In That Neighbourhood Are The
Ruined Places Shemakh (Arabic) And Syk (Arabic).
We were one hour and a half in crossing the Araba, direction W. by N. In
some places the sand is very deep, but it is firm, and the camels walk
over it without sinking.
The heat was suffocating, and it was increased
by a hot wind from the S.E. There is not the slightest appearance of a
road, or of any other work of human art in this part of the valley. On
the other side we ascended the western chain of mountains. The mountain
opposite to us appeared to be the highest point of the whole chain, as
far as I could see N. and S.; it is called Djebel Beyane (Arabic); the
height of this chain, however, is not half that of the eastern
mountains. It is intersected by numerous broad Wadys, in which the Talh
tree grows; the rock is entirely silicious, of the same species as that
of the desert which extends from hence to Suez. I saw some large pieces
of flint perfectly oval, three to four feet in length, and about a foot
and a half in breadth.
After an hour and a half of gentle ascent we arrived at the summit of
the hills, and then descended by a short and very gradual declivity into
the western plain, the level of which although higher
WADY EL LAHYANE
[p.445] than that of the Araba, is perhaps one thousand feet lower than
the eastern desert. We had now before us an immense expanse of dreary
country entirely covered with black flints, with here and there some
hilly chains rising from the plain. About six hours distant, to our
right, were the hills near Wady Szays (Arabic). The horizon being very
clear near sunset, my companions pointed out to me the mountains of
Kerek, which bore N.E. by N. Djebel Dhana bore N.E. by F., and Djebel
Hesma S.S.E. I must here observe, that during all my journeys in the
deserts I never allowed the Arabs to get a sight of my compass, as it
would certainly have been considered by them as an instrument of magic.
When on horseback I took the bearings, unseen, beneath my wide Arab
cloak; under such circumstances it is an advantage to ride a mare, as
she may easily be taught to stand quite still. When mounted on, a camel,
which can never be stopped while its companions are moving on, I was
obliged to jump off when I wished to take a bearing, and to couch down
in the oriental manner, as if answering a call of nature. The Arabs are
highly pleased with a traveller who jumps off his beast and remounts
without stopping it, as the act of kneeling down is troublesome and
fatiguing to the loaded camel, and before it can rise again, the caravan
is considerably ahead. From Djebel Beyane we continued in the plain for
upwards of an hour; and stopped for the night in a Wady which contains
Talh trees, and extends across the plain for about half an hour.
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