SECTION II.
Observations on the Desert, from the Valley of Natron to the
Mountains of XJmmesogier.
T h e Desert forms a natural boundary to Egypt, on the west
extending from the Natron Valtey to the mountains of XJmmesogier;
to the north, the dreary and barren plain is bounded by a chain of
lofty hills, in view during the whole course of the caravan; and to
the south, extends a journey, probably, o f several days, by the ordinary
mode of computation in these countries; but in this direction
its limits are not defined, or are not known.
In this vast tract of sands, petrified wood is found, of various forms
and size: sometimes are seen whole trunks of trees, of twelve feet
circumference or more; sometimes only branches and twigs, scarcely
o f a_quarter of an inch diameter; and sometimes merely pieces of
bark of various kinds, and in particular of the oak, are to be found.
Many of the great stems yet retain their side branches, and in many
the natural timber has undergone so little change, that the circular
ranges of the wood are discernible, and especially in those trunks
which apparently were of oak. The interior of other bodies of timber
was become a petrifaction, shewing no distinctions of grain or fibre,
but bearing the appearance of mere stone; though the outward coat
and form of the substance clearly denoted the tree.
Several Arabs informed me, that in travelling over this Desert,
petrified trees were often found upright, and as if growing in the
soil; but I presume, respecting those I did not see, from those I
inspected, that they were merely trunks raised by hand, round the
base of which the sand had quickly gathered before the winds, and
formed a mound, as if heaved up by a root. The colour of the
petrified wood is in general black, or nearly so ; but in some instances
it is of a light gray, and then so much resembling the wood
in its natural state, that our slaves would often collect, and bring it
in, for the purposes of firing.
These petrifactions are sometimes scattered in single pieces, but
are oftener found in irregular layers, or strata, covering together a
considerable space of ground.
If there yet remains any trace of a western branch of the Nile,
as mentioned by ancient writers,* it is probably to be discovered in
some part of this Desert. I observed no channel, or vestige of such
course of river, on the route-taken by the caravan. I would direct
the researches of any future traveller specially to the tract of country
round where we encamped on the nights when we halted at the
foot of the sand hill west of WadLey-el-Latron, and in the district of
Muhabag: these places we reached not till after sunset, and departing
before day, I myself had no opportunity of examining the country.
The term Bahr-bella-ma, commonly rendered river without
water, by no means designates or points to any specific channel
or tract in which any ancient channel may be more probably discovered
: for if petrified trees fit for masts, or petrified timbers
suited to other purposes of ship-building, said to be found in the
* 'Peei yoLf> A(6unf o Ne^Ao?, xan trnv rojwvww AtSiitjy, Herodot. Euterpe, § 33,
Th e Editor rather supposes that Herodotus using the term Lybia, comprised all
Africa, west of Egypt and Ethiopia ; and that the river, or branch of river, alluded
to,- is the great stream flowing from the west, described by the Nasamones, and
supposed to be a part of the Nile, by Etearchus: in such case the traveller may in
vain look for ;its channel in the. country suggested by Mr. Horneman, it being
undoubtedly far to the south,— the Joliba or Niger.
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