Volume II Part 17 (1/2)

Dec. 25. 7a.m. 29.10 739 50 50 45 29 Morning cool and clear.

Noon. 29.20 - 72 68 55 21 Very clear, still, and hot. Slight breeze from sea (west). Sun strong.

Swarms of flies. Dry bulb in sun, 73 degrees; wet, 60 degrees.

3p.m. 29.16 741 72 69 54 15 Cool and gentle breeze from sea, dispersing the swarms of flies. At times ”sand-devil” from north-west.

All this day's observations taken on writing table in large tent. Night cold: cold severest after two a.m. and before sunrise. Sky at night perfectly clear.

Wind from north turning to east, a Barri (”land-breeze”). Height of Jebel el- Abyaz above tents, by aneroid = 350 feet (29.20 - 28.85 = 0.35).

Dec. 26. 7.15a.m. 29.21 743 48 46 43 22 In tent. Sky perfectly clear.

Noon. 29.26 - 76 77 55 6 Sun very hot. Air quite still. Fleecy clouds from west over the sun.

4.45p.m. 29.23 743 73 69 55 8 Sun cooler. Air perfectly clear.

Dec. 27. 7a.m. 29.16 740 50 49 43 5 3 In tent. Morning cold and clear: few flecks of cloud to east. Air feels intensely dry.

12.30p.m.29.23 743 77 74 58 9 Fine cirri high up. Sky blue. Sun veiled at times. Very little wind, a breath from north.

3.20p.m. 59.16 742 80 77 56 6 Sky with filmy white clouds, thicker at west.

Sun hidden; very hot at noon (rain-sun?). Not a breath of air. Sense of intense dryness. Ink evaporates at once. Cool breeze started up shortly after 3.30 p.m.

from west, then clouds thickened. Thermometer fell 4 degrees.

Cool evening; quite clear. Fevers and feverish colds begin to show themselves in camp. Minimum thermometer during night--No. 1, 45 degrees; No. 2, 46 degrees; French, 15-1/2 degrees (Centigrade).

Dec. 28 7a.m. 29.10 739 55 53 46 10 In tent. Still. Neither warm nor cold. Mottled clouds.

Noon. 29.13 740 78 72 58 4 Clouds thin. Sun very hot (rain-sun?). Light breeze from north-west.

3p.m. 29.10 739 79 72 58 - Feels intensely dry.

Hot, close. Heavy clouds, and purple to west. Gusts from west.

No wind. Morning and evening very mild. At eight p.m. dark cloud moving from south-west to mountains. Drops of rain; then stars. Minimum thermometers during night, both 48 degrees. None of the maximum will act.

Dec. 29. 7a.m. 29.10 738 58 58 54 9 In tent. Cool, clear.

Blue-pink in west. Light sea-breezes from west.

Must be awfully hot in summer. In closed tent at eleven a.m., 92 degrees.

Noon. 29.13 - 77 75 60 10 Nice breeze from sea (west), bending to north.

4p.m. 29.00 739 82 79 59 5 Warm and quite still.

Mean of nineteen aneroid observations at Jebel el-Abyaz = 29.13.

MARCH FROM JEBEL EL-ABYAZ TO WADY SHARMa.

Dec. 30. 7a.m. 29.10 739 56 - - 7 Clear, still. No speck of cloud. Moon Naim (sleeping = *[figure]).