Page images
PDF
EPUB

treading on new ground; and although we expected to make no discoveries, (which indeed the very nature of the country in a measure forbade,) yet we felt it to be due to the interests of science, to take note of all that offered itself to our observation. On similar grounds, I hope to be pardoned by the reader, if the account of this journey should appear perhaps unnecessarily minute and tedious.

To us the journey was one of deep interest. It was a region into which the eye of geographical science had never yet penetrated; and which, as its name implies, was supposed to be the scene of the wanderings of the Israelites of old. Our feelings were strongly excited at this idea of novelty, and with the desire of exploring this "great wilderness;" so as to ascertain, if possible, whether there was any thing here to throw light on the darkness which hitherto has rested on this portion of Scriptural history. How far we were successful, the reader will learn, not from the account of this journey alone, but from this in connection with our subsequent excursion from Hebron to Wady Mûsa.

Saturday, April 7th. We set off at 6 10′, and continuing N. N. W. came in forty-five minutes to the top of the low limestone ridge before mentioned. Here another similar prospect opened on our view. Before us lay an almost level plain, covered with pebbles and black flints; beyond which, at a great distance, a lone conical mountain appeared directly ahead, at the base of which, it was said, our road would pass. This mountain is called Jebel 'Arâif en-Nâkah; and standing almost isolated in the midst of the desert, it forms a conspicuous landmark for the traveller. It here bore N. by W., and our course was directed towards it for the remainder of the day with little deviation.

We could see low ridges extending from it

both on the eastern and western sides. That towards the East, at first low, becomes afterwards higher, and terminates at the eastern end in a bluff called el-Mŭkrâh. This latter is not very far from Wady el-'Arabah, as we saw at a later period. At the foot of this bluff, our Arabs said, is a spring of good living water, called esh-Shehâbeh or Shehâbîyeh.

In crossing the plain above mentioned, we had on our right a range of low hills running from S. to N. terminating in a low round mountain called es-Suweikeh, which at 8 o'clock bore N. E. E., and again at 10 o'clock E. S. E. These hills, and the ascending slope towards the brow of el-'Arabah, prevented our seeing the mountains East of the great valley, either now or afterwards, except occasionally, and then very indistinctly. On our left the plain extended almost to the horizon, where a low range of mountains (already mentioned) run northward from near Turf erRukn, at the distance of six or eight hours from our path. For these our Arabs knew no other name than et-Tîh. They said, this range formed the dividing line between the desert on the East, drained by the Jerâfeh, which runs to the 'Arabah; and the more western desert, drained by the great Wady el-'Arîsh running down to the Mediterranean.

At 9h 10′ we were opposite Suweikeh, bearing E., and twenty minutes later crossed Wady el-Ghaidherah, here coming from the S. W. but afterwards sweeping round to the N. W. and again crossing our path to join the Jerâfeh. We passed it the second time at 10h 40' running N. W., where it continued for

1) According to Burckhardt, Jebel es-Suweikeh lies eight hours or more distant from the brow of the'Arabah. He passed at the distance of two hours N. of this mountain, on a course towards

Turf er-Rukn. Travels in Syria, etc. PP 444-8.

2) They would seem to be the continuation of the ridge which further south Burckhardt calls elÖjmeh; p. 449.

some distance on the left parallel to our road. At 11 o'clock we found in it near our path a small pool of rain-water in a deep gully. It is one of the chief watering-places of the Arabs in these parts; and from the number of camels and flocks, which come here to drink, the water had acquired a strong smell, and was any thing but inviting. Yet as we had found no water on the way, nor were likely to meet with any for two or three days to come, the water-skins were filled amid the drinking of camels, goats, and dogs. We were thus detained three quarters of an hour. This kind of puddle is called Ghudhîr. A few tufts of grass were growing on the sides of the pool, the second time we had seen grass since leaving the region of the Nile. Several very old Tulh-trees were also scattered around. We found here a few Arabs of the Haweitât, stragglers from the party which had passed 'Akabah a few days before. They had charge of several milchcamels with their young; and seemed to have lingered behind their party on account of these. We were amused at the staid and sober demeanour of the young camels. Instead of the frisky playfulness and grace of other young animals, they had all the cold gravity and awkwardness of their dams.-From this point the cliff el-Mukrâh bore N. N. E.

