[p.453] September 1st.We continued descending among the windings of the
Wady, turning a little to the southward of the Hadj route. Among the
calcareous hills of the Wady deep sands have accumulated, which have
been blown thither from the shores of the Red sea; and in several parts
there are large insulated rocks of porous tufwacke. After a march of
four hours and a half we had a fine view of the sea, and gained the
plain which extends to its shores, and which is apparently much below
the level of the desert El Ty; it is covered with moving sands, among
which a few low shrubs grow. The direction of our route was W.S.W. In
seven hours we reached the wells of Mabouk (Arabic), to our great
satisfaction, as we had not a drop of water left in our skins. These
wells are in the open plain, at the foot of some rocks. Good water, but
in small quantities, is found every where on digging to the depth of ten
or twelve feet. There were about half a dozen holes, five or six feet in
circumference, with a foot of water in each; on drawing up the water the
holes fill again immediately. We here met some shepherds of the Maazye,
a tribe of Bedouins of the desert between Egypt and the Red sea, who
were busy in watering a large herd of camels. They were so kind as to
make room for us, in consideration of our being strangers and
travellers; and we were occupied several hours in drawing up water.
These wells were filled up last year by the Moggrebyn Hadj, on its
passage, to revenge themselves upon Mohammed Ali, with whose treatment
they were dissatisfied. The Egyptian pilgrims take a more northern
route, but the Arabs who accompany them fill the water skins for the use
of the caravan at these wells, and rejoin the Hadj by the route we
travelled this morning. Near the wells are the ruins of a small
building, with strong walls, which was probably constructed for the
defence of the water, when the Hadj was still in its ancient splendour.