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masses.

Beyond Manresa the farcilite occurs till the traveller crosses the ford of the Cardonero, when it is succeeded by a limestone of a dirty iron brown colour, and dull, almost earthy, fracture. Beyond the village of Suria, a sandstone, which slightly effervesces with acids, makes its appearance. This rock constitutes the sides of the valley which contain the fossil salt.

The immediate vicinity of the salt mines shews no other rock than a yellowish grey sandstone much charged with scales of mica.

We find thus that the salt rock of Cardona is accompanied by clay and sandstone, like our Cheshire salt formation. Limestone also is found near it; but the usual concomitant gypsum appears to be wanting, as well as foetid limestone. The great compactness and purity of this salt merits examination.

Though the country around Cardona is mountainous and rugged, it is inferior in elevation to the districts between it and the Mediterranean; as well as to those which bound it on the north. Immediately behind Cardona the mountains begin to ascend with increasing boldness until they unite with the grand chain of the Pyrenees.

I relinquish to others the difficult task of giving a probable explanation of the formation of rock salt; contented if my observations on the mine of Cardona can add any thing to the mass of facts which should guide us in the obscure but captivating speculations of geology.

VISIT TO THE MUMMY PITS.

(From Legh's Travels)

The pits we had examined at Thebes were full of human mummies, but in no place had we yet seen any marks of those of crocodiles. With this intention we continued our voyage down the Nile and halted at Manfalout situated on the left bank of the river, for the purpose of making preparations for a journey to Amabdi. Our party consisted of my friend Mr. Smelt and an American of the name of Barthow, who had traded many years in the Red Sea, spoke Arabic extremely well, and whom we had engaged as a dragoman at Cairo, when we first began our travels in Upper Egypt. We took with us, besides, an Abyssinian merchant, of the name of Fadlallah, and three of our boat's crew who were Barabras, whom we had brought with us from the Cataracts. Having provided ourselves with asses and torches, we crossed the ferry of Manfalout, at five in the morning of the 30th March. We wandered about till nine o'clock in search of the village of Amabdi, near which we at length found four Arabs employed in cutting wood. They appeared at first unwilling to give us any information about the object of our search, and we observed them consulting together, and overheard them muttering something about danger, and thought we heard the expression, "If one must die,— all must die." This excited our suspicions, but did not deter us from proceeding, as we relied on

our

our number and strength to resist any act of treachery.

We were bent on going, and the Arabs at last undertook to be our guides for a reward of twentyfive piastres. After an hour's march in the desert, we arrived at the spot, which we found to be a pit or circular hole of ten feet in diameter, and about eighWe descended teen feet deep. without difficulty, and the Arabs began to strip, and proposed to us to do the same: we partly followed their example, but kept on our trowsers and shirts. I had by ne a brace of pocket pistols, which I concealed in my trowsers, to be prepared against any treacherous attempt of our guides. It was now decided that three of the four Arabs should go with us, while the other remained on the outside of the cavern. The Abyssinian merchant declined going any farther. The sailors remained also on the outside to take care of our clothes. We formed therefore a party of six; each was to be preceded by a guideour torches were lighted-one of the Arabs led the way-and I followed him.

We crept for seven or eight yards through an opening at the bottom of the pit, which was partly choked up with the drifted sand of the desert, and found ourselves in a large chamber about fifteen feet high.

This was probably the place into which the Greek, Demetrius, had penetrated, and here we observed what he had described, the fragments of the mummies of crocodiles. We saw also great numbers of bats flying about, and hanging from the roof of the chamber. Whilst holding up my VOL. LVIII.

