(jeology of Mount Sinai and adjacent Countries. 37 



bore the same appellation, prove that it was esteemed one 

 entire valley in its rvhole extent, from the Dead, or Salt Sea, 

 to Elath and Eziongaber on the Red Sea, or uElanitic Gulf, 

 in the land of Edom (1 Kings ix. 26, and 2 Chron. viii. 17.) 

 And, indeed, according to Dr Robertson, no such division of 

 it, as M. De Bertou and some other travellers assert, into 

 Wadi-el-Akaba, and Wadi-el-Araha,* at this day exists. 



After having attained the highest point, or short table- 

 land of the Wadi-el-Araba, the descent in fact begins in a 

 direct line nearly due north to the Dead Sea ; it is in places 

 more elevated, rougher, and more sandy than in others ; and 

 its width also becomes greater. Gebel-el-Beianeh appears 

 the loftiest of the chain on the west ; but this is scarcely 

 two- thirds as high as the east range, Gebel-el-Shera {Mount 

 Seir); the former is entirely sterile and arid, whilst the latter 

 is covered with herbs and occasional trees, and seems to 

 have a sufficiency of rain. The east Wadis also, which are 

 numerous, are filled with trees, shrubs, and flowers ; and 

 their eastern and higher portions, being well cultivated, yield 

 good crops. So Strabo, calling the district " Nabathsea," 

 states it abounded in pastures ; ij l^aQarata 'roXvavdgog J<fa rj %wga 

 xai i'vQorog ;t and being the country of Esau, it was " of the 

 fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.-' 

 — Gen. xxvii. 39. 



The range of Mount Seir, Gebel-el-Shera, i. e., the moun- 

 tains of a " region" or '* tract," under which I have only in- 

 cluded those mountains, commencing with Mount Seir it- 

 self on the north, and extending to Gebel-el-Ithm on the 

 south. On the eastern side is now sandstone, veined with 

 oande of iron ; and those mountains still further to the east, 

 forming a part of the Nabathsean chain, are limestone with 

 flints, of the same cretaceous series as that of the Sinaic Pen- 

 insula ; they present many varied forms and shapes. 



El Araba, in the approach to Wadi Gharandel, is more 

 covered with shifting sands, broken by innumerable undula- 

 tions, and low hills ; into these sands the waters of Wadi 



* See M. De Bertou's paper in the " Journal of the Royal Geographical So- 

 ciety," vol. ix.. p. 282. 



t Straho Geog., vol. ii., lib. 16-35, p. 1103. Edit FaUoner. 



