reservoir. Here too a hill called Tell 'Arâd, which we had seen for some time in the S. S. W. seemed not more than an hour distant; a barren looking eminence rising above the country around. This marks, without much doubt, the site of the ancient city Arad, situated in the South of Judah; whose inhabitants drove back the Israelites as they attempted to penetrate from Kadesh into Palestine; but were afterwards subdued by Joshua. The Arabs said indeed, that there were now no ruins upon or near it, but only a cavern. We did not visit it, but the name is too decisive to admit of question.2 Proceeding on the same course, we came at 10 o'clock, to another similar site of rude foundations and walls, called Ehdeib, still on the bank of the shallow Wady, which here bears the same name. Fifteen minutes further on, the Wady turns to the East, and runs to the Dead Sea, which it enters under the name of es-Seyâl, between Birket el-Khŭlîl and Sebbeh.3 At 11 o'clock we passed a circular space blackened by fires and the manure of animals, and marking the place of a recent encampment of the Dhullâm. These Arabs, in the spring, pasture in this tract in common with the Jehâlîn; their proper territory lies further West towards Beersheba, where both they and the Tiyâhah water in common.-We were now gradually ascending a broad swell of land. At 115' was another small ruin, called el-Museik, similar to those before mentioned. We reached the height of the swell or broad ridge at 11h 50', near another site of ruins, 1) Judg. i. 16. Num. xxi. 1. Josh. xii. 14, comp. x. 41. The English version and also Luther in Num. xxi. 1, read 'king Arad' incorrectly for king of Arad;' comp. Josh. xii. 14. 2) Eusebius and Jerome place Arad at 20 Roman miles from Hebron, equal to about 8 hours with VOL. II. 60 camels; Onomast. art. Arath (Agaua). This accords well with our present distance from Hebron. -From the point where we now were, Beyûdh bore W. Encampment of the Jehâlin N. 27° W. Jenbeh N. 15° W. 3) See above, pp. 205, 207, 240. and a mound or low Tell on our right, called Rujeim Selâmeh. Here we halted for half an hour for refreshment and to survey the country. We had here an extensive view of the district through which we had passed, as far back as to the mountain-ridge we had crossed on Saturday, which extended far along on our right towards the S. W Its furthest point in that direction, a steep low bluff, now bore about West; and seemed almost to close up the plain towards Beersheba. Yet such is not the case; for the Wady es-Seba' has its head on this side of the mountain, in the district around Milh, and passes off around the bluff. The Tell by Milh was pointed out; and also another hill near a place called 'Ar’ârah; both of which we visited on our return.2 Before us, the country exhibited the same general features as that in our rear.3 Setting off again at 12h 20', we passed in ten minutes another small site of foundations, called Sudeid. Our course was now in general about S. E. At 1 o'clock Rujeim Selâmeh bore N. 40° E. and Tell etTawâneh, a marked point near Ma'în, N. 5° W. The country continued to bear the same general character as that we had traversed; except that we had found it all day becoming more and more barren, and assuming more the features of the desert. It was here hilly and intersected by small ravines, but without precipices; and had been thinly covered with a slight growth of grass, now dry. 1) Lord Lindsay says, the Arabs called this ridge Jebel el-Kuryetein; Letters Vol. II. His Arabs had probably been speaking of elKuryetein and therefore named the mountain so. On the north side of it, they would very likely have called it in the same way Jebel Ma'in or Jebel Kurmul. We could not find that the ridge had a distinct name. 2) See under June 3d and 4th. 3) Here at Rujeim Selâmeh we took bearings: Encampment of the Jehâlîn N. 15° W. Tell 'Arâd N. 55° W. el-Milh about W. 'Ar'Arah S. 70° W. At ten minutes past 2 o'clock, we reached the brow of the first descent or offset towards the Dead Sea, a steep declivity of seven or eight hundred feet, leading down to another broad tract still several hundred feet above the level of the sea. Here are a few traces of rude foundations, the site of a former village called ez-Zuweirah el-Fôka, "Upper Zuweirah." Leaving the camels to descend by the usual circuitous pass, we struck off a short distance to the right along a ridge projecting somewhat towards the S. E. on the point of which are the ruins of a square massive tower, once probably a watch-tower. Here a wide prospect spread itself out before us, over the southern part of the Dead Sea and the southern Ghôr; in which we at once recognised all the features that had already become so familiar to us at 'Ain Jidy.' Below us, still between us and the sea, lay the broad