Page:Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal Vol 19.djvu/244

 220 Lead Mines of Kohel et Ter/zfe/z. [No. 3.

and a few of the larger blocks are slightly rounded. This diluvium covers the surface of this part of the Kohel.*

The strata of the Kohel hill here have a very slight easterly dip. The surface of the ravines passing through it, are inclined in a similar direction, but at a greater angle.

Lead Mines of Kohel et Terdfeh.

The mines are situated about 1% mile from the W. shore of the Red Sea, as before observed. The ore, galena and carbonate of lead, occurs in an argillo-siliceous schist, associated with small quantities of sulphur and iron—a poor carbonate. The Bey visited seven excava- tions, which are mostly from three to four feet broad, about ﬁve feet high, and run down in inclined planes cut in steps. Galena was found in the shaft worked by Brochi ; but the indications discovered are not considered favourable. Besides other minerals, titaniated iron, manganese, zinc and ﬁre-clay have been discovered here. The surface of the rock between the mines and the shore is coral limestone, covered with a gravel of granitic, gneiss, porphyry pebbles.

The mines were worked by the ancients : and the ruins of an old, but not extensive station still exist, in detached buildings of loose stones and foundations—some round,—others square. Water is brought from Gebel Egle/z, or Ecﬁle/z—four or ﬁve hours’ distance, but is bad, brackish, and causes vomiting.

The fersh of the Kohel produces a good deal of Siycil wood, (Acacia Siyaleh.)

From the mines the Bey took a S. W. direction by W ddis Egli and Salclcari Siydleh, and after a day’s march arrived at deis A llem and Zabara. In Wédi Tt’lmtubah are HierOglyphs and a Zodiac, sculp- tured on some porphyro-felspathic rocks associated with gneiss, schists, and quartz, containing much argillaceous matter. At Zubdra the principal rock is a ferruginous mica schist with quartz veins, containing bits of emerald. Grey granite, with silvery mica, micaceous amphibole, black steatite, and nodules of iron, occurs, also gneiss.

is not far off, as the Bey has a note of having passed some felspathic and granite hills with quartz, invaded by porphyry and serpentine, the day before he reached the Kohel. These plutonic rocks lie westerly from the Kohel, and continue two days’ journey in a N. W. direction, forming the Kabarais hills. The Tella-t-el Kabarais has a reservoir containing twelve months water. At dez' el Assel, N. E. from Kosseir, and Wédi Hinduseh, they becorne intermingled with the sedimen— tary rocks, limestone and sandstone. At Wadi Z719 el Bahar two chains of marly limestone, chalk and psammites occur, overtopped by higher, and isolated clusters of felspathic rocks.
 * The site of the granites, porphyries and felspars composing the “ diluvium,”