FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARABAH. 23 



macilenta, Dene. This spring species was in flower, but the fugaceous 

 corolla falls at the slightest touch. Cleome droserifolia, Del., was also 

 here first obtained. A spring supported a stream that moistened the 

 soil for about a mile ere it gradually died a natural death. It led us the 

 way into an unexpected and magnificent fissure in the red granite, the 

 Wady el 'Ain. For five or six miles the gorge passes between sheer 

 cliffs of this richly-coloured rock, with a height varying from 500 to 800 

 feet, and from 10 to 50 yards wide. It is in some ways the most im- 

 pressive natural feature I have ever beheld. The floor is hard and level, 

 and as the sun rarely hits the base of the cleft, many plants remained 

 here in a fresher condition than elsewhere, and some new varieties were 

 found. I will mention the less common species procured in this remark- 

 able ' Sik,' or cleft, which has rarely been visited : Moricandia sinaica., 

 Boiss. ; M. dumosa, Boiss. ; Cleome droserifolia, Del. ; Capparis galeata, 

 Fres. ; Abutilon fruticosum, G. et P. ; Zygophyllmn cocctneum, Linn. ; 

 Tephrosia purpurea, Pers. ; Pulica7-ia {Francosuria) crispa, Forsk. ; 

 Blumea [Erigeron) Bovei, D.C.; Iphiona scabra, Del. ; Sonchus {Micro- 

 rhynchus) nudicaulis,Linn. ; Scrophularia deserti,Del. ; Linai'ia macilenta, 

 Dene. ; Lycium aradicmn, Schw. ; Hyoscyamus aureus, Linn. ; H. mtdi- 

 eum, Ltnn. ; Ballota Schimperiana, Bth. ; Teucrium sinaicu^n, Boiss. ; 

 Origanum maru, Linn., (B sinaieum, Boiss. ; Atriplex leucoclada, Boiss. ; 

 Typha angustata, B. et C. ; Cyperus IcevigaHis, Linn., et var. junei- 

 formis ; Panicum turgidum,, Forsk. ; Pennisetum dichotom.um, Del. ; 

 Iniperata cylindriea, Beauv., and forms of Reseda pruinosa, Del, ; Fagonia 

 eretica, L., as well as other indeterminable remains. Several of the 

 above are peculiar to Sinai, and some mentioned here and elsewhere are 

 now first included in its flora. 



It was with misgivings we camped in this wady. Had a 'seil' like 

 the Rev. F. Holland's memorable one at Feirin visited us, we would have 

 assuredly had a bad time. But the expected rain did not yet arrive. 



While we were encamped here we received notice of the arrival of 

 visitors for whom our ever-courteous chief prepared coffee. The party, 

 consisting of engineers. Colonel Colvile, I believe, and others, passed us 

 at speed on the opposite side of the narrow valley without a greeting. 

 Suspecting that this impetuous haste, and absence of that courtesy for 

 which Englishmen on their travels are so justly famous, arose from 



