WADY METHNA. 
522 
wacke, or hornstein and trap, presents also an endless variety in 
every part of the peninsula, so that were 1even possessed of the 
requisite knowledge accurately to describe them, it would tire the 
patience of the reader. Masses of black trap, much resembling 
basalt, compose several insulated peaks and rocks. On the shore 
the granite sand carried down from the upper mountains has been 
formed into cement by the action of the water, and mixed with 
fragments of the other rocks already mentioned, has become a very 
beautiful breccia. 
At the end of eight hours and three quarters we rested for the 
night, to the south of this promontory, in a valley still called Wady 
Methna. From some fishermen whom we met I bought some ex 
cellent fish, ofa species resembling the turbot, and very common 
on this coast These with our kid furnished an abundant repast 
to ourselves as well as to the fishermen. The love of good and plen 
tiful fare was one of Ayd’s foibles ; and he often related with pride 
that in his younger days he had once eaten at a meal, with three 
other Bedouins, the whole of a mountain goat; although his com 
panions, as he observed, were moderate eaters. Bedouins, in ge 
neral, have voracious appetites, and whoever travels with them can 
not adopt any better mode of attaching them to his interests than 
by feeding them abundantly, and inviting all strangers met with on 
the road to partake in the repast. Pounds given as presents in 
money have less effect than shillings spent in victuals; and the repu 
tation of hospitality which the traveller thus gains facilitates his pro 
gress on every occasion. My practice was to leave the provision sack 
open, and at the disposal of my guides, not to eat but when they 
did, not to take the choice morsels to myself, to share in the cook 
ing, and not to give any orders, but to ask for whatever I wanted, 
as a favour. By pursuing this method I continued during the 
remainder of the journey to be on the best terms with my com¬