FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARAB AH. 27 



highly poisonous. Heliotropium arbainense, Fres., was first met with by 

 the Haj route from Cairo to 'Akabah, which we were now close to. 



Those two especially nauseous species, Peganum and Ruta, are very 

 frequent. The smell of the former is like that of our hound's tongue ; the 

 latter reminded me of some kind of wood-bug, which I collected in an evil 

 moment in the scaffolding of the Milan Cathedral. Cleome droserifolia, 

 Del., smells like a fox. Other species here are Malva rotundifolia, Linn., 

 Ltnaria macilenia, Dene. ; Deverra tortuosa, Gmrtn. ; and yEruaj'avanica, 

 Juss. 



On November 29 we descended a magnificent gorge between granite 

 and limestone by the Haj road to 'Akabah, which takes its name 

 ('Akabah, ' steep descent ') from this entrance. The ever- varying peeps 

 of the gorgeously blue gulf of 'Akabah, shining in an intense sunlight, were 

 a most refreshing change from the desert. The rich purple colouring of 

 the lofty mountains of Midian formed a noble background. 



CHAPTER V. 



'AKABAH, 



At 'Akabah we remained from November 29 to December 8. I increased 

 my collection here considerably. The flora displayed several fresh 

 species. Bird life was more plentiful, and a large collection of shells was 

 made on the beach. These, consisting of upwards of 200 species, including 

 those from Suez, I have had determined by Mr. G. B. Sowerby, and 

 amongst them are many which do not appear to have been admitted as 

 inhabitants of the Red Sea. 



'Akabah, even at this season, was oppressively hot. A swim in the 

 sea, or rather a crawl amongst the coral reefs, about 3 feet below the 

 surface, was delightful. Farther out sharks abound. 



The straggling Arab village lies at the south-eastern corner of the 

 plain which forms at once the head of the gulf and the southern end of 

 the Wady 'Arabah. This is the narrowest part of the wady, being not 

 more than five or six miles across. 



4—2 



