The Rocks Which
Overhang It On Both Sides Almost Meet, And Give To The Whole The
Appearance Of A Grotto, Most Delighful To The Traveller After Passing
Through These Dreary Valleys.
It is in fact the most romantic spot I
have seen in these mountains, and worthy of being frequented by other
people than Arabs, upon whom the beauties of nature make a very faint
impression.
The camels passed over the rocks with great difficulty;
beyond it we continued in the same narrow valley, along the rivulet,
amidst groves of date, Nebek, and some tamarisk trees, until, at six
hours, we reached the source of the rivulet, where we rested a little.
This is one of the most noted date valleys of the Sinai Arabs; the
contrast of its deep verdure with the glaring rocks by which it is
closely hemmed in, is very striking, and shews that wherever water
passes in these districts, however
DJEBEL MORDAM
[p.536] barren the ground, vegetation is invariably found. Within the
enclosures of the date-groves I saw a few patches of onions, and of
hemp; the latter is used for smoking; some of the small leaves which
surround the hemp-seed being laid upon the tobacco in the pipe, produces
a more intoxicating smoke. The same custom prevails in Egypt, where the
hemp leaves as well as the plant itself are called Hashysh. In the
branches of one of the date-trees several baskets and a gun were
deposited, and some camels were feeding upon the grass near the rivulet,
but not a soul was to be seen in the valley; these Bedouins being under
no fear of robbers, leave their goods and allow their beasts to pasture
without any one to watch them; when they want the camels they send to
the springs in search of them, and if not found there, they trace their
footsteps through the valleys, for every Bedouin knows the print of the
foot of his own camel.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 681 of 870
Words from 185118 to 185448
of 236498
