76 BARBOUR — -REPTILES FROM SINAI AND SYRIA [^VoLV*^' 



desert, and the last part through a fertile and well-watered valley. 

 Camp was pitched near the so-called Pharaoh's Castle, at an eleva- 

 tion of 3090 feet. Here we collected for three days. 



April 30. We left Petra, again climbed onto a high plateau, 

 lunching at the splendid oak groves of Wady el Hish. Many of 

 these oaks, which now are scarce in Palestine, were from 17 to 20 

 feet in circumference, six feet above the ground. Camped at 

 Shobek, which is about five thousand feet elevation. From this 

 point north, all along the west edge of the plateau, the ground is 

 cultivated, trees and vegetation being extremely scarce except in 

 the bottoms of the valleys. 



May 1. Extremely cold weather; frost last night. Camped at 

 Ain Gleidat, from which point the south end of the Dead Sea is 

 visible. 



May 2. In four hours we reached Tafileh, a large town situated 

 in a deep valley, surrounded by orchards of fig, olive, and pome- 

 granate trees. 



May 3. We camped in the deep valley of Wady el Hesa, some 

 two thousand feet below the level of the plateau at this point. 

 Here there are thick jungles of cane, oleander and other shrubs. 

 The climate is almost that of the Dead Sea basin. 



May 4. We camped at the town of el Kerak, on the upper part 

 of the Wady Kerak. 



May 5. We took part of our caravan and went down to the 

 Dead Sea, camping at the other mouth of the Wady Kerak about 

 two miles from the reed beds on the edge of the Dead Sea, 



May 6. We collected at this camp. 



May 7. We went back to the main camp at el Kerak. At el 

 Kerak a large number of common lizards were collected for us 

 by boys. 



May 8. Marched north over the rolling plain of Moab. Camped 

 on the south side of the Wady el Modschib. 



May 9. We crossed Wady el Modschib, a very deep valley at 

 this point, and camped on another one of the Dead Sea streams, 

 Wady Waaleh. 



May 10. There was a heavy shower of rain, which is unusual 

 at this season; the weather remained cold and cloudy all day. 



