Mount Seir, Sinai and Western Palestine/Chapter 3
CHAPTER III.
INTO THE DESERT.
The day following, Saturday, 10th November, we were to bid farewell to Egypt and to civilisation—the day much desired—the beginning of our special work. It was a gay and beautiful sight as we slowly sailed down the gulf towards our landing place on the Asiatic coast. Away to the west, the broken ridge of Jebel Attâkah marked the shore of the African continent, and behind this, other headlands, separated by deep bays, carried the eye along the western shores of the Red Sea. The placid waters of the gulf sparkling in the sunlight stretched around, while towards the east the long line of the escarpment of the Tîh bounded the horizon several miles from the shore—its rich brown tints speckled with white softly shading into the rich chrome yellow of the desert sands below.
In the roads several large ships, gaily decorated in honour of the Prince, lay at anchor; we counted nine in all, most of them going south. The waters of the bay were beautifully clear, so that on approaching the shallows we could peer down to the bottom—generally formed of rippled sands—sometimes of coral rock—and observe the multitudes of dark purple echini, bristling with long spines, which decorated the floor. Amongst the echini, starfishes were less frequently to be seen, shells few or none.
On approaching our landing stage, as the shades of evening drew on, we noticed our Arabs and camels waiting our arrival, and in the distance the groves of palms and tamarisks which mark the position of “Moses’ Wells.” Along the shore on our left were the white tents of a quarantine station. Soon after we touched the shore, and selecting our camels, were on the march towards our camp beyond the palm-trees. On arriving we found our tents, five in number, pitched in a circle; that on the right the kitchen, aglow with the light of a lengthy stove, upon which sundry pots and pans were doing service; while Abu Miriam, the presiding deity, sat behind, wielding the implements of his art with a master hand, and with a result which we were soon after fully to appreciate. In half-an-hour we were seated around the table of the dining tent, in which was served up a most excellent dinner, commencing with soup and passing through various stages to the final custard pudding. This was not a bad beginning for our desert life; and it occurred to us that "roughing it in the desert" was not such a terrible fate after all!
Our tents were spacious and prettily decorated inside with Eastern patterns. Each tent had its two little beds, a table with basin and water-jug, and two camp stools, while the floor was covered with carpets. Hooks fastened to the centre pole enabled us to hang clothes and other articles in a safe and convenient place. The baggage was piled in the centre of the camp. Near our tents were the camping places of the Arabs, who had broken up into groups round their little fires, the camels lying or standing around, and often giving vent to their feelings in deep groans. The men were preparing supper—some roasting or grinding coffee, others corn between two flat stones; others, again, were chatting over their pipes. The scene to us was novel and interesting; but only to be repeated day after day under varying conditions of time and place until both the novelty and interest had ceased.
Sunday, 11th November.—When we awoke this morning our camp presented a lively scene. The Arabs were busy at their coffee roasting, Abu Miriam at preparations for breakfast, which was being got ready in the dining tent. The sun was shining in a cloudless sky; all was bright and cheerful. The cocks, hens, and turkeys had been turned loose, and kept up such a cackling and crowing that one might have imagined oneself in a country farm house at home. We rested this day in our tents—a plan we always adopted unless under special cases of urgency—and we had a short service at 10.30, at which all the members of our party were present. It is no small advantage in the use of the Church of England Service that it forms a link of union and of prayerful sympathy with so many Christians at home and abroad. This, I think, we felt as we read the Lessons for the day, and offered in faith and hope our prayers in words which, though familiar to our ears, are ever fresh and appropriate. The remainder of the day was spent in short rambles and preporations for an early start into the desert next morning.
