DJEBEL KOULA.
440
tern hills of Djebel Shera. After two hours march we began to
descend, in following the course of a Wady. At the end of four
hours is a spring called Ibn Reszeysz (e, „). The highest point
of Djebel Hesma, in the direction of Akaba, bears from hence
S. W. Hesma is higher than any part of Shera. In five hours we
reached Ain Daleghe (a ), a spring in a fertile valley, where
the Howeytat have built a few huts, and cultivate some Dhourra
fields. We continued descending Wady Daleghe, which in winter
is an impetuous torrent. The mountains are quite barren here;
calcareous rock predominates, with some flint. At the end of
seven hours we left the Wady, which takes a more northern direction, ¬
and ascended a steep mountain. At eight hours and a half we
alighted on the declivity of the mountain, which is called Djebel
Koula (,), and which appears to be the highest summit of
Djebel Shera. Our road was tolerably good all the way.
August 27th.—After one hour’s march we reached the summit of
Djebel Koula, which is covered with a chalky surface. The descent ¬
on the other side is very wild, the road lying along the edges
of almost perpendicular precipices amidst large blocks of detached
rocks, down a mountain entirely destitute of vegetation, and composed -
of calcareous rocks, sand-stone, and flint, lying over each
other in horizontal layers. At the end of three hours we came to
a number of tombs on the road side, where the Howeytat and other
Bedouins who encamp in these mountains bury their dead. In
three hours and a half we reached the bottom of the mountain,
and entered the bed of a winter torrent, which like Wady Mousa
has worked its passage through the chain of sand-stone rocks that
form a continuation of the Syk. These rocks extend southwards
as far as Djebel Hesma. The narrow bed is enclosed by perpendicular -
cliffs, which, at the entrance of the Wady, are about fifteen
or twenty yards distant from each other, but wider lower down.