torch to examine the vault, I ac-
cidentally scorched one of them.
I mention this trivial circum-
a most ridiculous,
stance, because afterwards it gave
occasion to
So far the story of the
though to us very important dis-
cussion.
Greek was true, and it remained
only to explore the galleries where
the Arabs had formerly taken re-
fuge, and where, without doubt,
We had all
were deposited the mummies we
were searching for.
of us torches, and our guides in-
sisted upon our placing ourselves
in such a way, that an Arab was
before each of us. Though there
appeared something mysterious in
this order of march, we did not
dispute with them, but proceeded.
We now entered a low gallery, in
which we continued for more
than an hour, stooping or creep-
ing as was necessary, and follow-
ing its windings, till at last it
opened into a large chamber,
which, after some time, we re-
cognized as the one we had first
entered, and from which we had
set out. Our conductors, how-
ever, denied that it was the same,
but on our persisting in the as-
sertion, agreed at last that it was,
and confessed they had missed
their way the first time, but if
we would make another attempt
they would undertake to conduct
us to the mummies. Our curiosity
was still unsatisfied; we had been
wandering for more than an hour
in low subterranean passages, and
felt considerably fatigued by the
irksomeness of the posture in
which we had been obliged to
move, and the heat of our torches
in those narrow and low galleries.
But the Arabs spoke so confidently
that we were induced once more
of succeeding in this second trial,
22

[graphic]

to

to attend them. We found the opening of the chamber which we now approached guarded by a trench of unknown depth, and wide enough to require a good leap. The first Arab jumped the ditch, and we all followed him. The passage we entered was extremely small, and so low in some places as to oblige us to crawl flat on the ground, and almost always on our hands and knees. The intricacies of its windings resembled a labyrinth, and it terminated at length in a chamber much smaller than that which we had left, but, like it, containing nothing to satisfy our curiosity. Our search hitherto had been fruitless, but the muinmies might not be far distant, another effort, and we might still be successful.

The Arab whom I followed, and who led the way, now entered another gallery, and we all continued to move in the same manner as before, each preceded by a guide. We had not gone far before the heat became excessive ;for my own part I found breathing extremely difficult, my head began to ache most violently, and I had a most distressing sensation of fulness about the heart.

my

We felt we had gone too far, and yet were almost deprived of the power of returning. At this moment the torch of the first Arab went out: I was close to him, and saw him fall on his side; he uttered a groan-his legs were strongly convulsed, and I heard a rattling noise in his throat-he was dead.

The Arab behind me, seeing the torch of his companion extinguished, and conceiving he had stumbled, past me, advanced to his assistance, and stooped. I

observed him appear faint, totter, and fall in a moment-he also was dead. The third Arab came forward, and made an effort to approach the bodies, but stopped short. We looked at each other in silent horror. The danger increased every instant; our torches burnt faintly; our breathing became more difficult; our knees tottered under us, and we felt our strength nearly gone.

There was no time to be lostthe American, Barthow, cried to us to "take courage," and we began to move back as fast as we could. We heard the remaining Arab shouting after us, calling us Caffres, imploring our assistance, and upbraiding us with deserting him. But we were obliged to leave him to his fate, expecting every moment to share it with him. The windings of the passages through which we had come increased the difficulty of our escape; we might take a wrong turn, and never reach the great chamber we had first entered. Even supposing we took the shortest road, it was but too probable our strength would fail us before we arrived. We had each of us separately and unknown to one another observed attentively the different shapes of the stones which projected into the galleries we had passed, so that each had an imperfect clue to the labyrinth we had now to retrace. We compared notes, and only on one occasion had a dispute, the American differing from my friend and myself; in this dilemma we were determined by the majority, and fortunately were right. Exhausted with fatigue and terror, we reached the edge of the deep

trench

trench which remained to be
crossed before we got into the
great chamber. Mustering all
my strength, I leaped, and was
followed by the American. Smelt
stood on the brink, ready to drop
He called to us
with fatigue.
"for God's sake to help him over
the fosse, or at least to stop, if
only for five minutes, to allow
him time to recover his strength."
It was impossible-to stay was
death, and we could not resist
the desire to push on and reach
the open air. We encouraged
him to summon all his force, and
he cleared the trench. When we
reached the open air it was one
o'clock, and the heat in the sun
Our sailors, who
about 160°.
were waiting for us, had luckily
a bardak full of water, which
they sprinkled upon us, but though
a little refreshed, it was not pos-
sible to climb the sides of the pit;
they unfolded their turbans, and
slinging them round our bodies,
drew us to the top.

