Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/222

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206
THE NORTHERN ḤEǦÂZ

contains six wells each about two meters deep, with good water (Fig. 85) and known as Bjêrât Dabbârât. At six o’clock we had in front of us the broad ridge of ʻAtḳa, enclosing on the southeast the low elevations Matent al-Merw and Matent al-Fle’, said to have been the camping place of the Beni Helâl on their march from south to north. At seven we saw on the right a high pile of stones, Riǧm al-Fâsed, and behind it the rocky slope of Ḳaṭʻat al-ʻEǧejbi, with Ḳṭêʻat Ḏijâbe to the south. On the southern foot of Ḳaṭʻat al-ʻEǧejbi is the spring of al-ʻAḳejrbe at the head of the šeʻîb of al-Ḫallâṣ, which merges into the broad šeʻîb of al-Farrâʻ. At 7.25 we encamped. The night was warm and quite peaceful.

RIǦM AL-FÂSED TO WÂDI AL-ǦIZEL; ATTACKED BY THE BELI

On Thursday, June 30, 1910, we started off at 4.17 A. M. To the east yawned the gap made by the deep šeʻîb of al-Ḥžejb, with low, red crags in front and high, rocky walls behind. Before us in the šeʻîb of an-Nežîb we saw innumerable red crags enclosed by steep, basalt slopes. At 5.10 we had on our left the šeʻîb of as-Snânijje, on the right Rafwân, and farther to the left Ammu-l-Ǧejš. The šeʻîb of an-Nežîb grows steadily narrower, and the dry channel winds between the isolated knolls and cones of Ḳṭêʻat Ḏijâbe, which recall the formations of the region of Ḥesma. At 7.15 on our right we saw the red mountain of Ḫašm Limme, with, to the south, the blood-red isolated cupolas of al-Beẓîʻ; between the two runs the broad valley of al-Farrâʻa. This valley begins near Naḳb aẓ-Ẓarba and extends eastward; it is joined on the north by the šeʻibân of al-Ḫallâṣ, Râtje, and al-Ṛâjbe, the last-named being connected with aṣ-Ṣulba; and on the south by ʻOnejbeč, Ḥawra, Eržên, aṭ-Ṭwejje, and al-Ždejje. At its junction with an-Nežîb it forms the valley of al-Ǧizel.

To the west appeared the peaks of Nuṛejjer and Naṛar in the mountain range of aṣ-Ṣâneʻ; to the southeast of them Abu Ṭîne, al-Wited, the three peaks of Mount Ǧawla, and a butte situated on the ridge of al-Maḥâẓa, with, still farther to the southeast, the furrowed mountain of al-ʻEšš, Ammu Rumejs with its broad saddles, and the pointed as-Saʻad.

At 7.25 we reached the summit of the slope of al-Msejlke, where we remained until 9.20 in order to draw a sketch map