at the base 
 of the cliflFs which form the bounds of the Arabah Valley, has been 
 identified by some writers as the site of Kadesh. 
 
 A more recent determination, and one in which I am disposed to 
 concur, is the valley and spring of 'Ain Kadeis, which lies about thirty- 
 five miles to the west of the Arabah Valley, amongst the limestone hills 
 of the Tih. This identification was first made by the Eev. John Eolands, 
 and is ably supported by an American writer. Dr. Trumbull, in a recent 
 work,* written after a personal visit to the spot.* Under this identifica- 
 tion, the camping ground of Kadesh Barnea was probably reached by the 
 route suggested by the Rev. F. W. Holland, and which was also followed 
 throughout a great part of its course by our own Expedition. Mr. 
 Hollaad supposes that the Israelites, after leaving Jebel MAsa (Hoieb), 
 marched northwards, and after traversing the grand gorge of the Wddy 
 el Watiyeh, turned to the east along the valleys of Zillegah and El Ain. 
 Tui-ning northwards they entered the region of the Tih, by the Wady el 
 Atiyeh ; and then proceeding onwards across the great jalains of lime- 
 stone reached their halting-place at Kadesh Barnea. The whole distance 
 would be about 150 miles (English), and for eleven days would be at 
 the rate of nearly fourteen miles per day. 
 
 That Kadesh Bamea must have been a place of note in the days of the 
 
 ' It is too much to suppose that Moses was exposed during forty days to the 
 fury of a volcano in active eruption ! 
 - Deut. i, 2. 
 •* Numb, xxxir, 4. 
 ^ " Kadesh Barnea " (18St). 
 '" Tlie spot had also been visited bj tlie Eev. F. W. Holland.
 
 To face page 189. 
 
 AV. Jaifeh. 
 
 •siapcH 'W,
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 189 
 
 Israelitish wanderings cannot be doubted. The name Kadesh means 
 " holy" or "sacred," and we must suppose that there was ordinarily au 
 abundant supply of water giving a claim of sanctity to the spot. Owing, 
 however, to some cause not stated, but probably that of a prolonged 
 drought, the flow of water failed during the second visit of the Israelites, 
 previous to their march to the Promised Land ; and the Loi-d commanded 
 Moses and Aaron to assemble the people before the rock facing the camp, 
 and to speak to the rock, that it might give forth water for the people 
 and their cattle.' Instead of speaking to the rock, Moses struck it with 
 his staff twice, and having failed to sanctify the Lord in the eyes of the 
 children of Israel, he and Aaron were condemned to die before entering 
 the Promised Land. The account here seems to agree with the topo- 
 graphical features of the Wady Kadeis, as given in rather glowing 
 language by Dr. Tnimbull. From the base of a limestone cliff jutting 
 out into the valley, a stream of water bursts foi'th which spreads fertility 
 over a considerable area till gradually absorbed into the porous bed of 
 the valley. Mr. Holland has also described the place, stating that there are 
 three springs : two on the hillside, and one in the bed of the valley, and 
 from the sketch he has left it may be inferred that at the junction of the 
 Wadies Kadeis and Jaifeh there is extensive camping ground." (Fig. 19.) 
 On leaving Kadesh the Israelites marched eastwards towards the 
 borders of Edom, and encamped at the base of Mount Hor, while awaiting 
 the reply of the King of Edom to the request of Moses for permission to 
 pass through his country on the way towards the Laud of Promise. This 
 route was circuitous ; but it may be presumed that the Israelites, having 
 thirty-eight years previously been smitten before the Amalekites and 
 Canaanites,^ were permitted to circumvent their enemies by the way of 
 Edom, Moab, and the Jordan Valley. They, therefore, appear to have 
 marched eastward to the head of the W. Kadeis, crossed the limestone 
 plain, and descended into the great valley of the Arabah, by the W. 
 Ghamr, or one of the other branches. Having crossed the Arabah, here 
 about ten miles wide, they continued their course toward the base of 
 Mount Hor, and camped at the western base of the mount, in the wide 
 valley called W. Abu Kuseibeh, which was the site of our own camjj 
 
 ^ Numb. XX, 8. 
 
 - Quarterly Statement, January, 1884. 
 
 ' Numb, sir, 44.
 
 190 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRiEA 
 
 while we visited Petra and Mount Hor, between the 8tli and 10th of 
 December, 1883. 
 
 In its name Jebel Haroun (Aaron's Mount), Mount Hor retains the 
 memory of that event which forms so melancholy a chapter in Jewish 
 history. The identification of J. Haroun with "Mount Hor, by the 
 coast of the Land of Edom" (Numb, xx, 23), has been disputed by 
 Dr. Trumbull, but (as it seems to me) on insufficient grounds. He 
 suggests Jebel Madurah, an isolated hill near Ain Kadeis, as the real 
 scene of Aaron's death. Dr. Trumbull has doubtless seen Jebel Madurah, 
 but if he had visited Jebel Haroun he would have been aware how 
 completely this conspicuous elevation fulfils the requirements of the 
 narrative. The language, " that the whole congregation journeyed from 
 Kadesh, and came unto Mount Hor," appears to indicate an interval of 
 perhaps several days' march from the time of their departure from the 
 one, till their arrival at the other. It may also be presumed that, as 
 Moses was permitted to view the Land of Canaan from Mount Nebo, 
 Aaron was permitted to do so from Mount Hor. In both these respects 
 Jebel Haroun meets the requirements of the case. The summit of 
 Mount Hor, rising as it does about 4,580 feet (as determined by Major 
 Kitchener) above the Mediterranean, or 5,875 feet above the level of the 
 Salt Sea and The Ghor, affords a commanding prospect of the great valley 
 of the Arabah, and the borders of Seir, of the depression of The Gh6r, 
 itself, and of the tableland of Southern Palestine ; and we may well 
 suppose the eyes of the high priest of Israel were allowed to rest them- 
 selves upon the hills of Judea, ere he resigned his priestly robes, and 
 prepared himself for his resting-place, perhaps in the little cave which 
 is covered by a Mohammedan shrine, whose white walls are visible to the 
 traveller for many a mile around. 
 
 4. The Site of Calvary. — One of the most recent identifications in or 
 about Jerusalem is the site of Calvary, the topographical details of 
 which have been very clearly elucidated by Captain Conder.^ Attention 
 has up till recent times been diverted from this determination by the 
 assumption that the site of our Lord's Crucifixion is beneath the roof of 
 " The Church of the Holy Sepulchre," which occupies a position nearly 
 in the centre of the modern city. The labours of the officers of the 
 Palestine Survey, and others, have not only succeeded in exploding the 
 
 1 " Tent Work in Palestine," p. 195, &c.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 191 
 
 claims of this locality, but also in fixing the real site, as it seems to me, 
 beyond the pale of controversy. 
 
 If there is any fact clearer than another, in reference to the place of 
 the Crucifixion, it is that the spot was outside the walls of Jerusalem. 
 As the Apostle puts it, both figuratively and actually, "Jesus suffered 
 without the gate,"i and as there was a garden at the place of the Cruci- 
 fixion containing a tomb,^ it is tolerably certain the spot was beyond the 
 suburbs of the city. The traditional site, on which the church of the 
 Crusaders stands, was either inside the second wall, as may be inferred 
 from the description of Josephus, who says that it stretched from the 
 Gate of Gennath in a circuit to the angle of Fort Antonia, or it must have 
 been in close proximity thereto ; and, consequently, fails in either case 
 to answer to the language of St. John xix, 20, that the place was " nigh 
 unto the city." As has been pointedly remarked, the language of the 
 Evangelists seems to imply that the procession, on leaving the Prsetorium, 
 passed, not through the city, but outside it.^ Now from the relative 
 positions of the Prsetorium and the traditional site, the procession would 
 have had to wind its way along the side of the second wall, instead of 
 outwards towards the country . 
 
 But beyond the second wall stretched at that time the populous 
 suburb of Bezetha, which was enclosed about ten years after the Cruci- 
 fixion by Agrippa's third wall, and it is extremely unlikely that the 
 Crucifixion and entombment would have been permitted in the midst 
 of suburban residences. 
 
 We are obliged, therefore, to look outside, and beyond, those limits 
 for a position which would answer the requirements of the several narra- 
 tives, which are all quite consistent with each other. Calvary was clearly 
 an elevated site, affording space for a large assemblage of spectators ; it 
 was some distance from the city walls, and from ordinary habitations ; 
 it was by the wayside leading into the country ; and was within easy 
 reach of the Prajtorium, or Herod's Judgment Hall, which occupied the 
 north-west angle of the Temple area.'' All these requirements are met by 
 
 ' Heb. xiii, 12. 
 
 - John xix, 41. 
 
 •' Matt, xxvii, 31 ; Mark xv, 20 ; Luke xxiii, 26 ; John xii, 17. 
 
 ■• In the excellent Map of Ancient Jerusalem in the Biblical Atlas and 
 Gazetteer the plans are well shown, but the position of the spot now identified is 
 better shown in the map of tlie modern city.
 
 192 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETRiEA, 
 
 the site described by Captain Conder, which is one accepted by (I believe) 
 the intelligent European residents of Jerusalem,* and it is one which, 
 after having visited and carefully considered it, has satisfied my own mind. 
 
 On passing through the Damascus Gate, which leads out from the 
 north side of the city, we turn to the right by the road which follows the 
 course of Agrippa's wall ; and at a distance of about one-fourth of an 
 English mile we find ourselves in front of a platform of limestone, 
 breaking oflf with a slight scarp in the direction of the city. The 
 face of the scarp is perforated by a cave, known as " Jeremiah's Grotto," 
 and seen in a certain direction this prominent knoll has an appearance 
 not unlike that of a skull ; hence, possibly, the name " Golgotha." More 
 probably, however, the locality was a place of interment ; for it is known 
 that the great cemetery of Jewish times lay to the north side of the city, 
 and therefore in the neighbourhood of the Grotto of Jeremiah. A 
 Mohammedan cemetery occupies a portion of the platform, and an Arab 
 Sheikh has pitched his tent at its base. Here, undesecrated by any 
 building, sacred or profane, stands in its naked simplicity the natural 
 I^latform on which was erected the cross of the Saviour. From this 
 position, with outstretched arms. He embraced the city over which He 
 had wept when first He had viewed it from the Mount of Olives. The 
 position of the first and last view are almost exactly opposite each other. 
 And, as if to place the identification of the spot beyond controversy an 
 ancient Roman causeway has been discovered stretching in the direction 
 of Herod's Gate, which, passing through Agrijjpa's wall, opens out almost 
 in front of the platform ; we can scarcely doubt it was that along which 
 the procession moved after leaving the Prsetorium towards the place of 
 Crucifixion. Amongst all the objects referable to the time of our Lord, 
 none seems to me more clearly genuine than that I have now described 
 as the site of Calvary. 
 
 Such is a brief account of some of the localities (with the exception 
 of Ain Kadeis) visited by the members of ovu- Expedition. 
 
 ' Amongst whom may be mentioned the British and Amevican Consuls and 
 Dr. Chaplin. General Gordon, in his notes on Palestine, takes the same view, 
 and Canon Tristram has reminded me that he has also for some time held this
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 193 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII. 
 
 EXPLANATION OF THE GEOLOGICAL MAP. 
 
 Since this volume contains a Geological Map, it may be expected that 
 I should offer some explanatory observations upon it. 
 
 Every good Geological Map ought to explain itself. It ought, in fact, 
 to tell its own story regarding the features of tlie country it represents, 
 and the rocks and formations of which the region is constructed ; and if 
 every pei-son was acquainted with the principles of geology, and had been 
 properly instructed in the plan according to which Geological Maps are 
 prepared, no explanation would be required. With a Geological Map of 
 any district before him, and one also showing the features of hill and dale, 
 mountain and valley, an observer would receive a correct idea of the 
 physical structure of the whole region. He would be able for himself to 
 determine what were the older, or newer, formations : in what way thev 
 were disposed one to the other ; and, also, be able to form some idea 
 regarding the distribution of land and sea at past periods. Such a map 
 would speak to his mind regarding jiast physical events as distinctly as a 
 piece of written music, when jjlaced before a musician, conveys to his 
 mind what would be the character of the composition if reproduced on 
 an instrument. 
 
