" FKOM SUEZ TO SINAl/' 



255 



er-Markha), and then another yellow mountain, and behind all 

 a magnificent range of dull crimson or red sandstone mountains 

 and a broad band of crimson where the first yellow joined 

 the black mountains ; but no attempt at description can give 

 any adequate idea of the mountain scenery and colours. 

 Already our luncheon hour was long past, but we could not 

 pitch our tent on the plain. So we pushed on, hoping to find 

 shade somewhere up the Wadi Hanak el-Lakam. Half-a-mile 

 from the mouth of the wadi we saw the first shade we had been 

 conscious of all day, and there, under " the shadow of a great 

 rock in a weary land," we gratefully pitched our luncheon tent. 



Now, as a fact, we were at the entrance to the mountains of 

 Sinai proper, and limestone and sandstone soon gave place to 

 granite. The ground rose gradually amidst increasingly fine 

 scenery, and at length we came to the top of the pass Nakb 

 el-Budera ("Pass of the Sword's Point"). A very steep and 

 difficult pathway brought us over the crest, and looking back we 

 had a glorious panorama of granite mountains, which reminded 

 me of pictures I had seen somewhere in childhood, marvellous 

 peaks and ranges of red granite, and here and there Uack 

 mountains again. 



On the way up the wadi in the afternoon we met an old 

 Bedouin whose two donkeys were grazing, also a few goats in 

 charge of a woman, but no other signs of life. The Bedouin's 

 name was Aaron, and I photographed him and one of our men 

 " saluting by the way," first shaking hands, then gracefully 

 bowing and leaning forward three times until forehead touched 

 foreliead, and then they generally kiss on both cheeks. 



Up till this point it would almost have been possible to drive 

 a motor car all the way from Ayun Musa (except where our way 

 was cut off by the sea) as the wadis are broad, and there is 

 always some smooth sandy surface to be found. From the 

 summit of the pass we had a lovely view down various broad 

 wadis with the sea away to the west. The formation of the 

 mountains is extraordinary, sometimes all red granite, at other 

 times limestone of various colours (often brilliant whitish 

 yellow) and sometimes absolutely black ; probably limestone 

 calcined till it looks like the refuse from a coal mine, also heaps 

 of black volcanic slag, like refuse from iron-smelting works, 

 indeed almost every shade of colour, though nowhere of the 

 same brilliancy as Petra, unless we except the marvellous range 

 of red granite seen from the Nakb el-Budera to the north and 

 east when turned to a brilliant crimson by the setting sun. 



Every wadi since we left the plain and entered the mountain 



