MEMOIR OF BURCKHARDT. 115 



compass the land of Edom,* where the prevalence 

 of these reptiles at the present day is a remarkable 

 illustration of the fact mentioned by Moses (Num- 

 bers xxi. 4, 6), that " the Lord sent fiery serpents 

 among the people." t Scorpions, too, are numerous ; 

 and another venomous reptile, like a huge spider, to 

 which the Bedouins give the name of Abou Ha- 

 nakein, or the two-mouthed. Burckhardt describes 

 it as about four inches and a half in length, with 

 five long legs on both sides, covered like the body 

 with setae of a light yellow colour. The head is 

 long and pointed, with large black eyes ; the mouth 

 is armed with two pair of fangs, one above the 

 other, recurved, and extremely sharp. It is said to 

 be attracted by fire; and the bite, if not always 

 mortal, produces swelling, vomiting, and the most 

 excruciating pains. 



On the same coast, and in the lower valleys, a 

 kind of large lizard is found, called Dhob, which 

 has a scaly skin of a yellow colour, of which the 

 natives make tobacco-pouches. The largest are about 

 eighteen inches in length ; they live in holes in the 

 sand, and run fast, but are easily caught by dogs. 

 Hares, gazelles, wolves, and leopards are found, but 



* The steep side of the western mountain, from the plain of 

 Akaba, corresponds very accurately with the " ascent" of Akrab- 

 bim," mentioned in Numbers xxxiv. 4. 



^ The translation of fiery or flying serpents is somewhat 

 inaccurate. The meaning of the Hebrew is, " serpents whose 

 bite causes death by inflammation." Burckhardt observes, 

 that the Arabic version of the Pentateuch is more correct than 

 ours, by rendering it " serpents of burning bites." 



