620
WADY MOKATTEB.
six hours. The chain of granite mountains continued to our right,
parallel with the road, which was overspread with silex, and farther
on we met with a kind of basaltic tufa, forming low hills covered
with sand. We then descended, and at six hours and a half entered ¬
the valley called Wady Mokatteb (,). The appellation ¬
of Djebel Mokatteb, which several travellers have applied to
the neighbouring mountains, is not in use. To the north of the entrance ¬
of this valley near the foot of the higher chain, is a cluster of
magazines of the Bedouins, at a spot called El Bedja (k).
The Wady Mokatteb extends for three hours march in the direction -
N. W. ; in the upper part it is three miles across, having to
the right high mountains, and to the left a chain of lower sandrocks. -
Half way down, it becomes narrower, and then takes the
name of Seyh Szeder (). In most places the sand-rocks
present abrupt cliffs, twenty or thirty feet in height. Large masses
have separated themselves from the cliffs and lie at their feet in
the valley. These cliffs and rocks are thickly covered with inscriptions, ¬
which are continued with intervals of a few hundred paces
only, for at least two hours and a half; similar inscriptions are
found in the lower part of the Wady, where it narrows, upon the
sand-stone rocks of the opposite, or north-eastern side of the valley. ¬
To copy all these inscriptions would occupy a skilful draughtsman ¬
six or eight days; they are all of the same description as
those I have already mentioned, consisting of short lines, written
from right to left, and with the singular character represented in
P. 479, invariably at the beginning of each. Some of them are
on rocks at a height of twelve or fifteen feet, which must have
required a ladder to ascend to them. They are in general cut
deeper than those on the granite in the upper country, but in
the same careless style. Amongst them are many in Greek,
containing, probably, like the others, the names of those who
