WADI BADIA.
Badia,
January 29th, 1891.
Our pet thermometer recorded 33° of frost last night. I take it some one has been playing football with it during the night. Moved our camp to Badia, which is on the northern face of the mountains, and in full view of the Red Sea, which looks quite close. Mount Sinai is plainly visible on the far shore. This was once an old Roman Station.[15] There are still very substantial remains of two old forts, each about one hundred yards square, built of large stones and burnt bricks; some of these latter we have used for building an oven. The ground is covered in all directions with pieces of old pottery, but we have failed to discover anything of value. Our tent seems to be pitched on an ancient burial ground, as there are deep holes all round, full of old human bones. Probably if one dug one would find a few old relics; as, so far, only an odd tomb or two have been dug into. The water here is good, but one has to crawl down a narrow hole and scoop it out with a cup to get any at all. Our last ibex meat is finished, so I hope another will be killed by one of us to-morrow.
Badia,
January 30th, 1891.
Eight degrees of frost last night; our tubs were very cold this morning. I was hardly warm enough with five rugs on my bed. Our flour will not last out, so we are sending off two camels to Kenneh to-morrow for more. They will take our letters for England. Our meat is all gone, so I was glad to see Powney returning to camp this evening with an ibex which he had got late in the afternoon. Whenever any of our people go to the wells in the mountains they always report having seen a few partridges there drinking. I have been there frequently with my gun, but have never seen one. To-day I passed the well with a rifle, and, of course, there were three fat partridges there, as tame as chickens. I ran back for my gun. They certainly awaited my return; but directly they saw I had a gun they flew off! It is astonishing how birds can distinguish between a gun and a rifle, and know that the latter is harmless to them!! I remember, in Norway, when on the Fjeld with a rifle, the ryper used to potter about round us like chickens; but if we took up a gun for the purpose of shooting them, not one would show itself all day!
WADI KITTAR.