DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0186
186 VALLEY OF AUABAH.
lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there
shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with
her mate. Seek ye out the book of the Lord, and
read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her
mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his
Spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the
lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them
by line: they shall possess it forever; from genera-
tion to generation shall they dwell therein."—Isaiah,
xxxiv.
On entering the valley of Araba, every thing bore
a most withered and desolate appearance. Ridges of
light, drifting sand, were scattered before us as far as
the eye could stretch. On our right were dark moun-
tains of bare granite, towering in most desolate ma-
jesty. jNota tree, shrub, blade of grass, or any spe-
cies of vegetable life whatever, spotted their dark,
massive sides or lofty summits. For some miles the
valley seemed impregnated with salt; but after ad-
vancing a considerable distance north, there was a
faint appearance of vegetation. On the west side of
the valley the mountains are of purely sandstone form-
ation, while on the east they are uniformly of the red
granite. Those on the west, have, in many places,
worn into every fanciful shape, and are entirely bare
of vegetable life. Encamped at 4, P. M., with the
assurance that we should reach the ruins of Petra in
three days more.
Jan. 25. Shortly after starting this morning, three,
beautiful gazelles were seen a short distance from us,
running toward the mountain on our right. The val-
ley, as we proceeded, still exhibited a display of bar-
lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there
shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with
her mate. Seek ye out the book of the Lord, and
read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her
mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his
Spirit it hath gathered them. And he hath cast the
lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them
by line: they shall possess it forever; from genera-
tion to generation shall they dwell therein."—Isaiah,
xxxiv.
On entering the valley of Araba, every thing bore
a most withered and desolate appearance. Ridges of
light, drifting sand, were scattered before us as far as
the eye could stretch. On our right were dark moun-
tains of bare granite, towering in most desolate ma-
jesty. jNota tree, shrub, blade of grass, or any spe-
cies of vegetable life whatever, spotted their dark,
massive sides or lofty summits. For some miles the
valley seemed impregnated with salt; but after ad-
vancing a considerable distance north, there was a
faint appearance of vegetation. On the west side of
the valley the mountains are of purely sandstone form-
ation, while on the east they are uniformly of the red
granite. Those on the west, have, in many places,
worn into every fanciful shape, and are entirely bare
of vegetable life. Encamped at 4, P. M., with the
assurance that we should reach the ruins of Petra in
three days more.
Jan. 25. Shortly after starting this morning, three,
beautiful gazelles were seen a short distance from us,
running toward the mountain on our right. The val-
ley, as we proceeded, still exhibited a display of bar-