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, ¢q 
Geology.of Mount Sinai and adjacent Countries. 218 
lifera), the presence of which plant always indicates a neigh- 
bouring spring,* about two miles and a-half from the top of 
the Bahr, “ sea,” upon digging sweet water is soon obtained: 
Even on making a hole with the hands, the water slowly 
rises. This is at first salt, but when it is thrown out, the 
hole gradually refills with fresh water. This probably comes 
from springs from the East Mountains, which percolate 
through the gravel, here forming a slope to the sea. 
Vegetables and several sorts of fruit are here plentiful ; 
-proving that the district is much more capable of cultivation, 
‘and naturally more fertile than that of the opposite coast. 
-Fishes also abound in the gulf, which, after a shallow rocky 
platform of some yards in width, here becomes excessively 
‘deep. Behind the Castle of Akaba, to the south-east rises 
the lofty Gebel Ashab, “ grey mount ;” then, on the north- 
east, in a lower part, opens Wadi-el-Ithm, the ‘“‘ Valley of the 
- Crime,” which leads up to the sandy tract, E] Hismeh, sur- 
rounded by mountains. Further to the north-east, appears 
the Gebel-el-Shafeh, or ‘‘ Mountain of the Summit.” 
... Traversing the beach southwards over gravel and sand, and 
haying passed the ruins of Kasr-el-Badawy, or ‘‘ Bedouin 
Fort,” the rows of hills that then succeed on the left are 
granite. At Hakl, meaning a “ field,” which Wellsted 
_ writes, Hagool, as broadly pronounced, there is a little har- 
_bour; next a considerable plantation of date trees, to which 
| the sandy valley, Wadi Mebruk, so called by the common 
_. Bedouins, and signifying a “kneeling place’ for camels, 
adjoins. The small Isle Omaider, not far from the beach, 
presents nothing worthy of remark. A singular phenomenon 
is afforded, along this west Arabian coast, by the Wadis, be- 
_ tween the mountains, rising to 2009 feet in solid inclined 
planes of sand. The chain of mountains at some distance 
~ from the sea, exhibits steep walls and cliffs of granite, which, 
* The following remarkable instance of this is mentioned by Dr Robinson 
i. p. 238), which he witnessed on the opposite coast in Wadi Taba. There was 
ao, ° large square hole dug in the ground, walled up with rough stones, like a 
cellar, in it had once been a well, but the bottom was now covered with young 
pala trees.” 
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