On
Both Sides Of The Hadj Road We Saw Numerous Heaps Of Stones, The Tombs
Of Pilgrims Who Had Died
Of fatigue; among others is shewn that of a
woman who here died in labour, and whose infant was carried
The whole
way to Mekka, and back to Cairo in good health. At the end of fifteen
hours we alighted in a valley of the Theghar, where we found an
abundance of shrubs and trees.
MABOUK
[p.453] September 1st.—We continued descending among the windings of the
Wady, turning a little to the southward of the Hadj route. Among the
calcareous hills of the Wady deep sands have accumulated, which have
been blown thither from the shores of the Red sea; and in several parts
there are large insulated rocks of porous tufwacke. After a march of
four hours and a half we had a fine view of the sea, and gained the
plain which extends to its shores, and which is apparently much below
the level of the desert El Ty; it is covered with moving sands, among
which a few low shrubs grow. The direction of our route was W.S.W. In
seven hours we reached the wells of Mabouk (Arabic), to our great
satisfaction, as we had not a drop of water left in our skins. These
wells are in the open plain, at the foot of some rocks. Good water, but
in small quantities, is found every where on digging to the depth of ten
or twelve feet. There were about half a dozen holes, five or six feet in
circumference, with a foot of water in each; on drawing up the water the
holes fill again immediately. We here met some shepherds of the Maazye,
a tribe of Bedouins of the desert between Egypt and the Red sea, who
were busy in watering a large herd of camels. They were so kind as to
make room for us, in consideration of our being strangers and
travellers; and we were occupied several hours in drawing up water.
These wells were filled up last year by the Moggrebyn Hadj, on its
passage, to revenge themselves upon Mohammed Ali, with whose treatment
they were dissatisfied. The Egyptian pilgrims take a more northern
route, but the Arabs who accompany them fill the water skins for the use
of the caravan at these wells, and rejoin the Hadj by the route we
travelled this morning. Near the wells are the ruins of a small
building, with strong walls, which was probably constructed for the
defence of the water, when the Hadj was still in its ancient splendour.
ADJEROUD
[p.454] On quitting the wells we turned off in the direction of Suez,
our route lying W.N.W. There are no traces of a road here, for the track
of caravans is immediately filled up by the moving sands, which covered
the plain as far as I could discern, and in some places had collected
into hills thirty or forty feet in height. At ten hours from our setting
out in the morning we entered a plain covered with flints, and again
fell in with the Hadj road. Here we took a W. by N. direction. At the
end of eleven hours the plain was covered with a saline crust, and we
crossed a tract of ground, about five minutes in breadth, covered with
such a quantity of small white shells, that it appeared at a distance
like a strip of salt. Shells of the same species are found on the shores
of the lake of Tiberias. Once probably the sea covered the whole of this
ground. At twelve hours and a half Suez bore S. about an hour and an
half distant from us. To our right we saw marshy ground extending
northwards, which the people informed me was full of salt; it is called,
like all salt marshes, Szabegha (Arabic). At the end of thirteen hours
we crossed a low and narrow Wady, perhaps the remains of the canal of
Ptolemy; and at fourteen hours and a half, alighted in Wady Redjel
(Arabic), where there were many Talh trees, and plenty of food for our
camels.
September 2d.—We continued to travel over the plain, route W. by N. In
two hours we reached Adjeroud (Arabic), an ancient castle, which has
lately been completely repaired by Mohammed Ali, who keeps a garrison
here. There are two separate buildings, the largest of which is occupied
by the soldiers, and the smaller contains a mosque with the tomb of a
saint; they are both defended by strong walls against any attack of the
Arabs. Here is also a copious well, but the water is very bitter, and
can be used only for watering camels. The garrison is supplied from the
wells of Mousa, opposite to Suez. Our road was full of the aromatic
WADY MOUSA
[p.455] herb Baytheran (Arabic), which is sold by the Arabs at Ghaza and
Hebron.
Beyond Adjeroud many Wadys cross the plain. To the left we had the chain
of mountains called Attaka. At the end of five hours, and about one hour
to the right of the road, begins the chain of low mountains called
Oweybe (Arabic), running parallel with the Attaka. Our route lay W. by
N. At eight hours the Attaka terminated on our left, and was succeeded
by a ridge of low hills. The plain here is sandy, covered with black
flints. We again passed several Wadys, and met two large caravans,
transporting a corps of infantry to Suez. At the end of ten hours and a
half we stopped in Wady Djaafar (Arabic), which is full of low trees,
shrubs, and dry herbs. From hence a hilly chain extends north-eastwards.
September 3d.—After a march of six hours along the plain, the ground
began to be overspread with Egyptian pebbles. Route W. We passed several
Wadys, similar to those mentioned above when describing Wady Rowak. At
nine hours, we descried the Nile, with its beautiful verdant shores; at
eleven hours began a hilly tract, the last undulations of Djebel
Makattam; and in thirteen hours and a half we reached the vicinity of
Cairo.
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