On the other side of the Rod el Farag, i.e., further west of Gebel Atut, are numerous scattered hills, the higher of which bear the names of Hamrat Mastura, El Hamra, and Um Himar. These are of granite, gneiss, and schists, with some coarse gabbro and numerous quartz veins.
Still further west is the remarkable ridge called Erf el Fahid, a great quartz vein ten metres wide and two kilometres long, rising nearly one hundred metres above the Wadi Muelih. A beacon on its highest point, 579 metres above sea-level, marks the triangulation station, its position being latitude 25° 0′ 5″, longitude 34° 11′ 52″. South-east of Erf el Fahid is a line of similar but smaller ridges, also formed of great quartz veins rising through diorites and schists. Still further down the Wadi Muelih is a curious horse-shoe-shaped hill of aplite, called Marwot Rod el Ligaia, round which the hills of crushed diorite are penetrated with a network of quartz veins running in various directions.
Gebel Muelih is a great boss of white granite situated close to the north side of Wadi Muelih in longitude 34°. Its summit, marked by a beacon, in latitude 24° 52′ 44″, longitude 34° 0′ 37″, is 707 metres above sea and 350 metres above the wadi which courses round its south flank, and from which it is easily climbed. The upper view on [Plate XI] gives an idea of its appearance as seen from the base line camp in the wadi six kilometres east of it.
Gebel Hagar Dungash is a great mass of high hills situated north of Gebel Muelih. The beacon on its highest point, in latitude 24° 59′ 12″, longitude 34° 2′ 33″, is 815 metres above sea-level. In the hills which flank the main mass are numerous sharp peaks, one of the most conspicuous of which, eight and a half kilometres south-west of the beacon, is called Gebel Um Dalalil. A ridge five kilometres due east of the beacon bears the name of Erf Rod Um Rashid. The rocks of Haggar Dungash are chiefly dark schists.
PLATE X.
Summit of Gebel Atut.
View from Gebel Atut, looking north-west, showing Gebels Abu Diab and Hamrat Wogud in the distance.
PLATE XI.