 Unfortunately the sublime science of geology has only as yet a limited 
 number of cultivators. Its truths have as yet only been revealed to the 
 favoured few ; but the day will doubtless come when the study of geology 
 will be considered as essential to a good education as is the study of 
 geography or history. It is now admitted that geology is the basis of 
 geography ; and it cannot be questioned that the physical history of any 
 country has had an impoi'taut bearing on the history and character of its 
 inhabitants ; so that, in order properly to understand the latter, we ought 
 not to neglect the investigation of the former. 
 
 o
 
 191 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA VETRAIA, 
 
 In no country has this statement a fuller illustration than in the 
 region over which the little Geological Map accompanying this volume 
 extends. The present habits, and much of the past history, of the 
 inhabitants have been moulded on the physical characters of the various 
 pai'ts which are the direct outcome of their geological structure. The 
 mild patient character of the Egyptian cultivator befits the nature of 
 that wide alluvial tract of fertile land which is watered by the Nile, 
 and is one of the most recent tracts reclaimed from the sea.^ The 
 mountainous tracts of the Sinaitic peninsula, formed of the oldest 
 crystalline rocks of that part of the world, have become the abode of 
 the Bedouin Arab, the hardy child of nature who has adapted himself 
 to a life in keeping with his wild surroundings. The great tableland of 
 the Till, less rugged and inhosjjitable than the mountainous pyrts of 
 Sinai and Serbal, supports roving tribes, partly pastoral, and gradually 
 assimilating their habits to the fellahin of Philistia and of Palestine, 
 who cultivate the ground and rear large flocks and herds. 
 
 A review of the past history of these regions would probably show a 
 st'U more intimate connection between the character and habits of the 
 various peoples and the physical features of the country than those even 
 of the present day ; but it is not necessary that I should do more than 
 allude to them here, in order to enforce my statement that the connection 
 between their characters and habits may be traced largely to the nature 
 of the country, and this again back to its geological structure. I there- 
 fore pass on briefly to explain the meaning of the various colours which 
 have been used in the construction of the map. 
 
 It will be seen that the map embraces a large area, extending from 
 the banks of the Nile on the west to the mountains of Edom and Moab 
 on the east, and from the southern extremity of the Sinaitic peninsula 
 on the south, to the mountains of Lebanon on the north. It includes 
 the entire Jordan Valley, and the long continuous depression of the 
 Arabah Valley till it becomes submerged beneath the waters of the Gulf 
 of Akabah. 
 
 The oldest rocks occupy the greater portion of the Sinaitic peninsula, 
 as well as the mountains bordering the Gulf of Akabah, and extending 
 northward along the eastern side of the Wady el Arabah. They are 
 coloured deeji purple and pale pink on the map ; and consist of granitic, 
 
 ' Coloured deep green on the map.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE ARABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 195 
 
 gneissose, and schistose rocks, amongst which have been intruded great 
 masses of red jjorphyry, dark gi-eenstoue, and other igneous rocks in the 
 form of dykes, veins, and bosses. These rocks are probably amongst the 
 oldest in the world, and are representative (at least in part) of those in 
 Upper Egypt at Assouan (Syene) from which the noble monoliths of 
 ancient Egyptian art have been hewn. 
 
 Two isolated masses of the granitic and sandstone formations occur 
 amongst the limestones of the Tlh, and were discovered by Mr. Holland ; 
 but details regarding their relations to the newer strata are wanting.' 
 
 After these ancient rocks had been consolidated they wei-e subjected 
 to a vast amount of erosion, and were worn into very uneven surfaces, 
 over which the more recent formations were spread ; first, filling up the 
 hollows with the lower strata, and ultimately covering even the higher 
 elevations as the process of deposition of strata went on. 
 
 The oldest of these formations is the red sandstone and conglomerate, 
 which I have called the " Desert Sandstone " formation. It is coloured 
 blue on the map, and forms a narrow strip along the margin of the old 
 crystalline rocks.^ It is capped by the fossiliferous limestone of the 
 Wady Nasb, which shows it to belong to the Carboniferous period — in 
 fact, to be the rejaresentative of the Carboniferous Limestone of Europe 
 and the British Isles. It is also found east of the Arabah Valley and 
 amongst the mountains of Moab east of The Ghor. 
 
 This is succeeded by another sandstone formation coloured yellowish 
 brown, and more extensively distributed than the former. It belongs 
 to a much more recent geological period, namely, the Cretaceous ; and is 
 the representative of the " Nubian Sandstone " of Eoziere, so largely 
 developed in Africa, especially in Nubia and Upper Egypt. 
 
 This is succeeded by the Cretaceous and Nummulitic Limestone forma- 
 tions, which occupy the greater portion of the map, forming the great 
 tableland of the Tlh, from its western escarpment to the borders of the 
 Arabah Valley, and stretching northward throughout the hill country of 
 Judea and Samaria into Syria and the Lebanon. 
 
 On the east of the Jordan Valley the Cretaceous Limestone forms the 
 tablelands of Edom and Moab ; as far north as the Hauran and Jaulan 
 where the limestone passes below great sheets of basaltic lava coloui'ed 
 
 ' Quarterly Statement, Palestine Exploration Fund, Jan. 188t. 
 A portion of this tract is taken from the Ordnance Survey of Sinai. 
 
 o 2
 
 196 NARRATIVE OF AN EXPEDITION THROUGH ARABIA PETR/EA, 
 
 deep pink. The Cretaceous Limestone is coloured yellow, and represents 
 the Chalk formation of Europe and the British Isles. 
 
 The NummuUtic Limestone is represented by a buff colour ; but the 
 boundary between the two limestone formations is intentionally indefi- 
 nite, as it could only be determined with accuracy by a careful and 
 detailed survey and examination of the whole region. Outlying patches 
 of the Nummulitic Limestone occur in Palestine, and are taken from 
 M. Lartet's map ; but it is probable that the formation is much more 
 largely represented than is shown on either of those maps. The two 
 formations, although belonging the one to the Secondary, the other to 
 the Tertiary, periods, are very closely connected in Palestine as far 
 as the mineral characters are concerned, though the fossil contents are 
 perhaps altogether different.^ Both also contain beds and bands of flint 
 or chert. 
 
 The Cretaceous Limestone underlies nearly the whole of the Jordan 
 and Arabah Valleys, though concealed by more recent deposits, and is 
 broken off along the line of the great Jordan Valley fault against older 
 formations. This has been explained in a previous page (p. 76), and 
 need not further be insisted on. But it is entirely owing to the presence 
 of this leading line of fracture and disj^lacement, and the subsequent 
 denudation of strata, that this great valley exists, and that the eastern 
 side is so mountainous and characterised by such grand features of hill 
 and dale. 
 
 These limestones pass under a newer formation of calcareous sand- 
 stone in the direction of the Mediterranean. To this formation I have 
 applied the name of " Calcareous Sandstone of Philistia," as it forms 
 nearly the whole of that country, or at least is its foundation rock. It 
 is probably of Upper Eocene age, and appears to be represented in Egypt 
 by the sandstone formation (" Nicolien Sandstein " of Zittel) with fossil 
 trees found overlying the nummulitic limestone of the Jebel Mokattam, 
 near Cairo. It is coloured deep brown on the map. 
 
 The formations next in order approach more nearly those of our own 
 time, and range from the Pliocene period downwards. They consist of 
 raised beaches and sea-beds along the coast, and of lake beds in The 
 Ghor and Jordan Valley ; they are coloured a light shade of green. 
 
 ' Dr. Zittel states that although there is no definite line of division between 
 the Cretaceous and Nummulitic formations of the Libyan Desert, the fossils of 
 each formation are entirely different. It is probably the same in Ai-abia Petrsea.
 
 THE VALLEY OF THE AEABAH, AND WESTERN PALESTINE. 197 
 
 The volcanic lavas of Northern Palestine and the district bordering 
 the Jordan Valley are coloured deep pink ; their geological relations 
 to the other formations have already been pointed out in a previous 
 chapter. The sandy and gravelly tracts are shown by engraved dots. 
 
 It is much to be desired that the central portions of the Tih should 
 be traversed in several directions by competent geologists. From the 
 notes recorded by Mr. Milne and the Rev. F. W. Holland it may be 
 inferred that there is more variety in the stratification of that region 
 than is generally supposed ; and that a somewhat detailed reconnaissance 
 would bear interesting results.
 
 To faxe pa-QP li)9 
 
 DIAGRAM 
 
 OF 
 
 TRIANGULATION 
 OF 
 
 SURVEY. 
 
 AKABAH TO DEAD SEA. 
 
 -RAS KHANZIREH 
 
 FEDAN 
 
 SCALt 
 
 E:i.MOllNT HOR 
 
 JEBEL RUBAH 
 
 J GHUDIAN/SC \ 
 
 Dramt hv LrArnidtrvmi 
 
 -.^r.is'.c, ■■ J'..iic litl;.
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 MAJOR KITCHENER'S REPORT. 
 
 On the 10th of November, 1883, the party left Suez for the camp at Ayun 
 Mlisa. I was able to compare chronometers at the Eastern Telegraph 
 ship on the way out of the harbour. 
 
 The small oasis called the Ayun M(isa has been fully described in 
 guide books, and Baedeker gives an enlarged plan of the locality with the 
 heights of the springs in detail. 
 
 The place consists of a few springs of limpid but brackish water, small 
 pools with gardens of palms and tamarisks arovmd them, as well as beds 
 of vegetables and culinary herbs. 
 
 These gardens are kept by a Frenchman and some Arabs, who have 
 provided summer-houses for the convneience of those who resort thither 
 from Suez to enjoy the fresh desert air. 
 
 They form the market gardens from which the vegetable supply of 
 Suez is principally drawn. There exists also a solitary pool upon the toj) 
 of a neighbouring hill of sand, having one single palm beside it. 
 
 "While camped there I went over my stores and instruments, and took 
 some astronomical observations to see that all were in proper order for the 
 start. 
 
 On the 12th November, camp was moved to Wady Sudur ; the route 
 was over an open plain by the sea-shore with a line of cliffs supporting 
 the Tih plateau, about ten miles to the east. Torrents from these clitis had 
 covered the ground in many places with rocks and boulders. These 
 torrents are extremely short-lived, coming down in force when any rain 
 falls, and drying up almost as quickly. Wlien it ceases, they spread 
 themselves over the plain in many shallow channels, covering a large area 
 with stones and debris. One had come down Wady Sudur about ten days 
 before, and the traces of wet mud, &c., were still visible over the plain. 
 This wady has become famous for the tragedy enacted in August, 1882
 
 200 APPENDIX. 
 
 ■when Professor Palmer, Captain Gill, and Lieutenant Charrington were 
 murdered here. 
 
 I obtained from an Ai-ab of the Ilaiwat tribe a story of the murder 
 which I have never seen published in any account of it. I give it merely 
 for what it is worth : Arabs, as everybody knows who has had to do with 
 them, have a remarkable facility for making up a story to meet a supposed 
 occasion. 
 
 This was the story in the Arab's own words : — 
 
 " Arabi Pashi, directed by the Evil One — may he never rest in peace ! — 
 sent to his lordship the Governor of Nakhl to tell him that he had utterly 
 destroyed all the Christian ships of war at Alexandria and Suez ; also that 
 he had destroyed their houses in the same places, and that the Governor of 
 Nakhl was to take care if he saw any Christians running about in his 
 country, like rats with no holes, that the Arabs were to finish them at 
 once. On hearing this news, a party of Arabs started to loot Ayun Mfisa 
 and Suez. Coming down Wady Sudur they met the great Sheikh Abdullah 
 and his party ; they thought they were the Christians sjioken of by Arabi 
 Pasha, running away, so they surrounded them in the w&dy. But the 
 Arabs ran away from the English, who defended themselves in the wady ; 
 all night they stopped round them, but did not dare to take them till 
 just at dawn, when they made a rush on them from every side and seized 
 them all. 
 
 " The Arab Sheikh, who had come with the party, ran away with the 
 money. The Arabs did not know Sheikh Abdullah, and did not believe 
 his statement, and when he offered money, his own Sheikh would not give 
 it, so they believed that the party were running away from Suez, and they 
 finished them there. Afterwards the great Colonel came and caught them, 
 and they were finished at Zag ez Zig. May their graves be defiled ! " 
 
 Such is the story I heard, and there seems to me to be some amount of 
 truth in it. 
 
 Colonel Sir Charles "Warren's energetic action in the capture and 
 bringing to justice of the perpetrators of the crime, has created a deep 
 impression, and I consider that the whole peninsvila is for foreign travel- 
 lers now as safe as, if not safer than, it was previously. While on this 
 subject I may mention that I found Professor Palmer's death everywhere 
 regretted deeply by the people, and his memory still warm in the hearts 
 of his Arab friends in the country, IVIany of them came unsolicited to 
 ask me if I had known him, and to express their sorrow at his loss.
 
