Page 222 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

XI.] COAST OF ARABIA. 203

rises to the height of from one to two hundred
feet, forming at that elevation an extensive
table-land. The face of this slope is inter­
sected by numerous traces of torrents, which
have divided and rent it in a most extraordi­
nary manner. The back range, at the dis­
tance of about fifteen miles from the sea,

takes the same direction as the coast, and is
of irregular height, varying from one thousand
five hundred to two thousand feet. It is
broken into detached hills of a pyramidal
form, diverging to a considerable width.
Although the interior of Sherm Mahar is
not very extensive, yet the entrance is capa­
cious, and affords a facility of egress rarely
met with in other inlets along the coast.
Fronting this sherm there is an extensive
valley which spreads out to a considerable
width as it advances into the interior. The
lower part is covered with bushes, and along

it, at about a mile from the beach, are some
straggling dhm-trees*. In the vicinity are
some wells of very indifferent water, and about
two hundred yards to the right we observed
the traces of a Bedowin encampment belong-

* Cucifera Thebaica, the bifurcate or forked palm.