[p.526] trouble of carrying them about; and such is the confidence which
these people have in one another, that no instance is known of any of
the articles so left having ever been stolen: the same practice prevails
in other parts of the peninsula. The cavern is formed by nature in a
beautiful granite rock; its interior is covered on all sides with
figures of mountain goats drawn with charcoal in the rudest manner; they
are done by the shepherd boys and girls of the Towaras.
The heat being intense we reposed in the cavern till the evening, when,
after retracing our road for a short distance, we turned into the Wady
Kenney [Arabic], which we ascended; at its extremity we began to descend
in a Wady called Molahdje [Arabic], a narrow, steep, and rocky valley of
difficult passage. Ayds dog started a mountain goat, but was unable to
come up with it. We slept in this Wady, at one hour and a half from
Moayen el Kelab.
May 13th.Farther down the Wady widens and is enclosed by high granite
cliffs. Its direction is S. by W. Four hours continued descent brought
us into Wady Orta [Arabic]. The rocks here are granite, red porphyry,
and grünstein, similar to what I had observed towards Akaba, at nearly
the same elevation above the sea. At the end of six hours we left Wady
Orta, which descends towards the sea, and turning to the right, entered
a large plain called Mofassel el Korfa [Arabic], in which we rode S.S.W.
From the footsteps in the sand Ayd knew the individuals of the Mezeine,
who had passed this way in the morning. The view here opened upon a high
chain of mountains which extends from Sherm in the direction of the
convent, and which I had passed on my return from Arabia, in going from
Sherm to Tor. It is called Djebel Tarfa [Arabic], and is inhabited
principally by the Mezeine. At eight hours the plain widens; many beds
of torrents coming from the Tarfa cross it in their way to the sea. This