 APPENDIX. 201 
 
 From the length and breadth of Wady Sudur I should imagine it must 
 drain a considerable area on the Tih plateau. The existing maps appeared 
 to me to be wrong after Sinn el Bisher, or Jebel Bisher, as the true scarp 
 appears to recede considerably. I was unable, however, to prove these 
 points, but if a map wex'e made of this part it would probably show con- 
 siderable variation of the existing plans. 
 
 The tract after Wady Sudur passes over more rolling country to Wady 
 Gharaudel, where we camped for the second night ; the wady flows 
 between banks, and is of considerable importance, and drains an extensive 
 country broken up by high hills ; on the edge of the Tlh scarp there are 
 springs and some trees in the valley. 
 
 Wady Gharandel forms the boundary of the Ordnance Survey, so that 
 from this point to Jebel Mtisa the map was complete. I was able to 
 sketch in some features on the border of the finished Survey while passing. 
 
 Our route led through Wady Hamr, Wady Nasb, Wady Kamileh, 
 from which Armstrong and I visited the temple at el Sarablt el Khildim. 
 
 The sandstone columns and tablets are in many cases in an excellent 
 state of preservation, and the hieroglyphics were in many cases almost as 
 sharp and perfect as when first cut ; others were veiy much weathered, 
 some tablets 7 feet 6 inches high, by 2 feet wide, and 1 foot 6 inches thick, 
 and rounded at the top like the Moabite Stone, appeared to me to deserve 
 a better fate than being left to perish from the effects of the weather and 
 the vandaUsm of the Arabs. Excavations here would, I think, reveal 
 many interesting points connected with the Egyptian occupation of this 
 country at the time of the Exodus. I noticed that the artist had been 
 inspired by his surroundings ; engraving the ibex in different positions to 
 form ornamental patterns round the hieroglyj^hic inscriptions. There were 
 several stations on the surrounding hills where tablets stood, similar to the 
 one described ; but these have been mostly thrown down and broken up.' 
 
 ^ The following description of Sarabit el Khadim is given by the late 
 Professor Palmer, in his book, " The Desert of the Exodus." 
 
 " Although only 700 feet in height, the ascent of Sarablt el Khadimis is by 
 no means easy. 
 
 " A scramble over a rough slide of loose sandstone at the upper end of the 
 valley, a treacherous sloping ledge of rock overhanging an awkward precipice, 
 and a steep ravine which brings into play all one's gymnastic capabilities, leads 
 to an extensive plateau broken up by many deep ravines and rising knolls. On 
 one of the highest of these last is a heap of ruins — hewn sandstone walls, with 
 broken columns, and numerous stelse, in shape like ordinary English gravestones,
 
 202 APPENDIX. 
 
 Oil the morning of the 18th I took observations with the theodolite 
 from Zibb el Baheir (a trigonometrical station of the Ordnance Survey), 
 
 standing or scattered at irregular intervals about the place, the whole being 
 surrounded by the debris of an outer -wall. 
 
 " The building consists of two temples, apparently of different dates — one 
 constructed entirely of hewn stones, the other formed by two chambers excavated 
 in the rock at the easternmost end, and having a walled continuation in front. 
 In the largest of these chambers the walls show signs of having been once 
 completely covered with hieroglyphics, though a great portion hare now scaled 
 ofF ; at the upper end is a small niche, probably the altar, beside which is carved 
 a figure in bas-relief. Another niche is seen at the right-hand corner, and in 
 the centre of the chamber is a pillar, cut in the solid rock and covered with 
 liieroglyphics. Some of the hieroglyphics in this cave still bear traces of the 
 paint with which they were formerly ornamented — emerald green inside the 
 characters, with a red and black band above and below. 
 
 " The cornice of the wall which forms the continuation of the temple is 
 ornamented with a pretty pattern, and fragments of Egyptian coping lie around 
 the entrance. 
 
 " The steJ(B above mentioned, as well as such of the walls of the building as 
 are still left standing, are covered with hieroglyphics, and amongst them may 
 be remarked the cartouches of many of the earliest Egyptian kings. 
 
 " The purpose of these monuments was for a long time enveloped in mystery, 
 but the researches of Professor Lepsius and other learned Egyptologists have 
 shown that they were connected with the working of copper mines in the 
 neighbourhood, and that the temple was probably that in which the miners and 
 their guards worshipped the national gods of Egypt. 
 
 " The mines themselves were first rediscovered by Mr. Holland, during a 
 previous visit to the peninsula, and were carefully examined by the Expedition 
 on this occasion ; they exist in great numbers in the neighbourhood of the temple, 
 and several of them contain beautifully executed liieroglyphic tablets. 
 
 " From the inscriptions and cartouches found there, it is evident that the 
 mines were in full working order at the time of the Exodus. 
 
 " There is another means of access to the ruins of Sarabit el Khadim, by a 
 ravine rather higher up the main valley, which involves a less toilsome climb ; 
 but as it also necessitates a walk along a narrow sloping ledge of rock, with a 
 terrific prccijiice beneath, I cannot recommend it to the traveller unless he feels 
 confident in the possession of a sure foot and a steady head. 
 
 " The name Sarabit el Khadim signifies ' the Heights of the Servant,' and 
 the place is said by the Arabs to have been so called from a black statue, 
 representing a ' servant or slave,' which was removed ' by the French ' during 
 their occupation of Egypt. Amongst the ruins we noticed a pedestal,- which 
 might have served for the base of such a statue ; and I have since seen in the 
 British Museum a beautifully executed female foot, carved in black stone, which 
 formed part of the collection of curiosities found by the late Major Macdonald 
 in this very spot.
 
 APPENDIX. 203 
 
 over the district to the north-east through which we were to pass, also 
 into Jebel el "Watiyeh, on the edge of the Ordnance map, which was formed 
 into a trigonometrical station by observing with the theodolite from it, 
 subsequently observing from Jebel Musa. I was thus able to fix many 
 points in the country we were about to survey from a very extended base 
 of Ordnance survey work. 
 
 On the 22nd November we left the surveyed country at El Watiyeh, 
 and I made a detour by 'Ain el Akhdar, which I was able to fix ; the 
 spring is of good water, and is perennial, with a few palms and other trees 
 hidden in the corner of the valley. I then made my way across low-lying 
 hiUs at the foot of outlying scarp, to the Wady Zelegah, where camp was 
 pitched. 
 
 " It is not unlikely that amidst the antiquities in the Louvre, the remaining 
 portion of the ' Khadim ' from Sarabit may yet be found. 
 
 " The hieroglyphic inscriptions from Magharah range from Senefru of the 
 thn-d Egyptian dynasty to Thothmes III, of the eighteenth line ; those of Sarabit 
 el Khadim end witli Eameses lY, of the twentieth, after which period the mines 
 and temples were abandoned. No inscriptions have been discovered at Sarabit 
 of kings who reigned between Thothmes III and the twelfth dynasty, nor 
 any after the twentieth. They occur rarely and after long intervals after 
 Rameses II. 
 
 " One of the principal tablets at Sarabit el Klia lira refers to a, certain Ilar- 
 iir-ra, superintendent of the mines, who an-ived there in the month Phamenoth, 
 in the reign of some monarch not mentioned, probably of the twelfth dynasty. 
 The author of the inscription declares that he never once left the mine ; he 
 exhorts the chiefs to go there also, and ' if your faces fail,' says he, ' the goddess 
 Athor will give you her arms to aid you in the work. Behold me, how I tarried 
 there after I had left Egypt, — my face sweated, my blood grew hot, I ordered 
 the workmen daily, and said unto them, there is still tui-quoise in the mine and 
 the vein will be found in time. And it was so ; the vein was found at last, and 
 the mine yielded well. When I came to this land, aided by the king's genii, I 
 began to labour strenuously. The troops came and entirely occupied it, so that 
 none escaped therefrom. My face grew not frightened at the work, I toiled 
 cheerfully ; I brought abundance — yea, abundance of turquoise, and obtained 
 yet more by search. I did not miss a single vein.' 
 
 " Another inscription runs : — ' I came to the mines of my lord, I commenced 
 working the Mafka, or turquoise, at the rate of fifteen men daily. Never was 
 like dwe in the reign of Senefru the justified.' These and the frequent 
 recurrence of tablets representing the various kings triumpliing over and slaying 
 their foreign captives, will enable the reader to judge of the nature of tlie 
 mines and the manner in which they were worked by their Egyptian dis- 
 coverers."
 
 204 APPENDIX. 
 
 Next day our road led down Wady Zelegah, which bends towards the 
 east, about a mile from the camping ground ; and where the bed of the 
 valley opens out Armstrong came across a stone circle almost buried in 
 the sand, the top of the stones only being visible. Striking across to the 
 eastern side of the valley, where a detached piece of rock stands conspicu- 
 ously out, he found some Arabic inscriptions and a lot of figures, chiefly 
 animals, rather roughly carved out on the face of the rock. The valley, 
 though bounded by steep cliffs, has an open, level, and wide bed, which is 
 one of the principal features of the wadies in all this region, making the 
 passage of even very mountainous districts easy for animals and even 
 possible for wheeled traffic. No valley of importance joins the wady 
 from a continuous line of high hills with cliff, cutting off all communica- 
 tion up that side. 
 
 Camp was pitched at the end of this range of hills opposite the bi"oad 
 mouth of Wady Biyar, where there is an open space with an isolated hill in 
 the centre. Wady Abu Tareifeh here comes in from the south-west, join- 
 ing Wady Ughelim from the south, and flows into Wady Zelegah ; the 
 valley here takes the name of Wady Biyar, and after a few miles turns to 
 the north at a point where there are some nawamis. 
 
 These nawS,mts are small round circles of stones, some of them built up 
 into a dome shape, having a small entrance on one side ; they are a great 
 deal too small for human dwellings, and they are not, as far as one can 
 judge, tombs. They occur in many places in the peninsula, and are generally 
 in groups ; there are visually some traces of ruined walls about. The entrance 
 is not in any particular direction ; the stones are small, and have not any 
 appearance of having stood from very remote antiquity. I have never 
 seen the question of their origin satisfactorily explained. 
 
 While travelling subsequently through the country to the south-east 
 of Gaza on my way to Ismailia, I noticed the Arabs cultivating the ground 
 extensively ; they live, of course, entirely in tents, and the barley they gi-ow 
 is sent in to market, but the chopped straw is made uji into numbers of 
 small heaps on the ground and covered with earth, forming little domes 
 exactly like the nawamis. There are few stones on the Gaza plain, and 
 little earth to spare in the wadies of the peninsula. I would suggest that 
 they are stone houses of the Ai-abs when they cultivated these wadies, 
 probably not very long ago. I saw no traces of cultivation now, but there 
 are many places that would repay the labour well ; and, as far as I can 
 judge, nawamis are usually found not far from some spot of this sort.
 
 Tc t(ICCp(l(/( '.'CI 
 
 Fujincs cii/ en //ir riuk in Wud^ lA-laha 
 
 ^ - 
 
 C<vi(,l /.. CAi-uistronq 
 
 ;^^ 
 
 '■^/T^,
 
 APPENDIX. 205 
 
 The walls in tlie neighbourhood are the traces of the enclosures round 
 the tents. I know that much has been written about these nawamts, but 
 having no books of reference with me I submit this opinion with 
 diffidence.! 
 
 * The late Professor Palmer, along with Mr. Drake, visited these nawamls 
 and groups of many others, and gives the following remarks in his book, " The 
 Desert of the Exodus." 
 
 Professor Palmer thus describes them : — 
 
 "Shortly after passing 'Ain el 'EIja (Ras el 'Ain) we came to a group of 
 nawamis, those quaint beehive huts of which I have before spoken. 
 
 " They stood on the hills to the east of the wady, and were more perfectly 
 preserved than any which we had hitherto seen in the peninsula. 
 
 " They consisted of two detached houses, on separate hills, and a group of 
 five on the side of a higher eminence. The first two had been used as Arab 
 burial-places ; but of the second group at least three out of the five were 
 apparently untouched. 
 
