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
=Gebel Sikait= is a rugged ridge of schists and serpentine situated
in the midst of hilly country fourteen kilometres south-east of
Gebel Zabara. The triangulation beacon which marks its summit is
in latitude 24° 39′ 55″, longitude 34° 48′ 5″, and 771
metres above sea-level, and 330 metres above the wadi which skirts its
western foot. Gebel Sikait is of interest from the abundant ruins and
old emerald mines which exist near it, as well as from the variety
of minerals present in its rocks. It is the Sicily of the Eastern
Desert. Beryl, tourmaline, actinolite, various micas, chlorite, talc
and crystals of calcite are amongst the commoner minerals found. The
serpentine which abounds in its upper parts is highly magnetic, and
the compass was found to be disturbed by no less than 40° near the
triangulation point. Gebel Sikait is drained from the west by the Wadi
Sikait, a tributary of Wadi Nugrus, and from the east by the Wadi Um
Gamil. The best place to climb it from is the Wadi Sikait, and the
ascent, not a difficult one, is rendered interesting by the ruins
and old mines encountered; part of the way one passes over an ancient
made road, now broken in many places by the downwash from the hill.
=Gebel Ras Um Gamil= and =Gebel Um Gamil= are two high hill ranges
south-east of Sikait, which have only been sketched from a distance.
=Madaret Um Gamil= is a conspicuous double-topped hill on the north
side of the Wadi Gemal, seventeen kilometres south-east of Sikait. The
beacon which marks its highest point is in latitude 24° 34′ 52″,
longitude 34° 56′ 28″, and 454 metres above sea. It is best
ascended by a very winding tributary of the Wadi Gemal; this gully,
up which there is a road, leads past the south-west foot of the
hill, and the climb is only one of some 200 metres. The rocks round
Madaret Um Gamil are mostly schists, but the top of the hill is a
hard gabbro like that of Gebel Atut, weathered into rusty looking
blocks. A good view seawards is obtained from the summit, some very
red granite forming a conspicuous feature in the low hills between
it and the coast.
=The Abu Hamamid — Hamata — Abu Gurdi Group.=
This group of mountains is remarkable both for its extent and for
the loftiness of many of its peaks, some of which are among the
highest in Egypt. It is a mass of rugged ridges and peaks, covering
about a quarter of a square degree of the earth’s surface between
latitudes 24° 0′ and 24° 30′, in which the two dominant summits,
Abu Hamamid (1,747 metres) and Hamata (1,978 metres) are the most
conspicuous features in the west and east portions respectively,
while Abu Gurdi (1,562 metres) forms the great terminal peak of a
south-easterly extension of the mass. Plate XII shows two typical
views in this rugged region.
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