[p.531] men consider it beneath them to take the flocks to pasture, and
leave it to the women.
In front of our halting place lay an island called Djezyret Tyran
[Arabic]: its length from N. to S. is from six to eight miles, and it
lies about four miles from the shore. Half its length is a narrow
promontory of sand, and its main body to the south consists of a barren
mountain. It is not inhabited, but the Bedouins of Heteym sometimes come
here from the eastern coast, to fish for pearls, and remain several
weeks, bringing their provision of water from the spring of El Khereyde
[Arabic], on that coast, there being no sweet water in the island.
Edrisi mentions a place on the western coast, where pearls are procured,
a circumstance implied by the name of Maszdaf [Arabic], which he gives
to it. The name is now unknown here, but I think it probable that Edrisi
spoke of this part of the coast. The quantity of pearls obtained is very
small, but the Heteym pick up a good deal of mother-of-pearl, which they
sell to great advantage at Moeleh, to the ships which anchor there.
May 15th.We continued over the plain in a direction N. by E. and in two
hours reached Wady Nabk [Arabic], which, next to Dahab and Noweyba, is
the principal station on this coast. Large plantations of date trees
grow on the sea-shore, among which, as usual, is a well of brackish
water. The plain which reaches from near Sherm to Nabk is the only one
of any extent along the whole coast; at Nabk it contracts, the western
chain approaches to within two miles of the shore, and farther northward
this chain comes close to the sea. The promontory of Djebel Abou Ma bore
from Wady Nabk N.N.E 1/2 E. From hence to Dahab, as the Arabs told me,
is about six hours walk along the shore. The highest point of the
mountain upon the island of Tyran bore S.E. by S.
[p.532] The opposite part of the eastern coast is low, and the mountains
are at a distance inland. Near Nabk are salt-pits, similar to those at
Dahab. Except during the date harvest, Nabk is inhabited only by
fishermen; they are the poorest individuals of their tribe, who have no
flocks or camels, and are obliged to resort to this occupation to
support themselves and families. We bought here for thirty-two paras, or
about four-pence halfpenny, thirty-two salted fish, each about two feet
in length, and a measure of the dried shell-fish, Zorombat, which in
this state the Arabs call Bussra. For the smaller kinds of fish the
fishermen use hand-nets, which they throw into the sea from the shore;
the larger species they kill with lances, one of which Ayd carried
constantly with him as a weapon; there is not a single boat nor even a
raft to be found on the whole of this coast, but the Bedouins of the
eastern coast have a few boats, which may sometimes be seen in the gulf.
We saw here a great number of porpoises playing in the water close to
the shore. I wished to shoot at one of them, but was prevented by my
companions, who said that it was unlawful to kill them, as they are the
friends of man, and never hurt any body. I saw parts of the skin of a
large fish, killed on the coast, which was an inch in thickness, and is
employed by these Arabs instead of leather for sandals.
We now turned from Nabk upwards to the convent, and in half an hour
entered the chain of mountains along a broad valley called Wady Nabk, in
which we ascended slightly, and rested at two hours and a quarter from
Nabk under a large acacia tree. In the vicinity were three tents of
Aleygat Arabs, the women of which approached the place where we had
alighted, and told us that two men and a child were there ill of the
plague, which they had caught from a relative of theirs, who had lately
come from Egypt with the disease upon him, and who had died. At that
time they were