 " Their dimensions average 7 feet high by 8 feet in diameter inside. They 
 were circular, with an oval top, the construction being precisely the same as that 
 of the nawamis in Wady Hebran, but the perfect condition in which they have 
 been preserved exhibits in a much more striking degree the neatness and art of 
 their builders. In the centre of each was a cist, and beside that a smaller hole, 
 both roughly lined with stones ; these were covered with slabs of stone, over 
 which earth had accumulated. 
 
 " Some human bones which we found in the cist at first led us to the con- 
 clusion that they were tombs ; but the small size of the cist, and the evident 
 fact that they had never contained perfect skeletons, proved the idea to be 
 erroneous. In the smaller cist the earth showed signs of having undergone the 
 action of fire, and, in one or two, small pieces of charred bone and wood were 
 found. The doors, which are about 2 feet square, are admirably constructed, 
 with lintel and doorposts. Ah. the stones used in the construction are so care- 
 fully selected as almost to give the appearance of being hewn, and those in some 
 of the doors have certainly been worked, if not with any instrument, at least by 
 being rubbed smooth with other stones. 
 
 " A flint arrow-head and some small shells were found in one of the nawamJs. 
 They are evidently dweUing-houses ; but I must leave to those who are better 
 versed than I am in the science of prehistoric man the task of determining to 
 what race they once belonged ; the remains are certainly some of the most 
 interesting which I have met with in the East. The country all around is 
 covered with them, every hillside having some remains of nawamis upon it ; but, 
 owing to their exposed position, they have none of them been preserved in so 
 perfect a state as those just described. Close by the nawamis were some stone 
 circles. There would seem to have been a large settlement of these people in tlio 
 neighbourhood of 'Ain el 'Elya. 
 
 " The word namus is not known beyond Sinai, the Arabs in other parts of 
 the desert calling them merely gasur, or castles."
 
 20G APPENDIX. 
 
 After three miles the valley turns again abruptly to the east, and at the 
 corner are the important springs of Eds el 'Ain (called 'Ain el 'Elya by Pro- 
 fessor Palmer), surrounded by palm-trees ; the water is good and plentiful, 
 forming a small stream running towards a narrow passage (Es Sfik) in the 
 granite hills ; this does not at all prepare the traveller for the grand gorge 
 he has a few steps ahead of him. On entering Es Sfik the clitfs close in 
 on both sides, forming every combination of turn and bend, and running 
 up to about 800 feet with sheer precipitous sides ; every turn increases the 
 height and grandeur of the gorge, while the small stream keeps the place 
 cool and green with many plants and shrubs. Careful traversing had to 
 be adopted through the gorge, which extends four miles. 
 
 Camp was pitched beyond the gorge, where another spring occurs called 
 'Ain el Akari, watering a small patch of reeds and palms. I had to observe 
 from several high points on either side of the gorge in order to carry on 
 the continuity of my observations. 
 
 On the 26th camp was moved. After passing through narrow valleys 
 surrounded by granite hills, the road emerged opjDOsite Jebel 'Aradeh, a 
 high mountain of white limestone, which had to be ascended for observation. 
 In the open portion of the valley there is a well of good water, ha\'ing a 
 perennial supply, called Bir es Saura : it occurs in a small cave. This well 
 was said to belong to the Terabtn tribe of Arabs, but I could not find out 
 that any of them ever came here, and it is certainly detached from their 
 main possessions to the north and west of Nakhl. 
 
 The broad valley up which we travelled changes its name frequently 
 as it passes each locality : thus in a few hours it becomes WMy 'Aradeh 
 near the Jebel 'Aradeh, "Wady 'Attiyeh opposite the tomb of the Sheikh 
 of that name, and Wady Herteh at Jebel Herteh where we camped. 
 
 To the west of Wady Herteh the covintry is much broken up by small 
 hills and valleys. The valley itself is large and open. After bending to 
 the east and passing between some hills it again changes its name and 
 becomes Wady el Hessy, which name it retains to its source. There is 
 a small well in Wady Hessy, called 'Ain Hamati, with a scanty supply of 
 water. 
 
 The route continues in Wady Hessy, which gradually opens out on to 
 an extensive plain ; crossing the plain to the north the watershed is 
 reached : it is formed of low hills with a descent of a few hundred feet to 
 a lower plain on the north. On the west is the range of hills called Turf er 
 Eukn, running out into the plain as far as the Haj road, ending in abrupt
 
 APPENDIX. 207 
 
 cliffs. A broad valley leads away to the north called Wady Shiah, joining 
 eventually the Wady Jerafeh, and thus falling into Wady 'Arabah and the 
 Dead Sea. To the east of this valley are the granite hills of Jebel Humra 
 jutting up in innumerable sharp peaks. The Derb el Haj runs immediately 
 south of the Jebel Humra, through an open plain which is bounded on 
 the south by a line of cliffs running east from the watershed. We passed 
 along the plain and camped above the Nukb, or descent to tlie Gulf of 
 'Akabah. 
 
 The Derb el Haj descends about 2,000 feet to the plain of 'Akabah, by 
 a carefully constructed road ; the rock had to be considerably excavated 
 in places, and bridges span the watercourses when necessary. A carriage 
 could be driven down the descent without much risk ; the road winds 
 down a steep hillside for the first mile, and then descends by a valley 
 through granite hills to the plain below. Before descending I had to 
 make a long detour in order to obtain a good station to observe from, and 
 I was fortunate in finding a point from which I had a splendid view of 
 the Wady 'Arabah, which became afterwards one of my trigononieti'ical 
 stations when passing up the valley. 
 
 The Admiralty Survey does not correctly give the form of the head 
 of the bay, which is not so pointed as shown. At the lowest jjart of the 
 valley the soil is soft and loamy ; the remainder of the broad bed is sand 
 and debris from the hills. 
 
 f> The castle of 'Akabah is an extensive, but ruined, building situated 
 close by the sea-shore on the eastern side of the bay, and is surrounded 
 by a few wretched hovels and extensive groves of palm-trees along the 
 shore. It is the abode of an Egyptian Governor, who has a few soldiers at 
 his disposal, and is considered an important station on the Egyptian Haj 
 road. There is practically no trade in the place, as ships never come there. 
 The bay contains sharks and numerous other fish. 
 
 'AKABAH TO THE DEAD SEA. 
 
 The party had to remain three days at 'Akabah, while arrangements 
 were being made with Sheikh Muhammed Ibn Jhad, of the 'Allawin Arab 
 tribe, to take us up the Wady 'Arabah. 
 
 During this period I was fully occupied measuring a base line on the 
 plain and starting the triangulation of the valley. I was also able to 
 survey some portion of the shore line and hills about 'Akabah, which were 
 not correctly laid down on the Admiralty plan. I measured the base line
 
 208 APPENDIX. 
 
 completely across the valley : its length was 233"86 chains. A point close 
 to the castle of 'Akabah was observed for the vertical angles, and the 
 system employed for extending the tiiangulation up the valley can best 
 be seen from the attached diagram of triangulation (p. 199). The Sheikh 
 Muhammed Ibn Jhad declared that he could only take us as far as Petra, 
 and that from there we should be obliged to strike across country to Gaza. 
 
 On the 3rd December we left 'Akabah, shortly followed by another 
 party, who had been sent out by some company to ascertain the height of 
 the watershed above the sea, by a line of levels from 'Akabah. 
 
 About a mile from the north-east corner of the bay Armstrong observed 
 a number of small mounds similar to what are usually found on old sites ; 
 fragments of pottery of various colours are found, and an old wall of 
 masonry is seen cropping out here and there. 
 
 The general features of the valley are well known. On the east are 
 the bold granite mountains of Midian, intersected by valleys that have 
 thrown out a mass of debris into the main valley, forming a semicircular 
 fan-like ramp up to the mouth of each wady ; these are very marked, and 
 when seen from the opposite side of the valley have a very curious eflFect. 
 
 On the west limestone cliffs form a continuous scarp, broken at places 
 and intersected by granite upheavals ; very few important wddies join the 
 valley on this side, although there are naturally many small ones from the 
 scarp itself. Camp was pitched near Ed Deffieh, some brackish pools of 
 water in the muddy slime that formed the lower portion of the valley ; 
 some rain that had fallen while we were at 'Akabah increased the difficulty 
 of passing this sticky mud. 
 
 Next day we passed "Wady el Manei'aieh, flowing from the west, and 
 forming a picturesque recess in the scarp of the western side of the valley, 
 with a granite outbreak closing the entrance. The limestone scarp then 
 continues regularly. I had to visit a high prominent point upon it, to 
 take observations, and from here for the first time I saw and observed 
 Mount Hor. The ascent of the scarp was a stiff climb of 1,500 feet. 
 
 Camp was pitched near the border of the marsh of Et Taba. 
 
 Et Tabs, is a considerable marsh of mud and rushes, extending the 
 whole width of the bed of the valley. There is a passage round it on 
 either side ; the western one leads by 'Ain Ghudyan, while the eastern road 
 passes 'Ain Taba, where there are palm-trees, and pools of water and reeds ; 
 to the north of the marsh begin the blo-wTi sand dunes with a few scattered 
 palms.
 
 APPENDIX. 209 
 
 At the north-west extremity of the marsh a spur runs out from the 
 western scarp for three miles, and under it is the 'Ain Ghudyan ; there is 
 a pool of water, and several wells giving a plentiful supply of good water. 
 
 I found the foundations of a rectangular building, about 20 yards 
 square ; there were also tracks of ancient lines of wells convergmg from 
 the hills on to the 'Ain, and an Arab graveyard that has been noted 
 before. I saw no traces of a Roman road. 
 
 To the north of 'Ain el Ghudyan the centre of the valley is choked 
 with sand, leaving a passage on either side. 
 
 The hills on the east decrease in height, giving place to limestone and 
 sandstone hills, joining a high range in the background called Jebel 
 Serbal ; the scarp on the western side continues regularly with no wadies 
 of importance breaking through ; there are several minor valleys. Camp 
 was pitched at the mouth of one of those, called Wddy Galaita. 
 
 Next day I had again to ascend to the top of a prominent point on the 
 western scarp near WMy el Beiyaneh, from which a good round of angles 
 were observed ; just below the point there appeared to be a small water- 
 shed ; the water channel from the eastern side comes across the valley and 
 flows to the south down the western side, while the valleys from the hill I 
 was on appeared to me to flow north ; it was so late and dark when I got 
 down from the point I was on, that I was not able to examine this point 
 as closely as I should have liked, but my impression was that there is a 
 small depression in the valley here which does not drain south, unless when 
 a considerable flow of water from the north filled the depression, causing 
 the water to overflow. 
 
 The western scarp falls away after the high ])oint near Wfuly Beiyaneh, 
 forming low rolling hills with large openings, through one of which the 
 main road turns westward over the lowest portion of the watershed. 
 
 Camp was pitched in the centre of the valley, at the mouth of Wddy 
 Heyirim, four miles south-east of the lowest point of the watershed. 
 
 To the south-east of the camp "W4dy Gharandel joins the Wfidy 
 'Arabah ; this valley breaks through a narrow and romantic gorge, and 
 has a good sujjply of water at 'Ain Gharandel, situated some distance up 
 the valley. 
 
 Next day I made an excursion to the west, surveying the low hills and 
 the lowest portion of the watershed, which is on an open jilain di^•illing 
 WMy 'Arabah from Wady Jerafeh, flowing north from a south-westerly 
 direction after the opening to the low watershed. A low line of clifl's 
 
 V
 
 210 APPENDIX. 
 
 running north-north-east commences on the western side of Wady 'Arabah, 
 separating it completely from the Wady Jerafeh ; I walked along these hills, 
 called Er Rishy, until I reached the watershed of the main valley at the 
 mouth of "Wady Huwer, flowing from the east. This watershed is 320 feet 
 nigher than the other, and is the commencement of the great valley flowing 
 south up which we had come. 
 
 The watershed is curiously formed — just at the mouth of this wady, 
 part of the waters of which run north and jjart south. Those running 
 north are joined by several wadies from the Mount Hor range, and after 
 passing the end of .the low range of hills separating the valley here in an 
 easterly direction, join the big valley of Wady Jerafeh or Wady el Jeib. 
 
 Armstrong found a ruined building in the valley. It measured 102 
 feet square, with well-cut drafted masonry. The building did not appear 
 to date prior to Saracenic times — very jjrobably one of the old road stations 
 on the highway to 'Akabah. 
 
 Camp was pitched in Wady Abu Kusheibeh. 
 