Leaving the pool at noon, we soon saw Wady elJerâfeh upon the left, with many low trees, running for a time nearly parallel to the Ghaidherah. The two unite not far below, in sight of the road. At half past one, we reached the Jerâfeh, here coming from the S. S. W. and flowing off nearly N. E. towards el-'Arabah, which it enters a little to the right of the bluff el-Mukrâh. It was said to rise far to the South near the northern ridge of Jebel et-Tîh, and passes along on the eastern side of the ridge Turf er-Rukn, apparently between that mountain and the ridge Tawârif elBelâd; receiving on the East all the Wadys we had VOL. I. 34

crossed, and others in like manner from the West.1 Indeed it is the great drain of all the long basin between the 'Arabah and the ridges west of Turf erRukn, extending from Jebel et-Tîh on the South to the ridge between Jebel 'Arâif and el-Mŭkrâh on the North. The Jerâfeh exhibits traces of a large volume of water in the rainy season; and is full of herbs and shrubs, with many Seyâl and Turfa-trees. At some distance from our path on the right, rainwater is found in holes dug in the ground, which are called Emshash.2 We were greatly struck at the time with the singular conformation of this region, on the supposition that all the waters of this basin should be carried so far to the North, in order again to flow through the 'Arabah southwards to the Red Sea. We were at a loss to conceive how this could well take place, without leaving more traces of a water-course in the latter valley near 'Akabah. It was not until after several weeks and upon a different journey, that we ascertained the real circumstances of the case.

The country continued still of the same character. At 3 o'clock we passed Wady el-Ghubey, running E. N. E. to the Jerâfeh. Another tributary of the same, Wady Butlihât, followed half an hour beyond. In this latter on the right of the road, is rain-water collected in pits called Themîlch. Another half hour brought us to the top of a gravelly ascent, from which we had a view of a more broken tract of country before us.

1) According to Lord Prudhoe's notes, the Jerâfeh is five and a half hours from Wady Ghureir on a S. E. course. From Burckhardt it appears that the N. end of Turf er-Rukn is three and a half hours eastward of the same Wady Ghureir; pp. 448, 449. Our map is constructed according to these data; but exhibits the Jerâfeh as thus making a very large bend towards the East. There may be

doubts, after all, whether it does not pass west of Turf er-Rukn.

2) This seems to be the place visited by Burckhardt; p. 447. The Wady Lehyâneh which he mentions, is a tributary of the Jerâfeh, entering it from the South, and lying wholly to the right of our road. The other route from 'Akabah passes along it for some distance.

Hitherto the desert had consisted of wide plains, often covered with pebbles and flints, with low ridges and few undulations, and the Wadys slightly depressed below the general level. The whole region thus far was the very picture of barrenness; for not a particle of vegetation exists upon it, except in the Wadys; and in these we had found the herbage and the few trees increasing as we advanced, indicating a better supply of rain. The tract now before us was more uneven and hilly; and the vallies deeper, with much loose sand. A somewhat steep descent brought us to the broad sandy Wady el-Ghudhâghidh, which drains the remainder of this region between the Jerâfeh and elMukrâh, and carries its waters eastward to the Jerâfeh. We encamped in this Wady at 4 o'clock, near its northern side.

The weather this day was again cold and cheerless. During the afternoon several showers of rain rose from the S. W. and W. and passed along the horizon towards Syria. At 2 o'clock we too had a considerable shower, and several slighter ones afterwards. This was the first rain of any consequence that I had seen since leaving Alexandria. It was grateful to us in itself; and also as showing that we were approaching Palestine, where the latter rains sometimes continue till this season, and usually come from the S. W.

Our guides of the 'Amrân proved to be a very dif ferent sort of men from our Tawarah. They were lazy good-for-nothing fellows; and we soon learned to place no confidence in them, nor in their word, except so far as their assertions tallied with other evidence. According to them, none of the 'Amrân, not even the Sheikhs, know how to read; it being considered disgraceful for a Bedawy to learn to read; very few also know how to pray. The 'Amrân, they said, are divided

« PreviousContinue »