Monday, 12th November.—At length we are in the Desert and "on the track of the Israelites," as nearly all travellers agree that the first camp of the host in the Wilderness was pitched at Ayun Mûsa.[1] It may here be well to state our usual marching arrangements, which were observed throughout as far as circumstances would permit. We generally rose a little after daybreak, breakfasted about 7.30; and while breakfasting the Arabs and servants were busy taking down the tents, loading the camels, and preparing for a start. A small luncheon tent was reserved to accompany the Dragoman, but as soon as the baggage camels were ready they started on their way. Soon after 8 o'clock we were in our saddles, and ere long left the baggage camels in the rear; but at noon the luncheon tent was pitched, and those of the party within reach gathered for lunch and rest. It often happened, however, that Major Kitchener or others of the party were too far apart to join in the noonday meal. During our halt the baggage camels would pass, so that on our arrival at the camping ground we generally found the tents set up, furnished, and all things in preparation for dinner, the usual hour for which was 7 o'clock. This meal was always looked forward to after a long day's march with zest, as the time when fatigues could be forgotten, hunger satisfied, and the events of the day discussed.
Should my reader have the curiosity to inquire how we satisfied our thirst, often in "a dry and thirsty land where no water is," I may be allowed in reply to state that the beverages we found most useful were, for dinner, claret and water, in the proportion of one of the former to two of the latter. Tea we found more refreshing even than coffee, which it gradually replaced; and for one member of our party, who was a total abstainer, it was an essential. Brandy we seldom touched, and only used medicinally. Cigarettes were a great consolation in a long march and after dinner; and the Arab guide always appreciated the offer of one of these little articles of luxury, which helped to relieve the dull monotony of a continuous tramp through weary miles of sandy or gravelly ground. The route we were to take had been carefully considered by the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund, and Colonel Sir Charles Wilson had favoured me with the results of his knowledge and experience of the Sinaitic peninsula. By his advice we selected the road to Jebel Mûsa, by Serabet el Jemel, and the Wady Nasb, in preference to that by the Wildy Feiran usually taken by travellers. By this route we should be able to examine the beds of limestone belonging to the "Desert Sandstone" formation, from which he and Mr. Bauerman had collected the only fossils which had hitherto been discovered in any of the strata older than the limestones of the Tîh, and by which the geological age of the Desert Sandstone could be determined. It happened that some uncertainty still prevailed regarding the determination of these fossils, and the consequent age of the formation; one authority having maintained that the strata were of Carboniferous age, another that they were of Triassic. Under these circumstances it was desirable that more specimens should be collected, and that if possible the age of this great formation—which, as Russeger supposed, extends from Nubia at intervals through the Sinaitic peninsula, and northwards into the valley of the Jordan—should be finally determined.[2] There were many points in the geology of the Sinaitic district requiring elucidation, and the geological map of the Ordnance Survey, published in 1869, required additions, especially in the district west of the Gulf of Akabah. We, therefore, determined to take a line of march from Jebel Mûsa to Akabah, which would skirt the borders of the Jebel el Tîh, and take us through a district comparatively little known. From Akabah we were to take a course along the Wâdy el Arabah to the southern shores of the Salt Sea—making topographical and geological observations throughout—and thus to join up the triangulation of the Sinaitic peninsula with that of Western Palestine.[3] From the southern shores of the Salt Sea we were to work our way to Jerusalem by the western shore, Ain Jidi and Hebron; and subsequently the geological reconnaissance of Western Palestine and the Jordan Valley was to be carried out. This programme embraced a region of great interest; and would open a route for future travellers, which in its entirety had not hitherto been traversed; although, in one way or another, the district embraced by it had been visited by various travellers. To what extent we were able to accomplish our purpose, and with what results, will appear in the sequel. As regards the scientific details, I shall only introduce them here when they appear likely to be of general interest, and when they are necessary in order to make the narrative intelligible.[4]
Our course for the two first days, as far as the W. Gharandel, lay along an undulating plain, bounded on the west by the Gulf of Suez, and on the east by the escarpment of the Tîh plateau. It has been aptly named in the Bible the Wilderness of Shur, which, according to Mr. Poole,[5] means "The Wilderness of the Wall;" for such is the appearance of the long escarpment which bounds the table-land of the Tîh to the eastward, from the W. Gharandel to the Mediterranean. This tract is broken by low-terraced hills, but is generally covered by sand and gravel containing sea-shells. It is unquestionably to some extent the former bed of the Red Sea, when the land was submerged to a depth of at least two hundred feet lower than at present. In some places four terraces at successive levels may be distinguished, indicating, probably, as many sea margins formed during the rising of the land. One of these, about three miles south of Ayun Mûsa, is crossed by the road, and is 40 feet higher than that on which we had been riding. Fragments of selenite strew the ground, often in great abundance.
