In The Mountains Of Shera Grows A Tree Called Arar (Arabic), From The
Fruit Of Which The Bedouins Extract A Juice, Which Is Extremely
Nutritive.
The tree Talh (Arabic), which produces the gum arabic
(Arabic), is very common in the Ghor; but the Arabs do not take the
trouble to collect the gum.
Among other vegetable productions there is a
species of tobacco, called Merdiny (Arabic), which has a most
disagreeable taste; but, for want of a better kind, it is cultivated in
great quantity, and all the Bedouins on the borders of the Dead sea are
supplied with it. The coloquintida (Arabic or Arabic), grows wild every
where in great quantities. The tree Szadder (Arabic), which is a species
of the cochineal tree, is also very common.
As to the mineral productions of the borders of the Dead sea, it appears
that the southern mountains are full of rock salt, which is washed off
by the winter rains, and carried down into the lake. In the northern
Ghor pieces of native sulphur are found at a small
DEAD SEA
[p.394] depth beneath the surface, and are used by the Arabs to cure
diseases in their camels. The asphaltum (Arabic), Hommar, which is
collected by the Arabs of the western shore, is said to come from a
mountain which blocks up the passage along the eastern Ghor, and which
is situated at about two hours south of wady Modjeb. The Arabs pretend
that it oozes from the fissures in the cliff, and collects in large
pieces on the rock below, where the mass gradually increases and
hardens, until it is rent asunder by the heat of the sun, with a loud
explosion, and falling into the sea, is carried by the waves in
considerable quantities to the opposite shores.
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