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 Yahameib= originates on the north-west flanks of Gebel Elba,
where steep well wooded gorges unite in a steeply sloping stony
plain, covered with trees and scrub, between two great spurs of the
mountain. There is no pass at its main head, but just before it enters
the plain there is a small feeder from among the hills to the west,
by following up which one can get over a rather steep pass called
=Asut Duk=; this pass forms a short cut for unladen camels between
the wells of Kansisrob and Akwamtra, but is too steep for animals
loaded with baggage. Curving round to the east, Wadi Yahameib is fed,
just before it joins Wadi Aideib, by the =Wadis Akau= and =Kansisrob=,
both draining the north parts of a great spur of Gebel Elba. Wadi Akau
contains a small spring, called =Megwel Akau=, a short distance above
its opening from the hills, while Wadi Kansisrob contains a great well
of good water called =Bir Kansisrob=, a short distance up from its
mouth. Bir Kansisrob is second only to Bir Akwamtra in importance,
and there are usually many Bisharin camps in the wadi just below
it. Like all the wadis draining from Elba, Wadis Yahameib and Aideib
are full of trees and scrub and grasses; in going to the foot of Elba
up the head of Wadi Yahameib with baggage camels, much more difficulty
is caused by the closeness of the trees and scrub than by the stony
nature of the floor. The Elba district is, I believe, the only place
in the Eastern Desert of Egypt where vegetable growth is so abundant
as seriously to hinder one’s caravan in approaching the mountains;
for the progress of baggage camels to be arrested while still four
or five kilometres from a peak by the steep and stony nature of the
ground is common enough; but for the arrest to be due to trees and
scrub was a new and interesting experience. Even the sand dunes on
the west side of Wadi Yahameib are half-covered with coarse grasses,
and look green instead of the usual yellow. When we could get no
further with our camping equipment, Mr. Bakewell, who had been in
South Africa, informed me that we were in what would be called in
that country “open bush”; but in comparison with the rest of
the desert the place was a jungle.
=Wadi Todhi= drains the high hills about Karam Elba. In the upper
part of its course it flows north-east between Karam Elba and a
range of lower granite hills called Mikeriba; emerging thence on
to the plain, its drainage spreads out over a tract, called =Karam
Hindi=, covered with trees, whence part drains to the Wadi Aideib
while another part goes to the sea near Suakin el Qadim.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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