Page 37 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

20 TOH TO SUEZ. [CH.

they had fixed on this ; and I have no doubt
that any traveller who may hereafter visit
them, will be supposed to do so for a similar
purpose.
Leaving the caves to the right, in a few
minutes we arrived at a small date grove, called
Ab’u Suwara, situated within a few yards
of the beach, which here recedes into a small
bay. Amidst the trees, but a few yards from
the shore, there is a well of very brackish
water. Pursuing the chain of El Heman,

which here retires about 200 yards from the
beach, at the termination of an hour’s brisk
walking, we arrived at Jebel Mokatteb, situ­
ated at the extremity of another small bay,
about a mile in depth. That portion looking
towards the sea is covered with inscriptions,
differing in some respects from those found
in other parts of the peninsula. They have,
as is there common, neither the rude figures
of animals, nor have they the prefatory sign
attached to them. Intermixed with the more
ancient inscriptions, there are many in Greek,
Cufic, and more modern Arabic. These lat­

ter merely record the names and date of the
several visitors; and the figure of the cross is