Butm, or terebinth (Pistacia terebinthus), nor the prickly oak (Quercus pseudoconifera) so common further north, nor the fruit-trees and the Difu (oleander) with their beautiful rosy bloom. The Athil and Tarfá (Tamarix Orientalis), the hardy growths which extend from the tropics to Dovercourt in Essex, were mostly single, rarely forming thickets. As a rule, they are cut down when young, and the hard wood is used for boat-knees, camelsaddles, and similar small articles.

We remarked the straggling and spiny Balanitis Ægyptiaca, the Arab Yakkúm, or "Tree of Jehannum." It bears a "fruit in size, form, and colour resembling a large unripe plum; and it yields the straight yellow wands and walking-sticks of

*The Elah (terebinth) and Allón (oak) of the Jews, both generically derived from El (Allah). The latter is one of the difficult roots in the Hebrew tongue: applied to trees, it seems to have arisen from their strength or their overshadowing and protecting power. The plurals Elim (masculine) and Eloth or Elath (fem.) signify palms, dates etc.; and the learned Vice-Rabbi Tedeschi, of Trieste, remarks that both the Scriptures and the Talmud seem to have noticed the difference of sexes in vegetatation. He gives the derivations as follows: El-force, power; Elohim the ensemble of forces: Ela', oak, terebinth, or other large tree; with plur. Elim, Eloth and Elath (masc. and fem.), Elon and Allón, an oak grove; plur. Allonim: Alla (plur. Alloth), the reduplication denoting increment, formerly translated an oak, now a terebinth, and supposed to be derived from some kindred dialect.

Brugsch Bey denies that Elim (masc. plur.) means “palms.” He would place the Mosaitic station Elim, or Aa-lim, at Heröopolis, near Suez, and translate the word "Fisch-stadt."

'balsam wood,' upon which the wood-turners of Jerusalem cut the word Jordan in Hebrew" (Redhead). The Retem, or broom (Ratama, or Spartium mono-spermum), the supposed "Juniper" of the English version, was also common. Caper-bushes (Capparis spinosa), the Arab's Asaf or Lasaf, with fleshy leaves in bright green tufts, hang from the rock-clefts; the Arák, another Capparisdea, shows bunches of fruit like currants; and the Salvadora (Persica) is common as in Sind.

Amongst the families principally represented in the collection, appear the Composite and the Crucifera; several species of Crepis, Erigerum, Picridium, Senecio, and Pulicaria, with Brassica and Malcolmiæ both greedily devoured by camels. The Graminea are represented by the Aristida (plumosa) and the Pennisetum (Cenchroïdes), which extend from the Canaries to the Panjab; and in the less arid places are found the grassy tufts of Andropogon and paneck-grass (Panicum). Then follow the Leguminosa, the Labiates, the Antirichina and the Borraginea, the latter flourishing high up the mountains. The Egyptian plants which

have extended eastward are the thistle-like Centauria

(Ægyptiana); the edible Salsola (Echinus); the Malcolmia (Arenaria); the Trigonella (hamosa); the Parietaria (Alsinafolia); the Medicago (helix) with its curious snail-like legume, the Picris (pilosa),

the Croton (oblongifolium), and others of lesser import.

The following are the growths belonging to the flora Mediterranea and to the plains of Palestine, which have pushed their way south and southwest as far as the Nile-Valley: the blue-berried Solanum nigrum; the Solanum coagulans with purple flowers like the potato, and yellow fruit by some identified with the "Apple of Sodom; " Picridium (tingitanum); Heliotropium (luteum); Antirrhinum (Orontium); Lycium (Europæum); Trifolium (Stellatum); Salvia (Claudistina); Asphodelus (fistulosus) and the Geranium, the Storchschnabel of the Germans.

The lower grounds with saline bottoms support the plants which are found upon the littoral dunes of Suez and Palusium, and which form a vast band around the shores of Egypt and Cyreniaca: Suæda * (fruticosa); Salsola (Soda); Saliconica (fruticosa), a drooping shrub, olive-green and reddish; Zygophyllum (desertorum), Scripus (holoschenus). Dr. de Marchesetti was much pleased to recognise old friends which he had collected at Aden and on the mountains at the mouth of Bab el-Mandeb: Statice primrosa (rough and coarse); Reseda Amblyocarpa (here very common as in the Ghor and the Aden

Forskâl made the Suæda a distinct genus: several species of this plant supply an alkaline salt, which serves as soap.

Crater); Zygophyllum simplex, Fagonia Cretica (Sinaica, Boiss.); Cleome (droserifolia and trinervia) Aëluropus Arabicus; the Arua (javanica), also frequent in Aden and India; the Cucumis prophetarum, and others. Senna (Cassia Senna) was common as in most parts of Arabia, and some of the best is said to grow in the neighbourhood of El-Arish another favourite medicinal plant is the Euphorbia. We missed the oleanders (Nerium odorum), the laurel rose, the nosegay of St. Joseph, whose lovely pink blossoms are the pride of the Syrian Valley; we did not remark the Sabr ("patience-plant)," or Aloe, so common in the South; and apparently the Balisan, or Balm of Meccah, does not now extend so far north.*

"Pilgrimage," iii. 138. This "balm of Gilead" is said to have been grown in the Jordan Valley, "where kings warred for what is now a weed."

CHAPTER XI.

THE CRUISE DOWN SOUTH; SULPHUR AND TURQUOISES : NOTES ON FISHES AND SHELLS.

AT El-Muwayláh we re-embarked on board the Sinnár, whose good Captain received us with a hearty welcome, and on the same day we proceeded south, to inspect a "mountain of Sulphur," and a turquoise mine of which we had heard from the Bedawin and from the "wall-jumpers."* After an hour-and-a-half's steaming, we cast anchor in the Sharm Jibbah,† about eight miles beyond the Sharm Yáhár. Running from west due east, with a clear channel of seventeen to fifteen fathoms, it is a close bight, hammer-headed as usual, the entrance being the handle; and it is distinguished by a remarkable

* Nuttát El-Hayt, jumpers or climbers of walls, is the offensive term applied to villagers generally, and especially to the Hutaym, the Huwaytát and other tribes not Bedawi pur sang.

† So the people pronounce it. Captain Ali Bey Shukri writes the word Júbáh; and the Hydrographic Chart, which gives a plan, calls it "Sherm Joobbah."