On our way we espied a group of Egyptian vultures (Neophron percnopterus) perched on a bank about half a mile to our left. These were the first living things we had seen during several hours, and we felt curious to ascertain the cause of their presence. This was soon explained on our coming upon the carcase of a dead camel partly devoured. Dead camels are seldom allowed to lie for any length of time unvisited by these, or other, birds of prey, who congregate from afar in districts where to the eye they are unseen. I shall have a still more remarkable case to relate in a future page, but this was the first illustration we had of the passage, "Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles (or vultures) be gathered together."[6]
On looking in a south-easterly direction from rising ground near our camp at Ayun Mûsa, we observed in the far distance a dark isolated hill, somewhat resembling the crater of an extinct volcano, and known as Tâset Bisher.
It lies in the line of the broken escarpment of the Tîh plateau, but it was clear that at this place the escarpment is crossed by a valley descending to the plain from the interior, the isolated hill above referred to occupying a position at the southern entrance to the valley. A little after noon of this day (12th November) we came more directly in front of this valley, which will henceforth possess a melancholy interest as the spot where the late Professor Palmer, Lieutenant Gill, and their attendants were murdered by the Arabs. I took a sketch of this spot from our midday camp. I have already referred to this lamentable event, which has been described by Professor Palmer's biographer in befitting language. We discussed the matter with our Arabs, who expressed their abhorrence of the foul deed, and when questioned as to the way it happened, the account they gave was to the following effect.[7]
The Arabs of the Tîh were on their way down the valley to Ayun Mûsa and Suez, in pursuance of an order from the agents of Arabi Pasha to kill the Christians, when they fell in with Palmer and his party on their way up the valley to negotiate with the tribes inhabiting the region of the Tîh. The result is known; but our informant seemed to believe that it was in consequence of orders from Egypt.[8]
We camped for the night by the Wâdy Sudur. In reality there is no valley here, only a series of shallow watercourses spread over a space of a mile in breadth, and very little below the level of the plain. Generally these watercourses are perfectly dry, as on the present occasion; but we were told by the Arabs that a fortnight previously a party of Bedawins were encamped at a spot amongst them, when suddenly a great torrent descended from the mountains, flooding the plains, and carrying their tents and goods down into the sea. The evidences of a recent flood were clearly visible to us as we crossed successive branches of this imaginary valley. Here, as elsewhere in the Desert, the floods which arise from thunderstorms, on reaching the plains often spread out fan-shaped over wide areas, but without wearing down definite channels.
Our march on the next day was one of the longest, extending over a distance of about 30 miles. During the early part of the day the terraces were numerous and distinct, and the beds of sand contained numerous oyster shells; it was clear we were traversing the old bed of the Gulf of Suez. We passed several burrows of the jerboa, an animal about the size of a small rabbit, very shy and difficult of approach. These burrows continued at intervals throughout our course, as far as the borders of The Ghor. Here also we met with beds of the pretty little desert melon (Citrullus colocynthus), with its long sprays and trefoil leaves spreading over the ground, of the freshest of green tints; the fruit, about the size of a small orange, was in various stages, some green, others banded with yellowish tints. This fruit is acrid to the taste, and only used medicinally by the Arabs.
