Page 178 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

IX.] GULF OF ’AKABAH. 159

but cursorily examined by him. On this
account, 1 am induced to hope that my re­

marks may possess a value to which they
would otherwise have no claim.

We commenced our operations at Ras Mo­
hammed, on February 28th, 1831. This cape
has already been described in my account of
Sherm, and from thence we proceeded to
Tehran, which is situated midway between
the two shores which form the entrance to
the sea of ’Akabah. In shape, it resembles a
right-angled triangle, the western side form­
ing the perpendicular, and the southern the
base. Towards the northern extreme, on its

eastern side, lies an excellent harbour, well
sheltered from all winds; but the difficulty of
access will probably hinder its being made
available for any useful purpose. The sur­
face of this island exhibits a succession of
parallel ridges, extending from north to south,
and gradually ascending to a high peak,
from the summit of which we obtained an
extensive view of the surrounding country.
The soil is calcareous; its surface is strewn
with fragments of mica, intermixed with
shells and other marine substances, and