 The eastern hills here recede, leaving a sort of amphitheatre in front 
 of Jebel Har<in, the Mount Hor of Scripture, which rises magnificently in 
 the centre. There is a mountain of white limestone immediately south of 
 Mount Hor, over which it tf)wers and gains by the contrast of its dark 
 red hue over the white. Looking thus at Mount Hor from the south it 
 appears to rise in several pinnacles, the highest of which is surrounded 
 by a glistening white dome covering the tomb of the patriarch Aaron. 
 
 The scenery is excejationally fine, and I do not consider former writers 
 have exaggerated the grand appearance of Mount Hor ; the brilliant 
 coloiu"s of the rocks have been remarked by all travellers, but surpassed 
 what I ex2:)ected to find. 
 
 As I had been observing into the dome of Mount Hor for some time I 
 was very anxious to complete my observations by obtaining a round of 
 angles from there. Next morning therefore an attempt was made to go 
 up without warning the Arabs, as had been done by Palmer and Drake ; 
 but this was frustrated, as I expected, by the Arabs having heard of our 
 coming, and being on the alert. Two parties of our size travelling up WMy 
 'Arabah cannot do so without being remarked and making a sensation. 
 We, however, penetrated up the valley leading to Petra for some distance, 
 and noticed remains of terraces and some buildings on the slope. 
 
 We camped at the mouth of the wady that evening, and next morning 
 was spent in discussion with the Arabs as to the amount for which they
 
 APPENDIX. 211 
 
 would take us to Mount Hor and Petra. Aa we could not come to terms, 
 camp was moved in the afternoon towards the Wady 'Arabah and ])itched 
 in Wady Harfm. The Arabs then gave way and acceded to the terms 
 we had stipulated for. Next morning we started before daylight and 
 returned to the ruins we had visited before ; from thence we ascended by 
 a steep zig-zag path to a saddle on the Mount Hor range. Passing along a 
 slightly descending ridge we soon came to the base of a mountain rising 
 from the ridge : this is Mount Hor, being actually from this side a 
 mountain on a mountain, though, from the north the descent is much 
 more precipitous to a far lower level. Unfortunately, the morning was 
 exceptionally hazy, so that it was difficult to distinguish surrounding 
 features. 
 
 An old path, similar to that on Jebel Mdsa, with worn steps made out 
 of boulders at difficult parts, led up the mountain to another level space or 
 platform, from which the highest peak rises abruptly. Passing over some 
 ruined arches on an ancient cistern or building, the path leads up steeply 
 by steps cut out of the rock itself to the summit, where there is the usual 
 little round dome on a square building covering the tomb of the patri- 
 arch Aaron. Looking inside, one saw the usual carpet covered cenotaph, 
 with some ostrich eggs hanging over it — all in an uncared-for condition. 
 We had to wait some hours on the summit owing to the mist which lumg 
 in dense clouds about us until 12 o'clock, when it partially cleared, and 1 
 was able to take some observations which were necessary for extending the 
 triangulation to the north. After observing, we made our way rajjidiy 
 down to Petra, and wei'e able to visit the ruins and the more important 
 tombs. There was no time to make a thorough investigation, but I was 
 able to verify the accuracy of Laborde's plan of the place, and was much 
 struck with the stupendous works in rock-cutting that had been under- 
 taken and executed with the nicest accuracy ; also with the immense 
 number of tombs, the ornamentations being as fresh and clear as when 
 first cut, particularly those at Pharaoh's treasures. The colours of the 
 rocks are wonderfully variegated, and most brilliant ; red to purjile and 
 blue are the most predominant colours, and these are set off by a cold grey 
 background of limestone hills. 
 
 The ruins and tombswould doubtlesswell repaya thorough investigation. 
 
 It was dark when we got to the pass we had come up at dawn in the 
 morning, and we reached camp about 9 p.m. after a long day. 
 
 Arrangements having been made with the Sheikh of our party to take 
 
 F 2
 
 212 ArPKxmx. 
 
 lis to the Dead Sea next morning, we started down the eastern side of 
 Wildy 'Arabah instead of crossing to the opposite side, as we should have 
 done had our original route to Gaza been maintained. 
 
 I went across myself in order to take observations from the other side 
 of the valley, as well as to survey the detail. The valley is here about 
 ten miles broad ; the main water channel runs down the western side, and 
 takes the name of Wady el Jeib with the main course alongside. 
 
 The hills on the western side are low, and much weathered, being of a 
 soft, easily disintegrated limestone. It was late when I found the camp on 
 the eastern side of the valley, and under the circumstances of camp moving 
 continuously along the eastern side of the valley, I was compelled to give 
 up attempting to do the western side, as it was quite beyond the power 
 of myself and camel. I regret therefore that there is here an unsurveyed 
 gap in the work. 
 
 Camp was moved next day to 'Aytan Abu Werideh, or Buweirdeh ; it 
 was impossible to find out the exact name, as the Arabs themselves were 
 divided on the subject. I am inclined to think Buweirdeh is the correct 
 name. It is almost imjDossible to collect the correct nomenclature when 
 travelling so rapidly through a country, with Ai\abs from a different 
 district ; and though I took every means in my power to determine the 
 names definitely, I am not at all confident that in all cases I have obtained 
 the correct names, or nearly as many as might be collected by a more 
 prolonged visit to the neighbourhood. A good deal of blown sand from 
 sand dunes in the valley lead up to the springs which break out in several 
 places from some soft loamy soil in the valley, and form several small 
 streams full of reeds, tamarisk, bushes, and palms, &c. ; the water is 
 slightly brackish. 
 
 Near the springs Armstrong observed terraces of an old town of 
 considerable extent. There are numerous little mounds of artificial 
 appearance ; fragments of coloured pottery abound. The foundation of a 
 building is seen, the stones having a very old and time-worn look, and 
 portions of an aqueduct, level with the ground, are traceable from one of the 
 springs leading to the site. 
 
 Next day I was able to obtain good observations from Samrat Fiddan, 
 from which the Lisan in the Dead Sea was clearly \'isible. 
 
 A considerable perennial stream of water runs down W&dy Fiddan, only 
 losing itself when the valley opens on the plain of Wddy 'Ai'abah. Doubtless 
 the plain, east of Jebel Fiddan was a most fertile garden in former times
 
 
 
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 APPENDIX. 2lo 
 
 and it would take very little to make it so again. I have rax'ely seen a 
 spot more suitable for every sort of culture, yet it is now a barren wa.ste, 
 and until the Arabs of this country are placed under some control it 
 doubtless must remain so. The wooded mountains to the east about the 
 ancient Dhaua form a picturesque background ; the ruins of this town, 
 I was informed, were as interesting as those at Petra, with carving in 
 rocks, &c. 
 
 Camp was pitched near the mouth of Wady el Weibeh, and I w;u5 
 extremely glad to find that a day's halt wa.s to be made in this locality. 
 
 Next day, by starting early, I was able to visit the western side of the 
 valley, a distance of twelve-and-a-half miles ; I observed with theodolite from 
 a trigonometrical station on the hills beyond Wady Jeib, and was able to take 
 up the survey again on that side, thus making the gaj) unsm'veyed as small 
 as possible. Owing to the want of knowledge of the locality by my guide, 
 T was unable to visit 'Ain Aeibeh, which I had much wished to do. 
 
 Armstrong explored the country towards the east, and found, six miles 
 north-east of Fiddau, the ruins of a small town in a valley, surrounded by 
 bold and precipitous clifis ; the ruined walls are from a foot to 3 feet 
 high, the stones roughly squared, and of no great size ; some black heaps 
 resembling slag heaps point out that very probably ancient mines may be 
 found in the neighbourhood. A path leads from Wady 'Arabah to this 
 valley, crossing the watershed into W&dy Ghuweir, where it joins, leading up 
 the valley in a south-easterly direction, a beaten and well-worn track : this 
 was probably the pilgrimage road from Gaza to Mecca. Lower down in 
 the w&dy (WS,dy Ghuweir) are numerous springs of sweet water trickling 
 out of the bed of the wady ; and in a narrow gorge the rocks are literally 
 covered with Bedouin tribe marks, Arabic inscriptions, &c., the work of 
 pilgrims on their way to Mecca. 
 
 Next day was unfortunately extremely luizy, and for the thi-ee following 
 days it was impossible to distinguish the western side of the valley at all. 
 We were not able to proceed a full day's mai'ch owing to the intrigues 
 of the Arabs. 
 
 Camp was pitched at Ed Debbeh close to the descent to the ghor. AVe 
 passed a large ruined tank and remains of several buildings at the moutli 
 of the Wady Utlah ; these i-emains appeared to me to be of no great 
 antiquity, and to date from after Crusading times. There is little doubt 
 that all the eastern side of the valley was once a most fertile district, 
 the streams of water in each valley being used to irrigate gardens and
 
 214 APPENDIX. 
 
 extensive cultivation, instead of running to waste on the hillsides, as 
 shown by the remains of terraces which still exist almost perfect in many 
 cases. 
 
 I heard many stories of the ruins and interesting country that lie to 
 the east, which formed the ancient land of Edoni, and I was frequently told 
 that Wady Mfl.sa or Petra is not the most extensive ruin in that district. 
 
 The descent to the ghor was down a sandy slope of 300 feet, and the 
 change of climate was most marked, from the sandy desert to masses of 
 tangled vegetation with streams of water running in all directions, birds 
 fluttering from every tree, the whole country alive with life : nowhere have 
 I seen so great and sudden a contrast. 
 
 The principal Sheikh of the Huweitat Bedouins, Sheikh 'Arari, was 
 camped close to the bottom of the descent, and he came out with some 
 mounted men to meet us. 
 
 The country ruled over by Sheikh 'Arari includes nearly the whole of 
 ancient Edom, from Jebel Serbal to the ghor where the Bedouins were 
 camped ; he is chief of the Bedouins who do not cultivate the ground. There 
 are also several other small tribes of fellahin Arabs who cultivate the 
 ground, and also acknowledge him as their chief ; these fellahin are more 
 difficult to deal with than the Arabs themselves, having no law, and 
 acknowledging no government. The only way to deal with them would 
 be through Sheikh 'Arari, who is a very respectable Sheikh, and to whom 
 they have to pay tribute. The 'Allawin Arabs under Sheikh Muhammed 
 Ibn Jhad rule the country to the south of Jebel Serbal and to the east 
 of the Wady 'Arabah ; they are closely allied to the Huweitat Arabs, and 
 originally they say they were all one tribe. Even now the 'Allawin call 
 themselves sometimes Huweitat ; they are vmder the Egyptian Govern- 
 ment, and are emj^loyed to protect the Haj road south of 'Akabah. 
 Another branch ot the same Arabs is the important tribe of Egyptian 
 Huweitats under Sueikh Ibrahim Ibn Shedid, whose influence extends 
 over the tribes as far as 'Akabah. 
 
 These three Sheikhs rule over a very vast country ; they are closely 
 related by marriage, as the Arab Sheikh is very particular that his wife 
 should be of noble blood, i.e., of the family of the Sheikhs. They also 
 recognise that they were originally of one tribe, although they are now 
 completely independent of one another. 
 
 The next most important tribe is the Ma'azi Arabs ; they rule over the 
 mountains of Kerak, which they are said to have taken from Sheikh 'A rari's
 
 APPENDIX. 215 
 
 Huweitat tribe. They say they are very numerous in the far East, and the 
 three sections of the Huweitat all complain of the pushing nature of the 
 Ma'azi on their frontiers. There is a large settlement of Ma'azi Arabs in 
 Egypt, extending from Suez southwards along the Eed Sea shore as far 
 as Kosseir. 
 
 These Arabs everywhere have a bad character for thieving ; they are 
 divided up under numerous Sheikhs, and are continually making raids ou 
 the Arab tribes round them ; they are generally very poor. 
 
 The only other two tribes of impoi'tance in this region are the Terabiii 
 and the Teiyahah ; the latter are divided into two sections, the Teiyahah 
 and the Azazimeh. For many years the south country has been in a 
 disturbed state, owing to the war going on between these two tribes ; the 
 dispute was about the boundaiy of the tribe lands near Bir es Seba. Peace 
 has now been obtained by the internal divisions of the Teiyahah, a portion 
 of whom have gone over to the Terabin, the remainder having no heart 
 to continvxe the conflict, although it may break out at any time. 
 
 The Teiyahah have no friends or allies in any of the tribes around 
 them, and have a feud with the gi-eat Huweitat famUy. The Terabin, on 
 the contrary, are at peace with their other neighbours ; they cultivate the 
 ground extensively about Gaza, and are closely allied to the Huweitat of 
 Egypt. They bear a good charactei", and are a rich tribe. 
 
