TBANSACTIONS OF SECTION E. 623 



the true Mount Sinai ; thence northwards hy Wadies Telleger and El Atujeh, by 

 the route followed hy Baron Koller in 1840 (< R. G. S. Journal,' 1842) to Wady el 

 Hessi ; thence N.W. to Nakhl, and so on hy Wady Muweilah to Wady el Ain. 

 Leaving his Jowarah Arabs at Wady el Ain, he took an escort of the Haiwat tribe 

 and made an expedition up Wady Kadeis, and eastwards across Jebel Mugrah, re- 

 turning by Wady Lussan. On leaving Wady el Ain, he followed down Wady 

 Muweilah to Wady el Arith, and passing south of Jebel Helal, and north of Jebel 

 Yelek, he crossed Jebel Mugharah, and, striking due west, arrived at Isniailia on 

 May 23rd. 



The results of the journey were as follows : — 



1. Mr. Holland found extensive turquoise mines worked by the Arabs between 

 Wady Mugharah and Wady Nusb, but no further Egyptian ruins or inscriptions. 

 He traced out and mapped the course of Wady Sahone,an important valley, which had 

 previously been unexplored, and found that it forms the upper portion of Wady 

 Shellah, which takes its name, ' the valley of cataracts,' from the water, which 

 flows down it after rain, falling over a cliff. He also explored the ancient turquoise 

 mines of Serabit el Kadim, and ascended Jehel Umen Riglain. 



2. On leaving Jehel Musa he journeyed north-east to the neighbourhood of Ain 

 el Huthera, which has been identified with Hazeroth. Mr. Holland cannot agree 

 with this identification, nor does he believe it possible for the large host of the 

 Israelites to have travelled this way. Following up the course of Wady Marah, 

 he reached Ain el Akhdar. Thence he explored the passes of Jebel Thellah and 

 the plateau of Zeranik, and afterwards descended Wady Zelleger, Wadies Edeid and 

 Biyar, and the pass of El Mirad. He finally came to the conclusion that the only 

 available route for the children of Israel to have taken was that by Wadies 

 Zelleger and El Atiyeh. These valleys afford the most direct, the best watered, 

 and by far the most easy course from Jebel Musa northwards, and by them one 

 ascends to the plateau of the desert of Et Tih without any difficult pass. The 

 want of water and Arab raids compelled him to give up his plan of travelling north- 

 wards direct to Jebel Mugrah ; but he passed over the water-shed of Jebel et Tih, 

 into the open plateau on the north, and made a route survey of that portion of the 

 country which would present the greatest difficulties to the passage of a large host. 

 In his journey to Nakhl from the head of Wady Atiyeh, he also passed across a 

 district that had been previously unexplored. 



3. Jehel Mugrah had in the author's belief never before been penetrated by 

 travellers, and he found that its position on the maps was far from correct. He 

 carefully explored Wady Kadies, and came to the conclusion that its position 

 militates strongly against its identification with Kadesh Barnea. Jebel Mugrah 

 belongs to the territory of the Haiwat Arabs, and not to that of the Azazimeh as 

 has generally been stated. It shows traces of ancient habitation and cultivation, 

 and extends eastwards only about as far as lat. 35° : here it ends abruptly in a 

 steep cliff, and is separated from Jebel Jerafeh by the head of Wady Garaiyeh and 

 Wady Jerafeh. These valleys he believed to afford the road which was known 

 as " the way of the spies," and formed the western boundary of Edoru. Kadesh 

 Barnea he would place at the south-east point of Jebel Mugrah, but he was unable 

 to descend into the plain. 



4. Mr. Holland gave up his intention of following down Wady el Arish to the 

 coast from Wady Muweilah, both because the bed of the Wady proved a very bad 

 road for travelling, and also because he heard from the Arabs of a direct road west- 

 wards to Ismailia, which appeared a very important one to explore. It was not 

 marked on any map seen, but was described by the Arabs as an easy, direct, and 

 well-watered route to Egypt, a description found to be perfectly correct. The 

 course of Wady el Arish has been very inaccurately laid down. It runs to the 

 «ast of Jebel Helal, and passes through that mountain by a narrow gorge. Jebel 

 Yelek has been placed too far to the north. Wady Hasanah, which contains three 

 wells, and is a very important watering-place, runs to the west of Jebel Helah. 

 After crossing Wady Hasanah and passing to the north of Jebel Yelek, the road 

 ■crosses Jebel Mugharah, an important range, where there are wells and ancient 

 juins, and then, turning due west, runs over a rolling plateau, in places much covered 



