28 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



A very fine tree of Acacia tortilis, Hayne., stands close by. On the 

 coast are many clumps of the date palm, interspersed with a very few trees 

 of the douni palm {Hyphtzne thebaica, Del.), already noticed here by Mr. 

 Redhead. The doum palm, a native of tropical Africa, Nubia, and 

 Abyssinia, finds its northern limit at 'Akabah. 



In the enclosures here I noticed nubk (Zizyphus). henna (Lawsonia), 

 palms, tamarinds {Tamarindus indica, L.), pudding pipe {Cassia fistula ?), 

 figs, and several kinds of gourds. Most esculents were still invisible or in 

 a seedling state. 



There is but one boat at 'Akabah. Laurence and I succeeded in hiring 

 this with a native fisherman, with two Arabs, nets and lines. There were 

 many flying fish (Exocoetus) about. We first rowed across the corner 

 of the gulf to the sandy beach, where the two Arabs landed, and 

 with a circular casting net captured some small fish (' Akadi ' and 

 ' Sahadan ') for bait. With these and some loose stones, about a pound 

 weight each, we rowed out a few miles. The bait fish, broken in three, is 

 affixed to the hook and one of these stones is hitched to the line a little 

 above with a slip-knot. On reaching the bottom a couple of violent jerks 

 dismiss the sinker and let the line swing free. We caught fisli rapidly, 

 ' hedjib,' at Suez called 'jar,' ' gamar ' (a species of Chaetodon ?), and one 

 splendid red fish they called ' bossiah,' without scales, and very good to 

 eat. We also hooked a shark, ' Zitani,' about 5 feet long, who amused 

 us for a time and then carried off the line. 



Before dismissing our Towarah Bedawin I had endeavoured to pump 

 them of what little information they possessed about the feral inhabitants 

 of Sinai. They knew of leopards on Serbil and Umm Shomer ; wolves in 

 Wady Lebweh and neighbourhood; hyaenas, ibexes, gazelles, hares, jerboas, 

 rats, and mice made up their total. Their sheep they say were imported 

 from Arabia ; they have a few donkeys and camels ; their goats are a 

 distinct breed, which they are especially proud of Five kinds of snakes 

 they admitted, all of which were poisonous I The one I caught in Widy 

 Zelegah, Zamenis ventrimactdatus, attains a full size of 5 or 6 feet. These 

 remarks I set down to be taken for what they are worth. 



Dr. Hull captured a handsome little snake here, and handed it over 

 to me ; it proved to be Zamenis eleganlissimus, and is now in the British 

 Museum. 



