PHYSICAL FEATUKES. xxxvil 
encountered a fall of rain at 10 a.m., lasting about an hour, but so slight that the 
moisture only penetrated the soil from a half to one centimetre in depth, and a little 
more rain fell in the evening. He afterwards ascertained that rain had also fallen at 
Farafreh, on the same forenoon. 
The part of the desert between Bahr-bela-ma and Baharieh seems to be destitute of 
vegetable and animal life. Before the escarpment (194 metres) is reached the route 
passes over rocks and amongst numerous hillocks. Five days are occupied in marching 
from Sittrah to Baharieh. The descent to this oasis, first visited in modern times 
by Belzoni, is much less steep than that of the escarpments of Siwah, Farafreh, and 
Dakhel, being not more than 20 metres in depth. However, after the chief town has 
been reached, a further descent is made to the springs of the oasis, the approach to 
which is described by Jordan as the most beautiful he ever beheld, and reminding him 
of the descent to the oasis of Dakhel. It passes down over deep and large terraces, 
and around the springs are numerous palm-trees and bushes, and Mr. H. Weld-Blundell l , 
who has lately visited it, saw olives, oranges, and other fruits, and observed sheep, 
goats, and cattle. 
Caillaud experienced great variations of temperature during his visit to the oasis of 
Baharieh. In the middle of January water froze overnight, and at 8 a.m. the thermo- 
meter was still only 3° Cent, above freezing, whereas at 3 P.M. it rose as high as 35° Cent. 
The inhabitants informed the traveller that rain falls every year in January. 
Lefebvre, in 1828, found Scincus officinalis in the sandy parts of this depression, and 
the larva? of a Salamander in the reedy marshes that occur in the neighbourhood of 
the springs and elsewhere. 
From the oasis of Baharieh, Cailliaud proceeded to that of Farafreh, first made 
known by himself and his fellow-traveller Latorzec. He ascended gradually to the 
south-western extremity of the former depression, where the route attains an altitude 
of 134 metres. At this point the escarpment is scaled, and when its summit is gained 
the surface of the plateau is 193 metres above the sea. The distance between the 
escarpments of the two oases can be traversed in less than two days. The great inter- 
vening plain is covered in places with isolated fiat-topped mounds, but, as a rule, it loses 
itself in the horizon, and, owing to the whiteness of its calcareous scorched surface, the 
glare of the sun reflected from off it is almost unbearable to the traveller and his 
camels. It is apparently devoid of life, but whenever the escarpment overlooking the 
depression of Farafreh is reached, and a slight descent accomplished, the wearied eye is 
gladdened by the sight of vegetation, which appears only as small points of verdure in 
the immensity of the desert around these oases. 
The mammals mentioned by Rohlfs are the inevitable so-called wolf-dog, jackals, 
fennecs, Avild cats, mice, jumping mice, and bats ; but beyond this most general 
statement, no further information is extant regarding the mammals of this oasis, 
1 Scottish Geogr. Mag. x. 1894, p. 472; Bull. Soc. Khe'cl. de Geogr. iv. ser. no. 4, 1895, p. 267. 
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