[4]Gibel Assoud and the hills on this side have the same name. The valley is bounded on both sides by hills, from 400 to 600 feet high—tops in general tabular; but a few are irregular, and two or three end in conical peaks; the sides of all are covered with much debris. The colour of the hills gives a very peculiar character to the valley; the tops of a shining black, as if covered over with black lead, that often extends some way down the sides, which are of a light brown, mixed with a dirty yellow: this is often observable in patches in the black, which gives to the whole a very striking appearance. The lower strata are limestone, of a yellowish colour, almost entirely formed of marine remains: this, although hard, is easily acted on by the air, and the exposed surface mouldering away leaves cavities in the rock, which, undermining the superincumbent ones, gives rise to the quantity of detached fragments. There are several thin strata of earthy gypsum: above that, limestone, with a fine fibrous-looking external surface, something like wood: this has the jingling sound of burnt lime; above is the shining basalt, of a fine texture, mixed with amygdaloid.
About six miles from where we halted, are a range of low white hills, running about west by north, of the same name as the plains. The top is a fine shining white, from thick beds of a milk-white marble, the base of porphyritic limestone. W. O.
[5]The hills of Zeghren opened: a low range, running nearly east and west; their appearance different from any we had yet seen, long, oval, and truncated at the top—colour black, with white streaks.
About the same time a detached rock came in view: it was about a hundred feet high, and 200 from the land from which we descended.
This is the geological structure of the neighbouring land, which has at no very distant period been joined to this. W. O.
[6]The mother of peace.
[7]The name of their sheikh or chief; also often used when speaking of the tribe.
[8]Leurs habits sont aisés à faire, car en ce doux climat on ne porte qu’une piece d’étoffe fine et lègère, qui n’est point taillée et que chacun met à longs plis autour de son corps pour la modestie; lui donnant la forme qu’il veut.