Geology of Mount Sinai and adjacent Countries. 45 



vast and desolate wilderness, either grey, darkly-brown, or wholly 

 black."* 



And Dr Lepsius remarks on this mountain, that — 

 "Although it is certainly a high mountain, still it is a secondary one, 

 and almost eclipsed by others of the Great Southern Chain, the 

 geographical centre of which is neither in Gehel Mousa, nor the 

 loftier Gebel Katherin, but in the more southern, and considerably 

 more elevated Gehel-um-Schomary 



Gebel Katherin, composed principally of a coarse red granite, 

 presents the same conical peaks. But in Wadi Owasz, S. 

 by W., from the last mountain, Burckhardt noticed " a 

 small chain of white and red sandstone hills in the midst of 

 granite.'^ 



Gebel-um-Schomar (" Mount Mother Schomar""), also con- 

 sists chiefly of granite ; the lower part red, but the top is al- 

 most white. In its middle, between the granite, occur broad 

 layers of brittle black slate, mixed with veins of quartz and 

 felspar, and with micaceous schist. Its extreme peak, about 

 8800 feet above the sea, is sharp pointed, and seems to be 

 inaccessible, owing to its perpendicular and smooth sides. 

 Burckhardt, in his attempt to ascend it, was obliged to halt 

 at about 200 feet below it. This was, until recently, esteemed 

 the highest point in the Peninsula ; but, according to Herr 

 Russegger, two or three other peaks, to the south of it, are 

 about 500 feet more lofty ; the extreme elevation of this last 

 group, which seems not to bear any distinct appellation, he 

 estimates at 9300 English feet. 



I here add, after the latter author, a sketch of the granite 

 peaks of the high Modern- Sinaic mountains, from north to 

 south, as they present so interesting and remarkable an ap- 

 pearance. 



* Trarels in Arabia, vol. ii., p. 97. 



