was useless to invite them to fight us upon the plain like men; on the eastern coast the robbers will sometimes do this, but not in El Hejaz, and it was equally unprofitable to shoot at stones. Moreover, had a Badawi been killed, the country would have risen en masse: 3000 or 4000 robbers might have the courage to overpower a caravan, in which case there would have been a general cutting of throats. Their fire was directed principally against the Arnauts, who called for assistance from the party of shaykhs that had accompanied us from Bir Abbas. But those dignified ancients, dismounting and squatting round their pipes in council, came to the conclusion, that as the Badawin would probably turn a deaf ear to their words, they had better spare themselves the trouble of speaking; so we blazed away as much powder, and veiled ourselves in as thick a veil as possible. We lost twelve men, besides camels and other beasts of burden.

After an hour of hurrying on we passed Shuhada, an unremarkable spot, with a few ruined walls, and a cluster of graves, each an oval of rough stones, containing the "martyrs" crowned with glory in one of the Prophet's plundering expeditions. In 30 minutes we reached Bir el Hindi, a favourite halting-place, where some forgotten Indian had dug a well: we jogged on, being scarcely out of the cut-throat gorge and the nests of the Ham 'dah. Then leaving the fiumara, we struck off northwards into a welltrodden road running over stony rising ground. The heat became sickening at no time is the sun in these regions more dangerous than between 8 and 10 A.M., and it was 11 o'clock before we encamped. The station, Suwaykah, is a rugged plain covered with stones, coarse gravel, and thorn trees, and surrounded by inhospitable rocks, pinnacle-shaped, and calcareous, on a granite base. The well was at least 2 miles distant, not a hovel was in sight, or sign of life, save a few Badawi children feeding their starveling flocks; but my companions looked lovingly upon the hideous spot their boxes were now safe. That night we travelled about 22 miles due E. up a steady rise.

We pitched the tent under a villainous mimosa, the tree whose shade is compared by these poetical thieves to the false one that deserts you when most needed; and I enlivened a long, hot, dull day by the excitement of recovering certain small sums lent to divers friends, the "almighty dollar" having been the talisman with which I opened their hearts. At 4 P.M. we mounted, all of us in the crossest of moods, and travelled towards the N.E., up rocky hill and down stony vale, which made the camels stumble and tumble regularly once per mile.

25th.-Day dawned before I had shaken off the lethargic effects of such a night. All my companions were hurrying on with reckless haste. "More robbers? I inquired of a neighbour; "No,

we are walking upon our eyes-in a minute we shall sight ElMedina." Rapidly we crossed the muse-loved fiumara, El Akik; it was dry as summer's dust, and its "beautiful trees" were stunted fire-wood.* Presently we came to a mudarraj, a broad flight of steps cut in the rock: † arrived at the summit, we passed through a lane of lava with steep banks, and suddenly saw the holy city lying upon the plain before us.

We halted our beasts as if by word of command; and all of us, tired and hungry as we were, dismounted, and sat down to enjoy the view. "O Allah! this is the sanctuary of the Prophet; make it to us a protection from hell-fire, and a place of refuge from eternal punishment! O open the gates of thy mercy, and let us pass through them to the land of joy!" And again—" Live for ever, O best of Prophets! Live in the shadow of happiness, whilst the bird of the tamarisk (the dove) moaneth like a childless mother-whilst the west wind bloweth gently over the highland of Nejd-whilst the lightning flasheth bright in the firmament of El Hejaz!" Such were the poetical exclamations around me, whilst features were working with excitement, and eyes swam with tears. I now fully understood the meaning of a dark phrase in the Moslem ritual: "And when his (the pilgrim's) sight falls upon the trees of El Medina, let him raise voice and bless the Prophet with the choicest of blessings." In all the fair view before us, no feature more striking, after the desolation of the journey, than the gardens and orchards of the town.

The distance traversed that night was about 20 miles, in a direction varying from E. to N.E. We reached El Medina on the 25th July, thus taking nearly eight days to travel about 130 miles.

I subjoin my computation of the stages:

My camel-men were of the Harb tribe, corrupted by Turkish

* El Akik, said the Badawin, is a branch of the fiumara of El Hamra.

This is one of the Harratain or Two Ridges of which the Prophet said, "Verily there is healing to the sight, if it fall upon Mount Ohod, and the Two Ridges near." The other lies N. of the city, on the road to Hamzah's tomb, which lies at the foot of Ohod. El Harratain is the popular form of E Harratáni, the oblique case usurping the place of the dual-nominative in the colloquial dialect of El Hejaz, as in Syria, Egypt, and the Maghrab. Both these harrahs are long, broad ridges of the black scoriated lava, of which buildings in this part of El Hejaz are composed.

example and the profession of taking in pilgrims. They made no difficulty in answering my questions about the country. Το obviate curiosity or suspicion, I had an abstract of Arab genealogies, and always began my questionings with, "You men of Harb, on what lineage do ye pride yourselves?" Notes must be kept private, and sketches must never be seen; but these people do not object to a learned man writing in a MS., as if commenting upon it, and for other purposes he may retire into solitude and pray. The best pretext for avoiding company is "sauda"-a melancholic temperament—all Orientals, especially the Arabs, being subject to fits of nervous depression, when they fly to solitude as to a friend. Without some such excuse a traveller would be overwhelmed with society: his hosts will eat with him, drink, smoke, talk, pray, and rather than leave him alone, sleep with him. My next communication, if you desire it, will be my Itinerary from El Medina to Mecca.* Once more offering my best excuses for the delay in forwarding this paper,

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient servant,

RICHARD F. BURTON,
Lieut. Bombay Army.