elevated tract above mentioned, thickly studded with white conical hills and short ridges of limestone and chalk of fantastic shapes, presenting the aspect of a frightful desert. It seemed here but a short distance across this tract; but from the foot of the first pass we travelled nearly four hours, and encamped without reaching the shore. Beyond lay Usdum, a low dark ridge, running off nearly S. S. E. along the shore, and then turning almost S. W. Here the long peninsula with its isthmus was on our left; and Sebbeh could not have been far distant, though it was not now visible, nor did we at any time get sight of it. The south end of the sea lay before us in perfect distinctness, opposite the S. E. angle of Usdum; and we could now mark the wet and slimy surface of the ground along the Ghôr, which had deceived us at 1) Compare generally the description of this part of the Dead Sea as seen from the cliff over 'Ain 'Ain Jidy. Further south, the Ghôr was partially covered with vegetation; and still further we could perceive a line of whitish cliffs crossing it obliquely, with which we afterwards became better acquainted. Beyond these, the desert tract of the broad sandy valley stretched off in a southerly direction beyond the limit of vision. The eastern mountains were now very distinct; though Kerak was not visible, being hidden by intervening peaks. Yet the Wady Kerak or edDera'ah could be seen coming down upon the isthmus, and covering the northern side of it with verdure.2 Just north of this we could distinguish a small ravine called Wady Beni Hemâd. South of the isthmus, nearly opposite to us, was Wady el-Kuneiyeh; while a little beyond the S. E. corner of the sea, Wady elKurâby issues from the mountains, bearing higher up the name of Wady el-Ahsy; this also occasions a tract of verdure in the Ghôr. Far in the South, among the eastern mountains, Sheikh Hussân thought he could point out, though somewhat indistinctly, the peak of Mount Hor.3 We descended by a shorter and steeper route, and met the camels just as they also reached the foot at 3 o'clock. Here we crossed the bed of a torrent running to the right, called Wady el-Jerrah. Further down in the same direction it receives another called Wady el-Fâ'iya coming from the S. W. and then turn 1) See above, p. 206. 2) See above, pp. 231, 232. 3) From this high point at ezZuweirah el-Foka, the various places visible bore as follows: Encampment of the Jehâlin N. 25° W. Tell et-Tawâneh near Ma'în N. 10° W. North end of the Peninsula N. 70° E. Mouth of Wady Beni Hemâd N. 82° E. North side of Isthmus and Mouth of Wady Kerak N. 85° E. South end of Peninsula and south side of Isth mus S. 78° E. Peak in mountains of Moab seen from Hebron S. 52° E. Southeast corner of the Dead Sea S. 44° E. Southeast angle of Usdum S. 41° E. Mouth of Wady el-Kurâhy S. 40° E. Mount Hor about S. The lower pass of ez-Zuweirah before us bore S. 45° E. 4) We passed near the head of Wady el-Fa'iya on our return; see under June 3d. ing eastwards, the united Wady takes the name elMuhauwat, and finds its way down to the sea at the north end of Usdum. We now kept on S. E. across the tract of desolate chalky hills above described, mostly along a winding valley. Nowhere had we seen a more hideous desert. After a long and tedious ride we came out at 5h 50′ upon the brow of the second descent. Here is another steep rocky declivity, also of not less than seven or eight hundred feet. The path keeps mostly along a ravine in the rock; and in the lower part is quite steep, though not particularly difficult. The ravine is the head of Wady ez-Zuweirah, which here runs off directly towards the Dead Sea. At the bottom of the pass, the formation of limestone and chalk, through which we had passed, gives way to a soft chalk or whitish indurated marl, in horizontal layers, washed by the rains into pilasters and other fantastic shapes. At the very bottom, which we reached at 6h 40', just where the Wady runs off apparently on a level towards the sea, stands a small Saracenic fort, on an isolated cliff of this chalky earth, so soft as to be easily broken off with the hands. It is entirely surrounded and overlooked by other similar chalky cliffs of much greater elevation. The Wady is here narrow; and in the perpendicular wall nearly overagainst the fort, a chamber with loop-holes is excavated in the soft rock at some height above the ground. Near by are two reservoirs built up of stone, and a cistern, all now dry; but our Arabs said there was rain-water in a ravine higher up. This spot is ezZuweirah; in distinction from which the other is called "the Upper." We now followed down Wady ez-Zuweirah. Through its narrow opening we could look out upon the sea and eastern mountains, on which the setting sun just now threw its beams, tinging their naked sides |