 The Terabin rule the western jijortion of the south country, the 
 Teiyahah having the eastern portion as far as Wady 'Ai-abah. 
 
 The Haiwat are a small tribe occupying the countiy about the Haj road ; 
 they are ruled by Sheikh el 'Ayan Mismeh, who has his camp generally 
 about Bir etu Therned. Men of this tribe were the principal actors in the 
 murder of Professor Palmer and his companions ; they are a poor tribe, 
 under the influence of Sheikh Shedid of Egypt. 
 
 Camp was i)itched in the Ghur el Feifeh, ne;u- Wady Tutihel, and next 
 day we moved on to the Ghor es Safieli, where the Ghawameh were 
 encamped. These are a wretched race of fellahin, who cultivate the Ghur 
 es Safieh, and are j^illaged by the Huweitat from tlie south, tlie Ma'azi 
 from the east, and the Teiyahah from the west. They are the same race 
 as those that occupy the ghor at Jericho. 
 
 They were actually engaged in ploughing up their gi-ound, which is 
 well watered by the streams from Wady Safieh. Notwithstanding the 
 constant blackmail they have to pay to different tribes they seemed to 
 be well to do, and I believe make a good deal in trading with the Bedouins
 
 216 APPENDIX. 
 
 iu barley, wheat, beaus, &c. Owing to vai-ious causes we were obliged to 
 stay in the Ghor es Safieh until the 27th December. 
 
 The south end of the Dead Sea is formed of extensive mud flats of a 
 very slimy character. The recent rains had doubtless contributed to the 
 soft state of the mud, but the natives told me it was never hard. It was 
 almost impossible to reach the edge of the water of the Dead Sea through 
 the mud. A line of driftwood had been thrown up a considerable distance 
 inland, forming a shore line almost half-a-mile south of the water's edge. 
 
 I found it was quite impossible to measure a base line through this 
 slime, and the dense vegetation of the ghor left no open space available. 
 After several attemjats I was obliged to relinquish the idea ; this I regretted 
 very much, as I found the portion of the Dead Sea to the south of the 
 Lisan had been very inaccurately deUneated on previous maps, and the 
 Lisan itseK had to be moved considerably, as will be seen on the plans. 
 
 I took several observations into the trigonometrical station on our 
 old survey of Palestine, and was able to connect my triangulation up the 
 W4dy 'Arabah from 'Akabah in this way with very satisfactory results. 
 The diagram of triangulation and plans will show the observations that 
 were takeu, and how the connection was established principally through 
 the observations subsequently taken from a cairn on Eas Zuweirah. 
 
 Overlooking the ghor on the eastern side, just above the ruins of some 
 modern mills at Kusr Sh. Ali, Mr. H. C. Hart, in his botanical rambles, 
 found some very interesting ancient remains at a place called Khurbet 
 Lebrush. These remains consisted of a large number of nawamis, some 
 of which were in a wonderfully perfect state of preservation. These nawdmls 
 are dotted about thickly over the site without any plan, and the openings 
 in them having no especial direction ; a few loose stone walls near some 
 of them have the appearance of having been thrown up recently round 
 tents. Enclosing the greater number of these nawamis is an ancient wall 
 following the contour of the hill for a quarter of a mile ; only the founda- 
 tions remain, but they were of massive undressed masonry, of apparently 
 remote antiquity. Inside the wall there are the ruins of an oblong building 
 of similar masonry, very probably an ancient temple ; unfortunately the 
 remains are so ruined that it is impossible without considerable labour to 
 thoroughly explore or measure this monument : only one corner could be 
 determined, the remainder being covered by heaps of massive stone blocks. 
 
 There are several other heajjs of ruins and large cairns of stones inside 
 the enclosure, but these are all detached and do not appear to be the remains
 
 APPENDIX. 217 
 
 of a town. I could see no extensive remains of buildings such as are 
 found in ancient sites in Palestine. 
 
 The wall ran nearly north and south, and at the southern end there are 
 the remains of what was probably a tower ; traces of the wall can then lie 
 seen following the hillside for a considerable distance, and enclosing the hill. 
 The nawimis are not all inside the wall, and appear to me to be of more 
 recent construction. An apparently old roadway leads through the ruins, 
 and crossing a saddle of the hills leads up to the high hills on the east. 
 
 The remains appear to me to be those of a very ancient site, subse- 
 quently used by the Arabs as a camping ground. I could find out 
 nothing from the Arabs about these remains, though they are well 
 known. 
 
 The view from here overt he goi'ge of Es Safieh to the north is very 
 fine ; the various and brilliant colours of the rocks are most marked ; cliffs 
 of a bright rose colour line the stream, alternating with yellow, dark red, 
 and purple. 
 
 The ruins in the Ghor es Safieh appear to be all modern ; tiiere is a 
 large reservoir and several ruined mills, all of Ai-ab construction. 
 
 A track across the mud flats leads to the base of Jebel Ilsdum, the 
 mountain of salt, on the western side of the valley. I found that this 
 mountain had to be considerably altered in shape and position to what 
 it has been shown on existing maps. It is almost detached from the 
 surrounding hills, and descends abruptly in clifl^s to the Dead Sea shore. 
 It reaches a height of (300 feet above the Dead Sea, and is broken and 
 cracked by many fissures. All round the ghor there is a border of the 
 same marly hills, more or less washed away, and extending for some 
 distance up the valleys. 
 
 On the 27th December we passed round the Jebel Usdum by the sea- 
 shore and followed a road leading up the Wddy Zuweirah. The road 
 leads up a winding ravine in the bare limestone hills that extend all along 
 the west side of the Dead Sea. 
 
 A picturesque Saracenic castle, now in ruiua, is perched on an i.solatcd 
 hill in the centre of the valley, defending the pass from an enemy ad- 
 vancing from the east. 
 
 An ingenious loophole has been cut in the rocks on the (ip]i(isito side 
 of the valley in advance of the castle, from which the valley is entirely 
 commanded. 
 
 After the castle the road ascends steeply by zigzags to a pass, after
 
 218 APPENDIX. 
 
 which the country is more level, but continues to ascend as far as Has 
 Zuweirah. 
 
 Camp was pitched after dark in Wady el 'Abd, where there is a small 
 supply of water. The water supply in these wells is very limited. 
 
 Next morning I was able to obtain a valuable round of observations 
 fx'om the cairn on Ras Zuweirah, at the top of the ascent. The cairn itself 
 was apparently a very ancient landmark or tumulus, and is seen y^romi- 
 nently from all the country round. 
 
 Passing over some rolling hills through very open country, with a few 
 ruins distinctly marked by the verdure around them, we encamped on the 
 edge of our former surveyed work at Tel el Milh. The following day we 
 marched to Bir es Seba, and from there to Tel abu Hareireh, all in the 
 published Map of Palestine. 
 
 At the latter place I left the party, and with four Arabs of the 
 Egyptian tribe struck across country by a southern road to Ismailia 
 The rest of the party proceeded to Gaza. 
 
 I was greatly assisted in my work by Mr. George Armstrong, late 
 Sergeant-Major R.E., who has had a vast amount of experience in surveying 
 in the East for the Palestine Exploration Fund, and without his aid I 
 should not have been able to arrive at nearly as satisfactory results on this 
 expedition. 
 
 The means of surveying adopted was, 1st : In the Mount Sinai work 
 taking a broad base over twenty miles long on Sir Charles Wilson's 
 surveyed country ; positions were fixed by observation, and a chain of 
 observations were kept through to 'Akabah. 
 
 2nd. At 'Akabah a base line was measured, and the former work 
 connected with it. A triangulation was then extended up the Wady 
 'Arabah until, at Ras Zuweirah and Kusr Sh. Ali, it joins on to the old 
 triangulation of Palestine proper. 
 
 The attached diagram of triangulation will show the number of points 
 observed. 
 
 The plans will show full details of the work done. Heights were 
 obtained up the WS,dy 'Arabah by vertical angles. 
 
 The total area triangulated and surveyed in the above manner in the 
 two months employed is roughly 3,000 square miles. 
 
 Owing to the rapid j^assage of the j^arty through the country, and the 
 impossibility of getting guides with local knowledge, the names are not, in 
 my opinion, in every case reliable, although I took every opportunity to
 
 APPENDIX. 219 
 
 check them by local information as much as possible. Many more names 
 could also be collected by a more lengthy stay in the coimtry. 
 
 I had the names written dowTi in Arabic, so that the spelling is as 
 correct as possible ; but I have reason to believe the localities were not 
 always correctly shown. 
 
 TEL ABU HAEEIREH TO ISMAILIA. 
 
 On the 31st December I left Tel abu Hareireh with four Arabs of the 
 Huweitat tribe of Egypt that had been sent to us at the Dead Sea with a 
 letter from Sir E. Baring describing the disasters in the Soudan. 
 
 The rest of the paity went on to Gaza to undergo quarantine. 
 
 As the El Arish road was well known, I determined to march direct 
 on Ismailia, thus striking out a new line, and passing through much 
 more interesting country. One of my party, Abu Suweilim, had been 
 employed by Sir C. "Warren in hunting the murderers of Professor Palmer, 
 and was one of the most energetic useful Arabs I have ever met : he had 
 been the road we were about to take fifteen years before ; the othei'S did not 
 know the road at all, and were of the usual Bedouin type, lazy and greedy. 
 
 Passing over a plain of cultivated ground, with numerous Arab tents, 
 the inhabitants of which were busily employed in ploughing, and which 
 had been already surveyed, about one o'clock I came to Wady Fara ; this 
 is a large and deeply cut wady, and contained a good deal of water. Just 
 below the crossing there is a prominent mound called Tel el Fara, and 
 before descending there are some traces of ruins and foundations of 
 buildings called Kh. el Fara, but nothing of import^ince wi\s left. An hour 
 beyond the valley is a well-known tent called El Khudra, where for the 
 last ten years a merchant from Gaza has traded with the Arab tribes, and 
 doubtless does a good business, as many of the Arabs dare not show them- 
 selves in Gaza. The trader was a Bulgarian, and was so delighted at 
 hearing his native tongue spoken that he would take no pay for the 
 provisions of coffee, dates, and a saddle-bag I bought ; he siiid he often had 
 dangerous times with the Arabs, but that he bought a protection from the 
 most powerful of the neighbourhood, and always obtained restitution of 
 anything stolen. 
 
 We pushed on over open country until dark, when we made our camp 
 fire on an open plain with a number of Bedouin's fires blazing round us. 
 I was passed as Abdullah Bey, an Egyptian official journeying back to 
 Egypt after having been to Jerusalem, and although it was only begun
 
 220 ArpENDix, 
 
 for that little while, I thus revived the name borne by a much more 
 distinguished traveller, the great Sheikh Abdullah, and although it was 
 only stated to stop the curiosity of the Arabs we met, I soon found I was 
 called nothing else. 
 
 At dawn we were up, and after feeding the camels and getting some 
 coffee brewed we were ready to start at 8.30. During the whole journey 
 I never could manage to get started much before this hour, as the 
 Bedouins require some time to get the night chills out of their bones ; the 
 nights were certainly very cold and damp. Our track after crossing a 
 plain struck a road coming from the north-west, and after rising a slight 
 hill the country gradually became more and more sandy, all signs of culti- 
 vation gradually dying out, and the continual climbing up and down the 
 sand dunes being most fatiguing and monotonous. At 12 o'clock the 
 track changed direction to south-west, down an open valley amongst sand 
 dunes called San'a el Men'al, and we camped in a little valley surrounded 
 by the sand. Next morning the route was continued over sand dunes, 
 and we came early to a considerable pool of rain-water called El Khubara ; 
 it is formed by the soil of Wady Abyad being turned by the Arabs into 
 an old valley bed which is now closed, and they informed me it was kejjt 
 full all the winter by rain-water coming down the wady. A few minutes 
 further on is the first big valley since Wady Fara ; it is called Wady el 
 Abyad, Wady Khubara, and Wady ez Zayik, and runs with a broad bed 
 through the sandhills to the north-west; there are many tamarisks and 
 bushes along its course. Here we stopped for an hour to bake bread, and 
 then leaving the valley crossed over more sandhills which seemed inter- 
 minable. At last the country opened out, and after passing over some 
 very broken ground we arrived at Wady el 'Arish. 
 
