the continuity of the quartz: the black trap enclosed, here
sheets, there veins, and there almonds in puddings.

At the halting-place a "cerastes" (Echis carinata, Merr.), so
called from the warty hollows over the eyes (?), was brought to
me in a water-bag; the bearer transferred it to the spirit-bottle
by neatly thrusting a packing-needle through the head. The pretty
specimen of an amiable, and much oppressed, race did not show an
atom of vice. I cannot conceive what has caused the absurd
prejudice against snakes, even the most harmless. Perhaps we must
trace it to the curious resemblance of the profile, with the
flattened forehead, the steely bright eye, the formidable biting
apparatus, and the vanishing chin, to the genus woman, species
Lorette. It is hard to imagine that this little beast, which some
one called a "Cleopatra's hasp," could be fatal: its small bag
can hardly contain a couple of drops. Yet the vox populi is
distinctly against me.

The Shaykhs were anxious to push on for another half-hour, where,
they declared, a rain-hole is found in the next ravine, the Sha'b
el-Kahafah. But we had been privily told of another further down
the valley, at the Sha'b el-Harr; and, although we much wanted a
bottleful for photography, we determined to run the risk. The
result is curious, showing how jealously water-secrets are kept
in these lands. The next thing I heard was that the water had
waxed salt; then it had dried up; and, lastly, it was in the best
condition, the truth being that there was none at all.
Consequently we were compelled to send back four camels and two
cameleers from our next camping-ground to the Kahafah. Venerable
'Afnan made many a difficulty, and an uncommon favour, of risking