1837.] Bt'r Shimazl Xbz-Rarie! -Be'r SarnSyah. 187 In 11 hour from the cemetery we reached Bir Abu-lvaraet. 'S'hese w-ells are situateel in a small grove of dom-trees. I had taken suffilcient -ater from Bir Shima-il not to require to relenish my skins from thcse, as the ?:uicle informed me that though the w-ater was gond it was not alra-s in .abuntlancc. I (lbserved, howes-er, that the rater was springing freely, and that the (lepth of eacll rell di(l not exceed '2O feet. At 40 min. Iveyond I halte(l for thej night? having travelled 3 hours from Bir Shimt'l'il.

Our tract to-lcay +s-as exceedingly rough. iFirst, we 1lassed a plain covered with broken stones, followed by a smooth harel surface. AfteruJards, we made an ascent, gradual and te(lious, an(l passed over a second plain co+Tered with broken stones, bearing a strong resemblance to the lava of Vesuvius: in fact, the +w-hole lain ay)peared of lroleanie formation. I 1lotiee(1 in many places the lava in a state of decomp(?sition, I)resenting a similar alrlrcearanee to that seen at the foot of Vesuvius, thout,ll, from the intense lleat of a tropieal sun, and the small quantity of rain which falls annually in these latitudes, the clecomposition was proceenJing vcry slowly. I eould not find ally eraters, or e}tinet xoleanoes.

The hills on eaeh siele of our route are distant froIn eacll other abut ll2 mile. They are numerous, some isolated an(l others forming small eontinuous chains. Some arc formed of grey glanite of a eoarse testure, hilst others al?pcar to lJe composcel of freestone. There is no ret,ularity in the disposition of these formations, eaell a)pearing when and wherc one least expecte(l to find them. Of all the scenery I es-er witnessed this was the wil(lest and most savage. There is no verdure, and rarely a single shrub. The desolation is complete.

Jtl7y 2. After 4 h. 45 min. travelling, re arriered at Bir S;arniyah, where we remaine(l for the remaix der of the dtly. Before arriving at the wells, we passed a spot wllere the Arales turn up the surface of the desert, anel at the depth of from 8 to ] 2 inches they find a saline earth containing impure muriate of soda in large quantities, and from which they malic salt for lc)mestic purposes. Bir Sarniaah is picturesquely situate(l in the midst of mimosas an(l doms. The latter were particularly fine trees, an(l the riIve fruit hung in clusters upon the branches. There is only one well. It is large, and its sides substantially built of storle. Ttle water is plentiful, and quitc free from any l)rackish flavour, theugh it is slightly tainted with a putrid taste, whicll disappears after being a few hours in the skins.

The gui(le mentioned that the Manasir Arabs, who itlhabit this part of the deaert, sometimes attacls antl pillage caravans