 The valley runs in a deeply-cut bed with mud banks ; it is here about 
 80 yards wide. There was a pool of rain-water in a bend of the valley, 
 which my guides informed me covered a well called Bir el Mujdebbah, and 
 if my guides' account was true, that water could be got here all the year 
 round ; this is the only perennial source on this road as far as Ismailia. 
 
 After Wady el 'Arish the country opens out into a broad plain with an 
 isolated small range of hills called Jebel el Bena in the centre. To the 
 north there is a sandy covered range called Riza Anizeh, and to the south 
 the high hills of Jebel Helah ; a track leading away to the south-west 
 between Jebel Bena and Jebel Helah through an open plain, led, I was 
 told, to Suez. Here camp was pitched.
 
 APPENDIX. 221 
 
 Next (lay we passed close uiuler Jebel Beiia on the north side over a 
 stony plain called Eagadda ; the hills were formed of numniulitic limestone, 
 and appeared perfectly dry and bare ; the wide open plains were very flat 
 and bare of vegetation, with the exception of a small amount of the usual 
 desert shrub. It Avas a great relief to get clear of the sand dunes, which 
 ended close to Wady el 'Arish. 
 
 On reaching the end of Jebel Bena the high range of Jebel Yelek 
 appeared to the south-west, and the long range of Jebel Mugharah 
 flanked the valley on the north ; an open plain up which we travelled led 
 between these two, and our track ran close under the Jebel Mugharali. I 
 was told there was a cave in the interior of these mountains which 
 contained a perennial supply of water. The hills rose abruptly from the 
 plain, and appeared to be of the same formation as the nummulitic range 
 of Jebel Bena. In some places the strata were nuich bent and contorted. 
 At nightfall we reached a ruhied well called Bir el Hemmeh, which 
 contained a small quantity of stagnant water which had a very 
 unpleasant smell. 
 
 Next morning we passed a small ridge formed by a volcanic outbreak 
 of trap rock, and shortly after the sand began to appear again. In a few 
 hours we reached the watershed of the valley ; the sand had increased to 
 high ridges and hills, through or over which we had to find our way. 
 The watershed was flat, another open valley leatling away to the west 
 with Jebel Felleh on the south, and a continuation of the Jebel Mugharah 
 range on the north. We camped on the sand near a prominent top calleil 
 Jebel el Urf, which forms a landmark on this road. 
 
 Next morning we crossed the low ridge under Jebel el Urf, and 
 passing down a sandy valley at noon we came to a flat of mud which 
 formed the end of the valley, a barrier of sand having been thrown up 
 and thus stopping up the valley completely. Crossing this ridge an 
 immense extent of sandhills appeared as far as the eye could reach. I do 
 not think I have ever seen so desolate and dreary a country : nothing but 
 ridge after ridge of sand dunes for an immense dist;\nce. The wind blew 
 a strong gale from the west, sending the sand up into our faces so sharply 
 that the camels would at times hardly face it. This wind lasted, unfortu- 
 nately, vmtil we reached Ismailia, and was very trying to the whole party. 
 
 We camped under a sandhill and had a very cold and windy night. 
 Next morning it was found we had no water. The Arabs are always 
 most improvident about water, and require continual watching ; during
 
 222 APPENDIX. 
 
 the night they had used up the last drop, and in the morning said they 
 
 could not go on without a fresh supply, as there was no chance of water 
 
 before Ismailia, and they did not know how long it would take to get in. 
 
 They said they could find rain-water in Jebel Felleh. I, however, 
 
 insisted on going on, and with some difficulty got the camels under way. 
 
 Two of my Arabs had been lagging behind for some time, so one of the 
 
 Arabs and myself went back and drove up the camels ; the two Arabs 
 
 were sulky and deserted ; however, we got the camels all right. Pushing 
 
 on through a blinding storm of sand over hill and valley, with only the 
 
 compass to guide us, at 4 p.m. I saw Lake Tumah, and skirting the shore 
 
 reached the ferry over the canal at dusk. I had some little difficulty 
 
 in getting the party across the canal, and was not sorry when 1 reached 
 
 comfortable quarters in Ismailia. 
 
 H. H. Kitchener. 
 
 THE SECTION OF THE WADY 'ARABAH. 
 
 The Wady 'Arabah extends from the head of the Gulf of 'Akabah to the 
 south end of the Dead Sea, and is 112 miles long. 
 
 The width of the valley at the foot of the hills, from 'Akabah to near 
 the lowest point of the watershed, averages about six miles. 
 
 A series of low ridges, called Er Risheh, of about 1 50 feet above the plain, 
 run obliquely across the valley at this point, forming a length of ten miles. 
 Opposite Mount Hor the valley widens out to thirteen miles, and gradually 
 narrows in to six miles at the south end of the Dead Sea — the same width 
 as that at 'Akabah. The sectional line is drawn from the Gulf at 'Akabah, 
 through Wady 'Arabah, representing the lowest depression, to the southern 
 end of the Dead Sea, and continued to the northern end, where the river 
 Jordan enters, showing the depression of the Dead Sea, and that part of 
 wady 'Arabah below the sea level of the Gulf of 'Akabah. 
 
 The lowest point of the watershed (660 feet above Gulf of 'Akabah) 
 is computed to be forty-five miles from 'Akabah, and twenty-nine miles 
 farther north the sea level point is reached. 
 
 The sketch of the outline of the hills on the eastern side of the valley 
 is given relative to the calculated heights as noted. 
 
 Those on the western side (not shown on section) range about 1,900 
 
 feet above sea level. 
 
 Geo. Armstrong.
 
 N 
 
 ELOW T 
 
 Xii 
 
 ■^^ 
 
 .gS^ 
 
 ^T^nisfWne
 
 Section of wady Arabah, 
 
 SHEWING THE DEPRESSION OF THE DEAD SEA BELOW THE GU LF OF AKABAH, AND OUTLINE OF MOUNTAINS LOOKING EAST. 
 
 m
 
 INDEX TO NAMES. 
 
 A. 
 
 " Abraham's Wells," 137. 
 
 Abu Suweirab, 37. 
 
 Acacia, the, 113. 
 
 Aceldama, marble cliffs of, 169. 
 
 Acomys dimidiatus, 132. 
 
 'Ain Abu Eewireh, 181. 
 
 „ Abu Werideh, 99, 212. 
 
 „ el Akhdar, 55, 203. 
 
 „ el Ghudvan, 82, 208. 
 
 „ el Melli,' 118. 
 
 „ • el Weibeh, 188. 
 
 „ es Sultan, 161. 
 
 „ Gharaudel, 209. 
 
 „ Hnderah, 58. 
 
 „ Jidi, 101, 128. 
 
 „ Kadeis, 188. 
 Ajalon, Valley of, 150. 
 AjrM (Pi-hahiroth), 186. 
 Akabah, 71, 178, 179, 207. 
 Alowin tribe of Arabs, 79, 106, 120. 
 Ammoperdix Mei/i, 62. 
 Anastatica hierochimdica, 48. 
 Anemone {A. coronaria), 141. 
 Arabia Petrsca, sandstone of, 92. 
 Asdud (Ashdod), 146. 
 Atbara, the, 16. 
 Ayun Miisa, 30. 
 Azazimeh Arabs, 142, 215. 
 
 B. 
 
 Bab-el-Wadj, 173. 
 Bahera-cl-Harriab, 46. 
 Bahr-el-Azrek, the, 16. 
 ]5abr Lut, El, 1, 97. 
 Baker, Sir S., 16. 
 Balanites A£gijptiaca, 112. 
 Barbey, M., quoted, 178. 
 Bauerman, Mr., quoted, 30, 41, 179, 
 181. 
 
 Bedawiiis, cliaracter of, 120. 
 Beke, Dr., quoted, 57. 
 Bethany, 172. 
 Betldehem, 157. 
 Beyrut, 175. 
 Bir es Saura, 206. 
 
 „ es Seba, (Beersheba), 118, 136, 138. 
 Bitter Lakes, 186. 
 BrincHsi, flora of, 8. 
 Burckhardt, Mr., 75. 
 
 Cairo, museum of, 23. 
 
 Calotropis procera, 112, 
 
 Calvary, site of, 190. 
 
 Capra hede, 53. 
 
 Chateaubriand, M., 108. 
 
 Chei-ith Valley, 162. 
 
 Cilrullus Coloci/nthns, 34, 42. 
 
 Ch/peasters, 22. 
 
 Condcr, Capt., quoted, 138, 146, 151, 
 
 158, 160, 173, 190. 
 Coney, the, 53. 
 Cretaceous period, 184. 
 
 " Dabour" Arabs, 64. 
 David, Well of, 157. 
 l)a\v.>.on. Prof. Sir J. W., 180. 
 Deatl Sea (soo Salt Sou). 
 Debbet cr Kandeh, (;2, 179. 
 Desert melon, 33, 42. 
 
 „ partridges, (52. 
 
 „ sandstone, 30, 40, 179. 
 Dliana, 213. 
 Douiii palm, 71. 
 Drake, Mr., quoted, 106.
 
 22 i 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 E. 
 
 Eagles, 42, SO. 
 
 Ed Debbeh, 213. 
 
 Ed Deffieh, 208. 
 
 Edom, mountains of, 85, 95, 179. 
 
 El Ain, gorge of, 59. 
 
 El Aksa, church of, 172. 
 
 El Watiyeh, gorge of, 50, 55. 
 
 Elath (Akabah), 71. 
 
 Elijah's Cave, 53. 
 
 Elim, 36. 
 
 El Khudra, 219. 
 
 Elwi TAjramiyeb, plain of, 55. 
 
 Engedi, 101. 
 
 Er Eiha, 166. 
 
 Es Safieli, 81, 101, 129, 180, 217. 
 
 Etheridge, Mr., quoted, 15-4. 
 
 Et Taba, 208. 
 
 Eusebius, quoted, 1C6. 
 
 Ezion Geber, 58, 71. 
 
 Fault, line of Jordan Valley and Aka- 
 bah, 76, 179, 182, 183. 
 „ of Wadv el Musry, 66. 
 Fellahin, 116, 139. 
 Finches, 112. 
 
 lisher, Mr. T., quoted, 183. 
 Fraas, Dr., geological map, 154, 178, 
 181. 
 
 a. 
 
 Gaza, 142. 
 Gazelles, 79, 142. 
 Gethsemane, Garden of, 172. 
 Ghawarneh, tribe of, 102, 112, 215. 
 Ghor, the, 97, 182. 
 Gilead, Land of, 172. 
 Gilgal, gardens of, 161. 
 Glacial epoch, 183. 
 Gomorrah, 165. 
 
 Gordon, General, quoterl, 173, 192. 
 Granite of Sinaitic peninsula, 45. 
 Great Bitter Lake, the, 36. 
 Greek convent, 16 L 
 Green, Captain, 23. 
 Gi-eene, Mr. B., on Mount Sinai, 187. 
 Gulf of Akabah, 72. 
 „ Suez, 27, 28. 
 Qypsfulvus, 91. 
 
 H. 
 
 Haiwatats, tribe of, 113, 123. 
 
 Haj road, 66, 207. 
 
 Haniman Faroun, 36. 
 
 Hauran, extinct volcanoes of, 183. 
 
 Hawatha, tribe of Arabs, 1U2, llU. 
 
 Hayne, Mr. W. A., the late, 104. 
 
 Hazeroth, 58. 
 
 Hedenborg, Dr., quoted, 148. 
 
 Ilezekiah, 171. 
 
 Hinnom, Valley of, 169, 172. 
 
 llippurites Itratus, 169. 
 
 Holland, Kev. F. W., quoted, 50, 82, 
 
 120, 182, 188. 
 Hooker, Sir J. D., quoted, 48, 182, 
 
 184. 
 Hor, Mount, 81, 86, 180. 188, 190. 
 Huleh, Lake of, 183. 
 Hiiphoene Tkebaica (doum palm), 71. 
 Ryrax Si/7'iacus, 53. 
 
 Ibex, the, 53, 79, 121. 
 
 JafPa, 147. 
 
 Jahillin, tribe of Arabs, 137. 
 Jaulan Volcano, 183. 
 Jebel Attakah, 27. 
 
 Attarus, 104, l7l. 
 
 Bisher, 201. 
 
 el Ain, 57. 
 
 el Aradeh, 60, 206, 
 
 el Berg, 56. 
 
 el Gebal, 47. 
 
 el Malah, 42. 
 
 el Nur, 81. 
 
 el Wativeh, 50, 55, 101. 
 
 el Zerf,*55. 
 
