Who Fed
Thee In The Wilderness With Manna,” &C. Scorpions Are Numerous In All
The Adjacent Parts Of Palestine And The Desert.
The Author observes in a
note in another place, that the Arabic translation of the Pentateuch has
“serpents of burning bites,” instead of “fiery serpents.” Note of the
Editor.]
On the opposite side of the gulf the mountains appeared to reach down to
the sea-side. In the direction S.S.E. and S.E. they are high; to the
northward the chain lowers, and from the point E.S.E. towards Akaba the
level is still lower. We saw at a distance several Gazelles, which, my
guides told me, descend at mid-day to the sea to bathe. At one hour from
Wasta we reached near the sea another collection of palm trees, larger
than the former, and having a well, which was completely choaked up.
These trees receive no other irrigation than the winter rains; each tree
has its acknowledged owner among some of the Towara tribes: those which
I have just noticed belong to some persons of the tribe of Aleygat. Not
the smallest attention is paid to the trees till the period of the date
harvest, when the owners encamp under them with their families for about
a week while the fruit is gathered. The shrub Gharkad also grows here in
large quantities. At one hour and three quarters we came to another
small bay, round which lay the road, the main direction of the shore
being N.E. by N. The mountains approach very near to the water, leaving
only a narrow sloping plain covered with loose stones, washed down from
above by the torrents. The road was profusely strewed with shells of
different species, all of which were empty. The fishermen collect the
shells, take out the animals, and
WADY OM HASH
[p.501] dry them in the sun, particularly that of the species called
Zorombat [Arabic], which I have also seen in plenty on the African coast
of the Red sea, north of Souakin, and at Djidda, where they are much
esteemed by the mariners, and are sold by the fishermen at Tor and Suez.
I here made a rough measurement of the breadth of the gulf: having
assumed a base of seven hundred paces along the beach, and then measured
with my compass the angles formed at either extremity of it, with a
prominent point of the opposite mountain, the result gave a breadth of
about twelve miles. The vegetation appeared to be much less impregnated
with saline particles than I had found it on other parts of the coast of
the Red sea.
At two hours and three quarters we had to pass round the bottom of
another bay, of red and white sand-stone, where steep rocks advance so
close to the water as to leave only a narrow path. At three hours and
three quarters we passed an opening into the mountain, called Wady Om
Hash [Arabic], from whence a torrent descends, which, after its issue
from the mountain, spreads to a considerable distance along the shore,
and produces verdure. The shrub Doeyny [Arabic] grows here in abundance;
it is almost a foot in height, and continues green the whole year. The
Arabs collect and burn it, and sell the ashes at Khalyl, where they are
used in the glass manufactories. We passed on our left several similar
inlets into the mountain, the beds of torrents, but my guides could not,
or would not, tell their names. The Bedouins are generally averse to
satisfying the traveller’s curiosity on such subjects; not being able to
conceive what interest he has in informing himself of mere names, they
ascribe to repeated questions of this nature improper motives. Some
cunning is often required to get proper answers, and they frequently
give false names, for no other reason than to have the pleasure of
deluding the enquirer, and laughing at him among themselves behind his
back.
RAS OM HAYE
[p.502] At four hours and a quarter we passed Wady Mowaleh [Arabic]; and
at the end of five hours and three quarters reached the northern point
of the last mentioned bay, formed by a projecting part of the mountain,
or promontory, called Abou Burko [Arabic], which means “he who wears a
face veil,” because on the top of it is a white rock, which is thought
to resemble the white Berkoa, or face veil of the Arab women, and
renders it a conspicuous object from afar. Noweyba, where we had first
reached the shore, bore from hence S.S.W. We rested for the night in a
pasturing place near the mountain, on the south side of the promontory.
Old Ayd, who carried his net with him, brought us some fish. His dog eat
the raw fish, and his master told me that the dog sometimes passed
several months without any other food.
May 8th.—We set out long before day-break. None of our party was ever
more ready to alight, or to take his supper, than Szaleh, and none more
averse to start. During the whole way he was continually grumbling, and
endeavouring to persuade the others to turn back. We were one hour in
doubling the Abou Burko, a chalky rock, whose base is washed by the
waves. On the other side we passed, at two hours, in the bottom of a
small bay, Wady Zoara [Arabic], where a few date trees grow, and a well
of saltish water is found, unfit to drink. The maritime plain was here
nearly two miles in breadth. Having made the tour of another bay from
Abou Burko, we reached, at three hours and a half, a promontory forming
its northern boundary, and called Ras Om Haye [Arabic], a name derived
from the great quantity of serpents found there, some of which, Ayd told
me, were venemous; we however saw none of any kind. The whole coast of
the AElanitic gulf, from Ras Abou Mohammed to Akaba, consists of a
succession of bays separated from such other by head lands.
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