[p.501] dry them in the sun, particularly that of the species called
Zorombat [Arabic], which I have also seen in plenty on the African coast
of the Red sea, north of Souakin, and at Djidda, where they are much
esteemed by the mariners, and are sold by the fishermen at Tor and Suez.
I here made a rough measurement of the breadth of the gulf: having
assumed a base of seven hundred paces along the beach, and then measured
with my compass the angles formed at either extremity of it, with a
prominent point of the opposite mountain, the result gave a breadth of
about twelve miles. The vegetation appeared to be much less impregnated
with saline particles than I had found it on other parts of the coast of
the Red sea.
At two hours and three quarters we had to pass round the bottom of
another bay, of red and white sand-stone, where steep rocks advance so
close to the water as to leave only a narrow path. At three hours and
three quarters we passed an opening into the mountain, called Wady Om
Hash [Arabic], from whence a torrent descends, which, after its issue
from the mountain, spreads to a considerable distance along the shore,
and produces verdure. The shrub Doeyny [Arabic] grows here in abundance;
it is almost a foot in height, and continues green the whole year. The
Arabs collect and burn it, and sell the ashes at Khalyl, where they are
used in the glass manufactories. We passed on our left several similar
inlets into the mountain, the beds of torrents, but my guides could not,
or would not, tell their names. The Bedouins are generally averse to
satisfying the travellers curiosity on such subjects; not being able to
conceive what interest he has in informing himself of mere names, they
ascribe to repeated questions of this nature improper motives. Some
cunning is often required to get proper answers, and they frequently
give false names, for no other reason than to have the pleasure of
deluding the enquirer, and laughing at him among themselves behind his
back.