The geography and geology of south-eastern EgyptBall, John
Science
The geography and geology of south-eastern Egypt
Ball, John
Geology -- Egypt; Physical geography -- Egypt
=Wadi el Arned= originates on the main watershed about five kilometres
south-east of Galt el Aguz. The watershed here is only 427 metres
above sea-level, and is so flat and sandy that it is almost impossible
to say within a kilometre where the divide actually is; the wadi
in fact heads in a sandy plain about two kilometres wide with low
sandstone hills on either hand, from which feeders join the main
drainage line. About six kilometres below its head, Wadi Arned
is joined from the south by its most important feeder, the =Wadi
Muegil=. This wadi, which has a length of some twenty kilometres,
originates in the hill country about nine kilometres north of
Gebel Um Reit, where an easy pass connects it with Wadi Saalek;
it flows in a northerly direction, entirely among sandstone hills,
and is fairly provided with vegetation. Some two kilometres lower
down, Arned receives a smaller feeder from the north, called =Wadi
Um Arta=; by following this up for about five kilometres, one can
reach a rather steep and sandy eastward pass into the head of Wadi
Silsila, and this forms the shortest route from the Galt el Aguz
to the springs of Abraq. About four kilometres below the junction
of Wadi Abu Arta, near an isolated hill on the east side of the
Wadi Arned, there appears to be another opening into one of the
heads of Wadi Silsila; this opening is very sandy and looks like a
practicable alternative route to Abraq Springs, though it has not
been explored. Lower down its course, Wadi Arned is at first very
sandy and bare, with high sand-drifts swathing the feet of the hills
on the east; but it gradually narrows into a gorge and becomes less
sandy, then opens out again, and near its junction with Wadi Hodein
it contains abundant vegetation. The Wadi Arned forms the easiest
and most direct road from Abu Saafa to Daraw, _via_ Galt el Aguz,
Bir Abu Hashim, and Bir Qoleib.
=Wadi Saalek= is a short wadi with many feeders, draining the hills
round Gebel Saalek; one of its northern feeders leads to a pass into
the head of Wadi Muegil, while one of its south branches heads in
a pass leading round the west side of Gebel Um Reit to Wadi and Bir
Um Reit.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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