During this long day's march, as at other times, I had ample opportunities of studying the manners and powers of the camel, and I may offer a few observations thereon in this place. The animal I bestrode was the tallest of the party, and his name was "Ashgar." He was a steady going old gentleman, and served me faithfully till we parted at Akabah. But I feel sure he was incapable of attachment, except to his own driver, and that we parted from each other without regret on either side.
The motion of the camel is at first unpleasant to the rider, but he soon gets used to it. He is thrown forward at each step, and his best plan is to let himself go with the movement; any attempt to retain a steady upright position being useless. The camel in walking has a slow majestic pace; he holds his head erect, and though apparently looking upwards, he sees the ground beneath his feet perfectly well, and picks his steps in rocky or broken places with wonderful sagacity. When walking the side feet overlap each other, so that the print of the hind foot is in advance of that of the forefoot to an extent of from 14 to 20 inches. This gives him an immense stride, so that his rate of progress is much greater than the rider supposes when perched on his back. A good dromedary will walk at the rate of four English miles per hour, or even more, but the average rate is less than this. When receiving his load or his rider, he lies on his belly, the legs gathered under him, and during the process or even in anticipation of it, gives forth the most horrible moans or growls. Anything more hideous than the voice of a camel when he is discontented can scarcely be conceived; the tone varies from the grunting of a pig in extremis, to the last braying note of a donkey, or the deep growl of a lion; and during the daily processes of getting ready for the march, the chorus produced by some thirty camels receiving their loads is something too horrible for description. The great ordeal for the rider is to keep his place while the animal is getting on his legs. Being seated on the saddle, the animal commences to rise by raising himself half way on his hind legs, when the rider is suddenly jerked forward, and has to keep a tight hold of the front pommel of the saddle in order to retain his seat; next the camel gets up on his fore feet, and the rider is thrown back; and lastly, the process is concluded by the camel bringing the remainder of his hind legs into the erect position. The reverse process need scarcely be described. As the camel walks along he occasionally takes a bite of some favourite plant; but this often becomes very troublesome if the traveller is in a hurry to get on; and besides this the plants often disagreeably taint his breath.
Each camel is provided with a driver, to whom he generally belongs; and between them there is established a bond of sympathy, as they have probably been brought up together from childhood, at least on one side. The camel will sometimes obey no other leader, and if compelled by ill-treatment to do so, has been known to take his revenge on the occurrence of a favourable opportunity. My camel driver was a nice little fellow, of whom I got quite fond. His name was "Sala," and he was the son of a minor Sheikh of the Towâra tribe. His cousin, Khalîl, was driver to Mr. Hart's camel, and as they both dressed exactly alike, were about the same height, and had somewhat similar countenances, I for some time took them for brothers. Khalîl was rather the more active and stronger of the two. They were great friends, and when they were marching side by side, leading their respective camels, they carried on lively conversations, which I often wished I could understand. Sala wore a red and white turban, a white cotton shirt descending below the knee, girt round the waist by a broad leather belt, and a loose mantle gracefully thrown over the shoulder. He carried his long gun slung behind his back, a little antique sword by his side, his pipe in the left hand, and the camel rope in his right. Inside his mantle was a leather strap passing over the shoulder with cases for powder and ball; and within the folds of one of his garments was carried his money, his flint, steel, and touch paper, and other small articles. The colour of his skin was rich bronze. He had a pleasant face, and large expressive eyes which would light up with pleasure on any little act of kindness being offered to him, or on having performed some act for which I expressed my thanks. He was always at his post in the morning; the camel saddled, water-bottle and saddle-bags properly adjusted and ready for the early start. Good little Sala:—how many weary miles have you trudged untiringly with me over the sandy plain, or the almost interminable valley, without a murmur or appearance of impatience!
