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 Hodein now opens out, the high sandstone scarps of Gebels Abraq
and Hodein running north and south-east, and enters a sandy plain
with very low hills, from among which some small feeders join the
main wadi. About fifteen kilometres below the opening of scarps,
Wadi Hodein receives, from the north-west, the Wadi Naam,[96] a
great tributary draining the mountains of Zergat Naam, Um Bisilla,
and Abu Dahr. The next influx is from Wadi Dif, which enters Wadi
Hodein from the south-west about six kilometres further on; Wadi
Dif itself is only a short wadi, but it collects the drainage
of an immense area to the south by long feeders, and contains a
good well. Nearly opposite to Wadi Dif, the =Wadi Orga el Atshani=
joins Wadi Hodein from the north-west; the Wadi Hodein has here two
large island-like masses of low hills in it, between which the main
drainage line passes. Lower down, =Wadi Orga el Rayani= enters by two
mouths from the north. Both the Wadis Orga are said to originate near
Gebel Orga, some thirty kilometres to the north, but their courses
have not been mapped; the one called El Rayani is said to lead to
a good well, =Bir Orga=, about twelve or fourteen kilometres above
its junction with Hodein. On the opposite (south) side, Wadi Hodein
receives the Wadi Anfeib, draining the high sandstone plateau of
Gebel Anfeib. A little further on the small =Wadi el Khasiya= comes
in from the north, by two channels, one on either side of a small
group of isolated hills; and nearly opposite is the mouth of Wadi
Madi, which drains the west side of the great mountain mass of Gerf,
some sixty kilometres to the south, and possesses a good well about
fifty kilometres up its course from Wadi Hodein. Several feeders come
in from the north a little further down the wadi, of which the chief
is the =Wadi Um Tenedba=, draining the mountain of the same name,
while others drain the hill country round Gebel Harhagit. On the other
(south) side is the mouth of Wadi Khashab, draining the west side of
Gebel Khashab and the hills west of it. A few kilometres further on,
Wadi Hodein widens considerably, and from here onward it is very
sandy and arid. A long spur running north-west from Gebel el Anbat
nearly cuts across the wadi, the main channel of which passes north
and east of the spur, while to the west of it is a rather broad sandy
plain with ill-marked drainage lines from the hills, of which the
chief bears the name of =Wadi Um Seleim=. Near Gebel el Anbat are
numerous small feeders of Wadi Hodein from that hill and the other
hills to the north-east. About eight kilometres below Gebel el Anbat,
Wadi Hodein quits the hills and, turning a little north of east,
merges into the coast-plain, over which its remaining course of about
twenty-seven kilometres is very ill-defined. Just where it leaves
the hills, Wadi Hodein is joined from the south-west by Wadi Beida,
draining the mountain of the same name and containing two wells;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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