Page 180 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)

«•] GULF OF ’AKABAH. 101

Snakes, which the Arabs describe as venom­
ous, are very numerous both here and on
Tir&n. They measure about thirty inches,
are of a slender form, with black and white
spots. Many of the flowers and plants com­
mon to the main grow on these islands;
which are, however, destitute of trees. The
base of Senafer is coral, and the hills of sand­

stone, with an upper stratum of shells and
broken coral; abundance of sea eggs (echini)
were procured on the reefs around this
island. Their spines were of uncommon
length.
In consequence of the coast from Ras
Fartak to the harbour of ’Amunah being
fronted with numerous coral islets, with nar­
row and intricate passages between them,
barely navigable for boats, we did not ap­
proach it in the ship. In some places near
the sea, it was low and sandy, in others
swampy, and covered with bushes. From

one of the islets, Re'im&n, we obtained a plen­
tiful supply of firewood. Opposite, on the
main, there is a village, inhabited by some
fishermen of the Huteimi tribe, who by pay­
ing a tribute to the Howe'it&t Bedowins, are
VOL. II. M