1090 Appendix II: Phytogeography and Geology. 
vated lands in general lie between 70 and 115 metres above sea 
level *). 
I. Siwa. The Oasis of Ammon, or Siwa, at it is called in Arabie, 
doubtless from the ancient Egyptian name, is about 6 miles long by 
4+1/, to 5 miles wide. It is divided into two parts, of which the 
eastern is the more fertile. This part ends in a lake of brackish 
water on Nort-East, beyond which at a distance of about 10 miles 
is the small Oasis of Zéebin. There is also a lake of brackish water 
on the West, on which side, from El-Gara to el-‘Arashiya, there 
extends for 50 miles a series of small oases, all of which, together — 
with that of Zétin, are included under the title of Siwa?). 
The geological features resemble those of all the Oases. The 
soil is extremely fertile and covered with fruiting trees, principally 
the date-palm, of which there are five kinds, the “sultani, frahi, 
saidi, ghazali, all of excellent quality. These constitute the principal 
commerce and source of revenue. 
II. Little Oasis*). The Little or Baharia Oases, lying 180 kilo- 
metres west of Minia, is a large natural excavation 150 metres deep 
and entirely surrounded by escarpments.. The cultivated land bear 
a very small proportion to the total oasis-area; their general level 
is 110—115 metres above sea level, rising to 155 metres at Ain- 
el-Haiss in the southern part of the depression. ‘The total area of 
cultivated land is about 2,500 acres, largely made up of palmgroves; 
rice, wheat and barley are grown, but the area sown with cereals 
has of late years being decreasing in extent owing to a diminshed 
output from the springs. Baharia is par excellence the date-produ- 
cing oasis of Egypt and very large quantities are annually ex- 
ported to the Nile valley; besides date-palms the gardens contain 
numbers of olive, apricot and other fruit trees. ‘Taxation is on palm 
trees and land. 
The water-supply is derived from Cretaceous sandstones forming 
the floor of the depression, the water rising naturally to the sur- 
face of the lowest areas. In numerous cases long adits have been 
driven into the rock to obtain an increased supply; these tunnels 
') H. I. L. Beadnell: The Oases and the Geology of the Nile Valley in 
William Willeocks: The Nile in 1904. — London 1904. 
*) G. Steindorff: Durch die libysche Wiiste zur Ammonsoase. — 
Leipzig 1904. — W. Jennings-Bramley: A Journey to Siwa in September 
and October 1896 (Geogr. Journ. London, 1897 Vol. X p. 597—608), — 
ltobeechi-Bricchetti. All’oasi di Giove Ammone. — Mailand 1900. 
3) Ball and Beadnell: Baharia Oasis; its Topography and Geology. — 
Cairo 1908. — Ascherson: Bemerkungen zu meiner Karte meiner Reise nach 
der kleinen Oase in der Libyschen Wiiste. (Ztschrft. Ges. Erdkde 1885 Vol. XX.) 
~~ H. W. Blundell: Notes sur une excursion 4 Khargueh, Dakhel, Farafrah et 
Ibehariyeh (Bull. Soc. Khédiviale de Géogr. 4 sér. p. 267—287). 
