Page:Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine.djvu/254

208 completely across the valley: its length was 233.86 chains. A point close to the castle of 'Akabah was observed for the vertical angles, and the system employed for extending the triangulation up the valley can best be seen from the attached diagram of triangulation (p. 199). The Sheikh Muhammed Ibn Jhad declared that he could only take us as far as Petra, and that from there we should be obliged to strike across country to Gaza.

On the 3rd December we left 'Akabah, shortly followed by another party, who had been sent out by some company to ascertain the height of the watershed above the sea, by a line of levels from 'Akabah.

About a mile from the north-east corner of the bay Armstrong observed a number of small mounds similar to what are usually found on old sites; fragments of pottery of various colours are found, and an old wall of masonry is seen cropping out here and there.

The general features of the valley are well known. On the east are the bold granite mountains of Midian, intersected by valleys that have thrown out a mass of débris into the main valley, forming a semicircular fan-like ramp up to the mouth of each wâdy; these are very marked, and when seen from the opposite side of the valley have a very curious effect.

On the west limestone cliffs form a continuous scarp, broken at places and intersected by granite upheavals; very few important wâdies join the valley on this side, although there are naturally many small ones from the scarp itself. Camp was pitched near Ed Deffieh, some brackish pools of water in the muddy slime that formed the lower portion of the valley; some rain that had fallen while we were at 'Akabah increased the difficulty of passing this sticky mud.

Next day we passed Wâdy el Mânei'aieh, flowing from the west, and forming a picturesque recess in the scarp of the western side of the valley, with a granite outbreak closing the entrance. The limestone scarp then continues regularly. I had to visit a high prominent point upon it, to take observations, and from here for the first time I saw and observed Mount Hor. The ascent of the scarp was a stiff climb of 1,500 feet.

Camp was pitched near the border of the marsh of Et Tâbâ.

Et Tâbâ, is a considerable marsh of mud and rushes, extending the whole width of the bed of the valley. There is a passage round it on either side; the western one leads by 'Ain Ghudyan, while the eastern road passes 'Ain Tâbâ, where there are palm-trees, and pools of water and reeds; to the north of the marsh begin the blown sand dunes with a few scattered palms.