116 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XI. 



of 5000 feet will suffice to show. I allude now to 

 the desert lying between the Nile and Red Sea ; 

 but in order to give a just notion of this tract, and 

 the nature of the mountains in various parts, I 

 must refer to my map*, and to the accompanying 

 sections in different latitudes. 



The leading characteristic of the Eastern desert, 

 particularly in the northern part, is its gradual 

 ascent from the valley of the Nile to a certain dis- 

 tance eastward, where you arrive at a plain nearly 

 level, and of some extent, from which all the valleys 

 or torrents running in a westerly direction empty 

 themselves into the Nile, and those to the eastward 

 into the Red Sea, following a descent in the op- 

 posite direction to the coast. A section taken E. 

 and W., about latitude 29°, will explain the ap- 

 pearance of the desert in that part.t 



These are all limestone mountains. The ascent 

 from the Nile to A is about 30 miles ; the high 

 plain A B is about 1() miles broad ; the descent 

 then commences towards the Red Sea, which is 

 about .50 miles distant. 



In that part where the primitive range com- 

 mences, and joins the secondary hills, about latitude 

 28° 26', the section E. and W. presents the appear- 

 ance given in the next figure of the plate, t 



In latitude 28° 10', passing by the lofty Gharib, 

 which is the highest peak in this desert, having an 

 elevation of about 6000 feet, the section is of a dif- 

 ferent character.§ 



* This will be published by Mr. J. Arrowsmith early next spring, 

 f ride Plate 18. No. 7. f Vide No, 8. § Vide No. 9. 