The sun had long set and the moon was shining out clear and brilliant, ere we reached our camp in the Wâdy Gharandel. This valley is one of the most fertile in the desert. It descends from the east along the base of a fine ridge of limestone fully 2,000 feet in elevation. To the west, bordering the sea, was the corresponding limestone ridge of Jebel Hammân, at the base of which break forth the warm springs of the Hammân Faroûn. The valley is dotted with tamarisks and a few palms, as well as with numerous herbs and shrubs; but except after rain is dry and sandy. Water, however, is close under the surface; and a short distance from our camp were the wells, whither our camels wended their way to slake their thirst after an abstinence of 24 hours, during which they had marched a distance of about 47 miles.
The Wâdy Gharandel is considered, with much probability, to be the Elim of the Exodus, "where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm-trees," and where the Israelites encamped by the waters;[9]—a view in which I concur; nor can it be urged as an objection that there are fewer wells at present than those named in the passage above quoted. Water can easily be obtained in many of the dry valleys simply by digging a shallow well, and I have no doubt any number of wells with water might be dug along the line of the Wâdy Gharandel. After the long dry march of the Israelites southwards along the tract we had come during the last two days, it must have proved a most refreshing rest to the weary multitude to enter this leafy valley and find abundance of water.
While on this subject I may refer to one point connected with the Exodus which has not generally been considered. It is taken for granted that the physical geography of the Isthmus of Suez was at the time of the Exodus just as it is now; and if so, we might well ask, why was there any necessity for the performance of the great miracle by which the Israelites were delivered out of the hands of the Egyptians? Why, in short, could they not have crossed over on dry land, without the intervention of Almighty Power to cleave for them a channel through the waters, there being a long stretch of dry land to the south of the Great Bitter Lake?
It has been supposed that the passage may have been made through the waters of the Great Bitter Lake; but this is scarcely a fair interpretation of the text which states that the waters of the Eed Sea were divided.[10] In the face of the remarkable topographical accuracy of the Book of Exodus, I am not prepared to admit that the term "Red Sea" (Yam Suf) Fig. 2—Lake Deposits of the Wâdy Useit.
Terraces of white marl and silt, with gypsum (Lake beds) in the foreground. The limestone hill of Serabit el Jemel in the distance. Looking east and south.
I have already mentioned that the waters of the Red, and (I may add) the Mediterranean, Seas extended over the lands of Egypt and along the shore of the Gulf of Suez to a height of over 200 feet above the present level of these waters, at a time when the existing species of shells were already living. The process of elevation of this sea-bed over so large a tract was probably exceedingly gradual, and at the date of the Exodus the elevation may not have taken place up to the present extent. A strip of Red Sea water—not very deep—may at this time have stretched from the Gulf of Suez as far north as the Great Bitter Lake, forming to the host of Israel an effective barrier to their progress into the desert. The passage may have taken place to the north of the present head of the Gulf; if this be so, it fits in with the Bible history that the Wâdy Amârah, lying between W. Sudur and Gharandel, would be the Marah of the Bible, the water of which, rising out of the gypseous deposits of that district, would naturally be bitter.[11] This spot was three days' journey south from the supposed place of the passage of the Red Sea; and the next stage for a lengthened halt would be the Wâdy Gharandel, called in the sacred text "Elim," or the place of trees.
Evidences of the existence of ancient lakes throughout the district we were now traversing are not infrequent. The form of the ground sometimes of itself suggests this view, and it is confirmed by the nature of the deposits themselves. Between Wâdies Amârah and Wardan, on the north, and Wâdy Hamr on the south, the hills of limestone assume the form of basins, sometimes connected by narrow necks with each other, or with outlets towards the sea. The deposits enclosed, and occupying the beds of these basins, consist of stratified gravel, sand, and marl, with gypsum and selenite. They are often of considerable thickness, and assume the form of minor terraces inside those of the more ancient limestone. Thus in the Wâdy Useit such deposits are to be seen forming extensive banks, and of a thickness approaching 200 feet (Fig. 2). A second basin, probably connected with the former, appears to have extended from the flanks of Jebel Wûtah to those of J. Hammân Faroûn. I do not here propose to enter further into the details connected with these ancient lake-basins than to say that the lakes probably occupied these hollows amongst the limestone hills at a time when the land was depressed several hundred feet below its present position, and when the waters of the sea rose to a level somewhat corresponding to the outlets of the inland waters. Owing to this the waters were banked up; and we can conceive that, upon the gradual rise of the land, the outlets would deepen their channels, and ultimately the lakes would be drained. The large quantity of gypsum and selenite in these lacustrine deposits indicates, probably, that the waters of the lakes were unfit for the support of molluscous forms of life, of which I could find no traces in the deposits themselves.
