Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/149

Rh observed running up the sides, not only of this valley, but also those of the Wâdy el Hessi, and through them the present river channel has been cut down, sometimes to a depth of over 200 feet. There can be no doubt, from their position and the level of their upper surface, that these beds of gravel are portions of the ancient floor of the sea, when the waters stood over 600 feet higher than at present, and that they were once physically connected with the terraces which line the southern and western sides of The Ghôr. In both cases the level of the upper surface is almost the same; though the materials differ, as might be expected, considering the very different formations which line the sides of this great depression on either hand.

The Ghawarneh.—It is only due to the people of this tribe to state that after they had satisfied their very natural curiosity by an inspection of our camp on the day of our arrival, we were not troubled with their presence any further, except when they brought poultry, eggs, or flour for us to purchase. On returning from our excursion up the Wâdy Salmoodh we had a good opportunity of observing the habits and mode of agriculture of this industrious people.

I had taken as my guide for the day Sheikh Seyd, the village chief, who, mounted on his pony, led the way going and coming. We crossed a briskly flowing stream of rather muddy water, brought down from the Wady el Hessi by an artificial conduit—like a "mill race" of our own country—by means of which the fields are irrigated, and the people and animals of the village supplied with water; we also noticed men engaged in ploughing, and others fencing the fields with zizyphus and other prickly branches.

On our return through the groves we were surprised at the large herds of camels, numbering in all probably two hundred, and in good condition. The males were sometimes of great size and nearly white. They were browsing in groups on the trees and shrubs, and every evening they were driven from their feeding ground homewards in a long procession. These animals must be a source of considerable revenue to the Ghawarneh, as the price of a camel varies from £5 to £10 or even more. There were several young foals amongst them. In addition to the camels the Ghawarneh possess cattle (generally used for ploughing) as well as flocks of sheep and goats, and during our stay of ten days we were regaled with fresh cows' milk for breakfast. From the cultivation of the ground