Dr. Norton Shaw, Sec. R. G. S.

VI.-Notice on the Variation of the Magnetic Needle at Aden. By Capt. S. B. HAINES, I.N.

Communicated by the EAST INDIA COMPANY.

Read April 10, 1854.

IN my letter of January 8, 1852, relative to the probability of a change in the magnetic variation, I then gave proof that, between the year 1800 and my observations in 1834, a change of 3° 47′ 30′′ had taken place; and that experiments might prove a still further change, rendering it necessary that it should be ascertained, so that due allowance might be made for it by navigators.

I have now the honour to report that, having had a very superior 10-inch theodolite lent to me, in addition to my own, I have taken, during September and October, many observations in order to ascertain the change of variation at Aden since I surveyed it in 1834; and beg to submit the results to Government, as they prove that my opinion last year was correct, and that since 1834 the variation has diminished westerly 2° 12′ 40′′, being in

* Since received.-ED.

VOL. XXIV.

226 HAINES on the Variation of the Magnetic Needle at Aden.

October, 1853, only 2° 49′ 20′′ westerly. The following are the results :

Means of 27 Observations.

Means of 27 observations with a most beauti

ful instrument, with Col. Everest's im

provements, in September and October, 2° 49' 20" Westerly variation. 1853, at Aden

....

Means of 130 observations during the survey 5 of Aden in 1834..

Variation diminished in 19 years.... 2

2 o Westerly.

12 40

66

This difference of variation is also proved by taking the true and magnetic bearing to fixed points; the means of numerous magnetic bearings to different fixed points now differing from the magnetic bearing on the survey 2 12', while the true bearings all agree.

The variation having diminished 2° 12′ 40′′ westerly at Aden, renders it almost certain that a still greater change (even, I imagine, of a point) has taken place in the N. part of the Red Sea since the survey; which of a point, during a long and dark night, with steam-rate at 10 knots, will place a steamer 6 or 7 nautical miles from her supposed position; and might cause, particularly if assisted with a slight current, incalculable mischief. My anxiety for the public good has prompted me to make these observations, and I do not hesitate to say I am confident they are

correct.

It is also probable that the variation has changed during the last twenty or thirty years along the African, Arabian, Persian, Beloochistan, and Indian coasts; which, however, is not of such vital importance to the navigator as while navigating at a rapid steam-rate between the narrow limits of Red Sea dangers.

It may be observed that steamers can ascertain the variation by observation; but, from long and tried experience, I assert such observations cannot be trusted sufficiently for Red Sea navigation. Azimuth compasses cannot be pointed to a nicety, and all vessels have more or less local attraction, which is not always sufficiently attended to.

I would respectfully suggest that the change of variation at Aden be made public as soon as possible.

VII. On the Physical Geography of the Red Sea.
By Dr. BUIST, of Bombay, F.R.G.S.

Read April 10, 1854.

Boundaries.-The Red Sea is one of the most remarkable estuaries on the surface of the globe; separating the N.E. portion of Africa from Arabia for the space of above 1280 miles, it seems at no very remote period to have been connected with the Mediterranean. Opening into the Indian Ocean, through the Gulf of Aden, it commences at the Straits of Babelmandeb, lat. 12° 30′ N., long. 43° 40′ E., extending in a north-westerly direction till it terminates in the two Gulfs of Akabá and Suez, the upper extremity of the former being in lat. 29° 36′ N., long. 35° 2′ E., that of the latter in lat. 30° 2' N., long. 32° 38' E. From the Strait to Suez in a direct line is 1230 miles; the greater strait itself measures in breadth 13 miles, the lesser 14 miles; the two together, which constitute the entrance to the sea, 14 miles, or including the island of Perim, which separates them, 16 miles. Its entire circuit measured round both gulfs is 4020 miles, its area 108,154 miles, and its cubic content probably about 800,000 miles.* Its greatest breadth under the parallel 17° N., that is one-third up the sea, is 192 miles, and it narrows pretty uniformly towards both extremities, being 72 miles across at Ras-Mahommed, where the peninsula of Mount Sinai splits its upper extremity into two, and nearly a similar breadth at Gibbel Zugar, under the 14th parallel.

Gulf of Suez.-The Gulf of Suez from its upper extremity to its entrance is 167 miles in length; its greatest width is under 30; at its mouth it is about 17 miles from shore to shore; its area in all is about 2000 square miles. Its greatest depth is about 50 fathoms, its average about 22; excluding the shallows at Suez, it occupies from 8 to 10 miles at its upper extremity.

Gulf of Akaba.-The Gulf of Akabá is about one-third the area of that of Suez, or 800 miles; it is 100 miles in length, 16 across at the widest, and 7 at the strait. It is more than double the depth of its sister gulf, being about 120 fathoms for twothirds of its length, reaching at one point the depth of 200 ⚫fathoms without bottom. Its mean depth altogether is probably not less than 70.

Depth of the Red Sea.-Although two-thirds of the area of the Red Sea have never been sounded, and no sufficient data exist from which to form a judgment of its depth, there is no reason to

* The figures representing area, circumference, and content are to be received as approximations merely-especially the circumference; the area will probably be found not very far from truth.