122 VALLEY OF ALEPHANTA. 



of chalk with shells lying upon and below layers of 

 this rock, told of two different eras of volcanic 

 energy, between the times of which the limestone 

 stratum had been deposited in the estuary of a 

 river that must here have entered the sea, and 

 which was probably before the separation from the 

 sea, of the salt lake of Assal. The shores of the 

 latter, which, in a direct line, were not two miles 

 distant, we were now approaching by a long cir- 

 cuitous ravine of some miles in length. 



It must be kept in mind, that from the sea in the 

 Goobat ul Khhrab to the Bahr Assal, the crow line 

 would not be more than six miles, although from 

 the rough and precipitous character of the fissured 

 lava which intervenes, the journey of our Kahlah 

 across occupied three days, from our halting-place 

 on the gulf at Bulhatoo to Gunguntur, on the 

 opposite side of the lake. 



As the valley of Alephanta, which we were now 

 entering, contracted suddenly, the bases of the coni- 

 cal hills on each side approached very near to each 

 other, and around them in a most serpentine course 

 our road now lay. Scarcely a trace of vegetation 

 appeared to enliven this land of desolation ; it was 

 most truly " the valley of the shadow of death ;" for 

 at very short distances lay the bleaching half-eaten 

 bones of the skeletons of camels and mules that had 

 here found the last difficulty of the journey from 

 Tajourah too much for their powers of endurance, 

 and falling, had been deserted by their owners. 



