[p.495] S.W. by W. We now descended into a valley of deep sand covered
with blocks of chalk rock. At one hour and three quarters the valley is
contracted into a narrow pass, between low hills of sand-stone, bearing
traces of very violent torrents. At the end of two hours, route east by
north, we quitted the valley, and crossed a rough rocky plain,
intersected on every side by beds of torrents; and at two hours and
three quarters halted near a rock. One of the guides went with the
camels up a side valley, to bring water from the well Hadhra [Arabic],
(perhaps the Hazeroth [Hebrew] mentioned in Numbers xxxiii. 17), distant
about two miles from the halting place. Near the well are said to be
some date trees, and the remains of walls which formerly enclosed a few
plantations.
We here met some Towara Bedouins on their way to Cairo with charcoal.
After employing a considerable time in collecting the wood and burning
it into coal they carry it to Cairo, a journey at least of ten days, and
there sell it for three or four dollars per load: so cheap do they hold
their labour, and so limited are their means of subsistence. In return,
they bring home corn and clothes to their women and children.
We started again as soon as the camels returned from the well, but
should probably have gone astray had not the Bedouins above mentioned
pointed out the road we ought to take; for Szaleh, the uncle of Hamd,
although he pretended to be quite at home in this district, gave evident
proofs of being but very slightly acquainted with it. We made many
windings between sand-stone rocks, which presented their smooth
perpendicular sides to the road; some of them are of a red, others of a
white colour; the ground was deeply covered with sand. The traces of
torrents were observable on the rocks as high as three and four feet
above the