Similar terraces have been noticed by Sir Charles Wilson in other parts of the peninsula; and Dr. G. E. Post calls my attention to his determination of lacustrine deposits in the W. Feirân and extending into the W. Solâf for a distance of a whole day's journey.[12]
Having crossed the plain at the head of W. Useit we encamped for our noonday meal at W. Saal, near the base of Serabit el Jemel.[13] A brook ran through the valley, and some small palms and tamarisks greeted our eyes. After the hot ride and march we were thankful to lie down in the shade of our tent and partake of a good luncheon—
"O Melibœe! Deus nobis hæc otia fecit."
The palm-tree in the desert is always a sign of moisture, and when met with is an object of interest and beauty. I asked our dragoman, Ibraham, whether Arabs ever cut down palm-trees. He replied "No, but they are sometimes blown down by storms, or swept away by floods."[14]
"Do they ever plant them?" I asked.
"Yes; they put seed into moist places, let the plants grow two or three years, then take them up and transplant them. This is necessary, for they will not bear fruit unless they are transplanted. After the fifth year they bear fruit."
Dates are gathered at the end of October in these parts and in Lower Egypt; at Alexandria they are later.[15]
Later in the day we passed through a tract in which there were excellent illustrations of the formation of terraces by torrent-action. The strata consisted of soft marly limestones and shales, and when horizontal were scooped out into terraces, with intermediate ravines; when highly inclined, into a succession of escarpments and slopes. It was a waste wilderness of crumbling strata; but full of interest to the geologist. The terraces of the Wâdy Hamr, on our next day's march, were also remarkable, and reminded me of the pictures I had seen of those in the Colorado region of America.
- ↑ Wilson, "Ordnance Survey of Peninsula of Sinai," p. 150.
- ↑ The result of our examination was to show that there are two sandstone formations of very different ages, the upper of which alone represents "the Nubian Sandstone" of Roziere. This will be explained further on.
- ↑ The triangulation was entrusted to Major Kitchener, R.E., assisted by Mr. Armstrong, formerly of the Palestine Survey.
- ↑ It is intended to deal with the scientific details and conclusions in a work specially devoted to these subjects, to be published by the Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund during (it is hoped) the year 1885.
- ↑ Bible Dict. quoted in "Ord. Survey Sinai," p. 150.
- ↑ Matt. xxiv, 28; Luke xvii, 37.
- ↑ Of course I do not vouch for the accuracy of this account, but I believe it to be a correct view of the case as understood by the Arabs of the Towàra tribe.
- ↑ As the spot had previously been visited by Col. Sir C. Warren, we did not consider it necessary to deviate from our route in order to do so.
- ↑ Exod. xv, 27.
- ↑ Compare Exodus xv, 4 and 22. On this subject, see author's paper in Quarterly Statement for April, 1884, p. 137; also chap, xx, p. 185.
- ↑ This spot, or another, viz., the spring known as Abu Suweirah, is thus regarded by Wilson, "Ord. Survey Sinai," p. 151.
- ↑ "Sunday School World," Philadelphia, Oct., 1882.
- ↑ "The Fort of the Camel," probably so named from its form, which is somewhat like a camel with its hump on the back.
- ↑ As in the case of the flood of 1867, witnessed by the Rev. Mr. Holland, when several Arabs and 100 palm-trees of the W. Feirân were swept away.
- ↑ We saw them on the trees about Alexandria the beginning of November.