12 



island, Hammar el Nafur, the coast presents a range of small 

 dark peaks rising gradually from the beach, probably the tops 

 of low igneous rocks. This ibland, 320 ft. liigb, is covered by a 

 multitude of shags. 



From Eas Jezirah to the Bay Ghobat Hashish, opposite the 

 western end of tho island of Masira, a distance of about 

 100 jiiiles, the land gradually sinks to the level of the sea. 



From Eas Abu Ashrin to Eas el Had, tho most eastern head- 

 land of Arabia, the laud rises somewhat, but is seldom more 

 than 100 ft. above sea-level. Along this extensive tract, which 

 is known to the Arabs as El Baetan, all mountains to the 

 west are lost sight of, but, in places, it rises into rounded, white 

 sand-hills, 200 ft. in height, among which may be observed dark 

 isolated peaks of similar elevation, whilst, in other parts, it is 

 simply a plain covered with salt efflorescence. This low desolate 

 tract is the eastward prolongation of the great sand desert of 

 Central Arabia. 



The low land between Ghobat Hashish and Eas Abu Ashrin 

 is destitute of vegetation beyond some scattered tamarisks, 

 salsola bushes, and a few tufts of grass, but is sufficiently green, 

 to the eye of an Arab, to entitle it to the name it bears. 



As the island of Masira lying off this bay is the only locality 

 on the south-eabt coast of Arabia, besides Makallah, that has 

 ajjpeared in zoological literature, a i'ew facts connected with it 

 may be of interest. It is situated about 100 miles to the west 

 of Eas el Had, and is 38^ miles in length and about 9 miles in 

 breadth, at its widest part. A range of mountains GOO ft. high 

 traverses it longitudinally and sends out spurs to the principal 

 capes, while shorter ridges branch out all over the island, more or 

 less rocky and irregularly pointed. With the exception of a few 

 dwarf babul and tamarisk trees, and matted grass in level places, 

 and a trace of small herbs in the mountains, it is essentially 

 barren ; but in the centre of the island there are a few date-palms, 

 as it is partially peopled. The miserable inhabitants own some 

 sheep and goats, and the usual domestic animals, the dog and cat. 

 The only wild animals known to Carter were a gazelle, and a 

 rabbit, half the size of the wild rabbit of Europe. Eeptiles also 

 were present, but only one species is known, namely, the little 

 rock-gecko described by Dr. J. E. Gray as Spatalura carteri = 

 Fristui'us carteri. Between the island and the mainland there 

 is a channel about ten miles wide, very shallow, and with several 