 Emreikeh, 41. 
 
 es Somrah, 114, 117, 180. 
 
 Fureidis (Herodium), 158. 
 
 Hammtln, 36. 
 
 Haroun (Mount Hor), 81, 86, 
 180, 188, 190, 211. 
 
 Karantul, 161, 162. 
 
 Katarina, 48, 53, 187. 
 
 Madurah, 82. 
 
 Magrah, 82.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 92; 
 
 Jebel Musa (Horeb or Sinai), 31, 48, 51, 
 179, 186. 
 
 „ Nachaleagli, 81, 83. 
 
 „ Salamali, 1U3. 
 
 „ Serbal, 47. 
 
 „ Sufsafeli, 48. 
 
 „ Umm Kame], 80. 
 
 „ „ Shomer, 48. 
 
 „ Usdum, 109, 118, 129, 162, 18-1, 
 217. 
 
 „ Wutah, 37, 41. 
 
 „ Zebir, 48. 
 
 „ Zibbeyagh, 81, 83. 
 Jehoshaphat, Valley of, 172. 
 Jeib, E., 101, 108, 213. 
 Jerboa, 33, 44, 164. 
 Jeremiah, gi-otto of, 172, 192. 
 Jericho, 161. 
 Jerusalem, geological structure of, 152, 
 
 158. 
 Jordan, Plain of, 160. 
 
 „ Valley Canal, 86. 
 Judaea, hills of, 97. 
 
 Kadesh Barnca, 82, 188. 
 
 Kedron, E., 167, 168. 
 
 Kelt, E., 161. 
 
 Kerah, Sheikh of, 110. 
 
 Khasa el Hassa, 119. 
 
 Khashm Jebel Usdum, 109, 129, &c. 
 
 Khefeyeh, the, 120. 
 
 Khureitun (Care of Adullam), 158. 
 
 Kulonieh (Emmaus), 150. 
 
 L. 
 
 Laborde, M., quoted, 55, 75, 83, 93. 
 
 Lakes, Ancient, 37, 49, 181. 
 
 Lartet, M., quoted, 2, 87, 101, 129, 
 
 131, 139, 140, 148, 178, 180. 
 Law, giving of the, 186. 
 Lebanon, Mount, 175. 
 Lebrusch, ruin« of, 121, 216. 
 Lepers, 149. 
 Lily of the field, 141. 
 Limestone of Wady Nasb, 41, 179. 
 Lindsay, Lord, 75. 
 Lisan promontory, lOS, 117. 
 Lokandel el Motram, 176. 
 Luynes, Due de, expedition of. 2, 75. 
 
 Lydda (Liul), 149. 
 Lymuaea truncatula, 181. 
 
 M. 
 
 Maedonald, ifajor, 43. 
 
 Majedy coin, 89. 
 
 Mandragora officinalis (Mandrake), 
 
 141. 
 Mar Saba, 165, 167. 
 Maundrell, Mr., quoted, 108. 
 Medjet (Migdol Gad), 14(1. 
 Mehemet Ali, mosque of, 21. 
 Melanopsis prarosa, 1U2, IM. 
 „ Saulci/i, 10(». 162. 
 
 Melania tuherculata, lOO, ISl. 
 Mesurier, Mr. Le, 12. 
 Miocene period, 182. 
 Moab, Mountains of, 171, 179. 
 Mokattam Hills, 21, 182. 
 Morina aptera, 112. 
 Moses' Well, 28. 
 Moimt ETor (see Jebel Uaroun). 
 Muhauwat, Eiyer, 133. 
 
 N. 
 
 Nabatheans, the, 86. 
 Nagb es Salni, 179. 
 
 „ Pass, 93. 
 Nawamis, 121, 204, 216. 
 Nebi Milsa, 165, 166. 
 Niebuhr, M., quoted, 43, 53. 
 Nile, Delta of, 15. 
 
 ,, oscillations of, 2!?. 
 Nubian sandstone, 31, si, 1"'.'. 
 Numniulitic limestone, 181, e passim. 
 
 O. 
 
 Oleander tree, the, 112. 
 Olive trees, 146, 157. 
 Olives, Mount of, 172. 
 Omar, Mosque of, 172. 
 Oshcr tree, the, 112, 
 
 P. 
 
 Pahu. Arab culture of fhc, 15, 3H. 
 Palmer, Prof., death of. 2, 25, 33. 200. 
 
 ,, „ quoted, 1H7. 
 
 Paran, Wilderness of, 135.
 
 226 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Petra, 85, 179, 211. 
 
 Philistia, 145. 
 
 Phcenix dactylifera (date palm), 38, 71, 
 
 &c. 
 Pholades, 22. 
 Pi-hahiroth, 185. 
 Pilgrims, 73. 
 Plsiditim, 181. 
 Plain, cities of the, 118, 165. 
 Pliocene period, submergence during, 
 
 186. 
 Ploughing with camels, 139. 
 Pluvial period, evidences for, 182. 
 Pococke, Mr., 52. 
 Pompey's Pillar, 14. 
 Post, Dr. Gr. E., explorations of, 38, 
 
 181. 
 Pyramids, 16. 
 
 R. 
 
 Kaised Sea Bed, Akabah, 78, 181. 
 
 „ „ Salt Sea, 132, 180. 
 
 „ „ Suez, 33. 
 ,, ,, „ Wady es Sheriah, 140. 
 Eamleh, 148, 173. 
 Ras Sufsafeh, 51, 187, 
 Red Sea, former extent of, 37. 
 
 ,, „ passage of the Israelites, 185. 
 Metama rcetem, 112. 
 Ring-dove, the, 112. 
 Robinson, Dr., 75, 106, 134. 
 Rock salt, mountain of, see J. Csdum. 
 Rolands, Rev. J., quoted, 188. 
 Rose of Jericho, 48. 
 Roziere, 31. 
 Russeger, M., 178. 
 
 S. 
 
 Salt Sea, I, 97, 178, 180, 182, 216, 217. 
 
 Salvadora Persica, 112. 
 
 Samrat Fiddan mountain, 100, 183, 
 
 212. 
 Sand hills in Pliilistia, 145. 
 
 ,, lizard, 66. 
 Santolinafragrantissima, 48. 
 Schweinfurth, Dr., quoted, 21, 22,182. 
 Serabit el Jemel, 38. 
 
 Khadim, 42, 201. 
 Serbal, 41. 
 Seyal Acacia, 112. 
 
 Sharks, 72. 
 Sheikh Ali, 67. 
 
 „ Arari, 87, 110, 126, 214. 
 
 „ Hamzi, 127. 
 
 „ Ibn Mudjelli, 116, 128. 
 
 „ Mohammed Ibn Jhad, 07. 
 
 „ Seyd, 115. 
 Sinai, mountains of, 31, 48, 52, 17, 
 
 187. 
 Sinaitic peninsula, flora of, 47. 
 Smyth, Prof. Piazzi, 19, 21. 
 Snails {Helix Seetzem), 135. 
 Sodom, 165. 
 
 ,, apples of. 112. 
 Solanum Sodomoeum, 112, 165. 
 Solomon, G-ardens of, 156. 
 
 „ Pools of, 155. 
 Sphinx, 20. 
 
 „ Temple of, 20. 
 St. Catherine, Convent of, 52. 
 Stanley, Dean, the late, 52, 75. 
 Suez Canal, silting up of, 12. 
 Sugar, cultivation of, 163. 
 Sultan's Spring, 161. 
 Sweetwater Canal, 26. 
 Syene, granite of, 20. 
 
 T. 
 
 Taset Bisher mountain, 32. 
 Tel Abu Hareireh, 139, 218. 
 Tel-el-Fara, 219. 
 
 ,, Kebir, 26. 
 
 „ Milh (Moladah), 136, 218. 
 Terabin Arabs, 215. 
 Terraces of Ain Abu Beweireh, 99, 180. 
 
 the Jordan, 162. 
 Tertiary period, 184. 
 Tides, rise and fall of, 72. 
 Tih, escarpment of, 28, 62, 178. 
 Towara, tribe of Arabs, 25, 65. 
 Tristram, Dr., quoted, 53, 100. 129 
 
 134, 137, 155, 162, 167, 178, 182. 
 Trumbull, Dr., quoted, 82, 188. 
 Turf-er-Rukn, 65, 206. 
 Turquoise mines, 43. 
 Tiirtur risorius, 112. 
 
 Yignes, M., 75, 83, 178. 
 Vine of Sodom, 42. 
 Vulture, 32, 91.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 227 
 
 w. 
 
 Wady Abu Kuseibeh, 84. 
 
 ,, Aiu Hawareh, 181. 
 
 „ Amarah, 37, 181. 
 
 „ Beijaneh, 209. 
 
 ,, Berk, 45. 
 
 „ Berrah, 45, 48. 
 
 „ Biyar. 40, 56, 179, 204. 
 
 „ Butachy, 107. 
 Dalaghah, 81. 
 
 „ el-Ain, 40, 56, 58, 206. 
 
 „ el Arabah, 65, 75, 84, 104, 178, 
 
 1V9. 
 
 „ el Deir, 51. 
 
 ,, el Hessi, 114, 179. 
 
 ,, el Huderali, 58. 
 
 „ el Jeib, 101, 212. 
 
 ,, el Khiass, 65. 
 
 ,, el Kueiserah, 165, 167. 
 
 „ el Tihyeh, 61. 
 
 ,, en Nar (Valley of the Kedron), 
 
 152. 
 
 „ er Eahali, 187. 
 
 „ es Sheikh, 49, 51, 54, 187. 
 
 ,, es Sheriah, 140. 
 
 „ es Sidr, geological structure of, 
 
 159. 
 
 .. Fara, 219. 
 
 ,, Fieran, 181. 
 
 ,, G-alaita, 209. 
 
 ,, Garaiyeh, 82. 
 
 „ Gharandel, 32, 36, 81, 83, 181, 
 
 209. 
 
 „ Ghuweir, 213. 
 
 ,, Groweisah, 181. 
 
 „ Hamr, 37, 39, 181, 201. 
 
 „ Haroun, 84, 87. 
 
 „ Hessy, 206. 
 
 „ Jerafeh, 207. 
 
 „ Jorif Guzel, 165. 
 
 „ Kadeis, 189. 
 
 ,, Kaniileh, 43. 
 
 „ Kelt ("Brook Cboritli"), 160. 
 
 „ Kuseibeh, 99, 166. 
 
 ,, Lebweh, 45, 46. 
 
 „ Manci'aich, 208. 
 
 „ Mugrah, 56. 
 
 W4dy Muhawat, 132, 133. 
 
 „ Mukalik, 166. 
 
 „ Musa, 81, 94, 179. 
 
 ,, Nasb, 41, 201. 
 
 ,, Nasb limestone, 179. 
 
 ,, Eahabi (Valley of Hinnom), 162. 
 
 „ Eedadi, 79. 
 
 „ Saal, 38, 58. 
 
 „ Salmoodh, 114. 
 
 ., Shiah, 207. 
 
 „ Sh'reich, 51, 187. 
 
 „ Sitti Mariam (Valley of Jclios- 
 haphat), 152. 
 
 „ Sudur, 33. 
 
 „ Suleiman, ] 50. 
 
 „ Suweireh, 101, 102, 133. 
 
 „ Suwig, 41. 
 
 „ Solaf, 181. 
 
 „ T'lah, 106. 
 
 „ Useit, 37. 
 
 „ Utiah, 213. 
 
 „ Wardan, 37. 
 
 „ Wativeh, 49, 181. 
 
 „ Wcibeh, 102, 213. 
 
 „ Zelcgah, 40, 55, 179, 203, 204. 
 
 „ Zerka Main, 172. 
 Wailing place of Jews, 154. 
 Watershed of tlie Wady el Arabah, 85. 
 Western Palestine ; TopograpLical 
 
 Surver, 1. 
 Wilson,' Col. Sir C. W., 1, 30,41, 154, 
 
 179, 1S6. 
 Wilson, Dr., 75. 
 
 Yam Suf, 36. 
 
 Yazftr, 147. 
 
 Yebna (Jabnecl), 116. 
 
 Z. 
 
 Zagazig, 26. 
 Zin, Wilderncis of, 75. 
 Zizj/phiis, 112, 114. 
 Zi/gophyllum, 46, -18. 
 
 HAilKlSON AND SONS, PRINTERS IN ORDINARY TO IIKR .MAJtSlY, ST. MARTIN'S LANE.
 
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