Our appearance alone without
our guides naturally astonished
the Arab who had remained at
the entrance of the cavern, and
he anxiously inquired for his
To have
ha-habebas, or friends.
confessed they were dead would
have excited suspicion, he would
have supposed we had murdered
them, and have alarmed the in-
habitants of Amabdi, to pursue
us and revenge the death of their
friends. We replied therefore
they were coming, and were em-
ployed in bringing out the mum-
mies we had found, which was
the cause of their delay.

We lost no time in mounting
our asses, re-crossed the desert,
and passed hastily by the village

to regain the ferry of Manfalout.
Our cangia was moored close to
the town, and we got on board
by five o'clock. We had been
expected for some time, and as it
happened to be the birthday of my
friend Mr. Smelt, we had intend-
ed to have regaled ourselves that
day with a more sumptuous meal
than ordinary. But we had no
appetite to eat, it was of more
consequence to consult what was
to be done in our present cir-
cumstances. That the Arabs of
Amabdi would pursue us to re-
venge the supposed murder of
their friends, there was no doubt,
and as it would be next to im-
possible to persuade them we had
no hand in their deaths, we all
agreed our only safety was in
flight. It was resolved we should
wait till midnight, and then sail
down the Nile for Miniet, the
first Turkish garrisoned town we
should reach. Owing to the lazi-
ness or stupidity of our Reis, it
was however five in the morning
before we weighed anchor. This
at the time gave us great uneasi-
ness, but was in fact a most for-
tunate circumstance; for, as will
appear afterwards, had we sailed
earlier we should certainly have
fallen into the hands of our ene-
mies. The wind was contrary,
blowing strongly from the north,
and we had only made two leagues
by seven o'clock.

We now saw four Turks on
horseback galloping towards us,
followed by two Arabs on foot,
and as we made but little way
down the river, they were soon
near enough to fire a pistol and
order us to bring to. We stopped
our boat, and they called to us
2Q2
from the shore, saying they were

[graphic]

sent

sent by the Cacheff to bring us to Manfalout to answer for the murder of our Arab guides. The two Arabs on foot were violent in their threats, and continued vociferating they would have blood for blood, and that they were resolved on our deaths, though it might cost the lives of twenty more of their countrymen. We entered into a parley with the Turks, and demanded of them if they would answer for our safety on our way to Manfalout, and stipulated also that we should be allowed to carry with us our arms. They promised us we should not be molested on our road to the town, and after some demur permitted us to take our swords, pistols, and double-barrelled guns. On these conditions we went on shore, and walked on foot under the escort of the Turks to Manfalout. When we arrived at the house of the Cacheff, we found him smoking in an outer court, attended by a few Arnout guards, and surrounded by about forty of the inhabitants of Amabdi.

The Arabs received us with a shout of revengeful delight.

Our

The Cacheff treated us in a stern and haughty manner, and informed us of what we were accused by the people about him. Through our dragoman we related our story, and produced the firman we had received of Machmoud Ali, Pacha of Cairo. passport ran in the usual form, enjoining all the Governors of the different towns through which we should pass to afford us every protection and assistance. A secretary was ordered to read the firman aloud, which when he had done, the Cacheff reaching out

his hand took hold of it, and looking sternly at us, observed sarcastically, "I do not see that this firman allows you either to maltreat or kill the Arabs."

He then poured out a torrent of abuse upon us in Arabic, to the great satisfaction of our accusers, and retired into an inner court, leaving us, as we conceived, to their mercy. The Arabs were most of them armed with swords and spears, and began now to surround us with menacing gestures. Shortly however we were sent for by the Turk, and conducted by some of his soldiers into his presence.

The Arabs expressed great satisfaction at this, and appeared to think our fate was decided. The Cacheff received us on this occasion in a much more friendly manner than at first; he was unobserved by the Arabs, and laid aside the angry tone which we now perceived he had formerly only affected. "My good friends," said he, laying his hand on the shoulder of our dragoman, “I know I am, by virtue of your firman, bound to protect you, and my head must answer for your safety. I believe your story, but I have a guard only of 50 soldiers, and the village of Amabdi is 700 muskets strong. Should all the inhabitants take a part in this affair and come over, the consequence will be fatal both to you and myself; you must make your escape secretly, and in the mean time I will amuse and detain the Arabs."

We saw the force of this advice, thanked the Cacheff for his friendly conduct, and lost no time in making our retreat through a

gate

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