no longer protecting me; and it was not possible for me to get from Turkish territory to the great tribes of the Weld Slejmân or the Šammar. Accordingly, there was nothing left for us but to make our way to Tebûk.
At 6.55 our camels found a pasture of no great size in the valley of Ummu Rmam, and we remained there until nine o’clock. The valley is covered with a deep layer of sand, in which ṭalḥ, rimṯ, and ʻarfeǧ grow.
On the east Wâdi Ummu Rmam, through which the Pilgrim Route passes, is joined by the ravine of al-Mḳêbel, separated by the ridge of al-Mẓêbʻe from the šeʻîb Ammu ʻAwâḏer. Beyond this šeʻîb Wâdi Ummu Rmam is joined by al-Mšâš, Ammu Ẓrûb, Rdêhat aṣ-Ṣfêra, Ḏbejjeb al-Mša’, Sâlûm, Umm Ḥanẓal, al-Mezâjîn, Abu Ṣdêra, al-Mhejr, al-Mohr, ar-Rwêḥa, al-Fâjde, Ammu Ṛẓejje, al-Mhejdi, Ammu Ṭuʻûs, Erdêht ʻAneze, Ammu Kanâtel, and by Umm Ṣafa’, which descends from the foot of the al-Ṛazwân slope at the water Ṯemîlt aṭ-Ṭrûš; still farther it is joined by al-Bêẓa and Umm Tîna. On the left near the Pilgrim Road terminate the šeʻibân of ar-Radi; Umm Ḥawâjeẓ; Wudej Selîṭ, with al-Muṭallaḳ, near which rises the volcano of aṯ-Ṯorra; al-Muʻaḳḳar, which is joined on the right by the šeʻibân of Umm Hašîm and Umm Ḥanẓal, and on the left by al-Ḫabra and Abu Nmâr. Farther down, on the left, end the šeʻibân of Wudej al-Ḳahwa; as-Sinfe, near which is situated the hill of al-Ḳdûd; al-Fwâẓle; ʻAǧirt al-Ḥelw; al-Ḥamaṣ, with ar-Radha and Abu Ṭoboḳ; al-Mdejsîs; al-Ḫawwâr; and finally Maḳṣadet Ḳaṣja’ and Maḳṣadet ad-Dunja’. Al-Ḫawwâr rises as Telʻet aẓ-Ẓîḥ to the north of the hills of Neẓûḥ and is joined on the right by the šeʻibân of al-Mzêrîd and Umm Ẓamrân and on the left by Ummu Rẓîm, Sbejḥuwât, Ẓaram, and Ammu Rtejmât.
Proceeding through Wâdi Ummu Rman to the northwest, we passed by the two dark hills of al-Ḳaṭawên, between which and the ridge of Ammu-ẓ-Ẓrûb the valley of Ummu Rmam terminates. At 10.02 we again entered a broad valley, known as ar-Rwêḥa, and from eleven to 11.40 the camels grazed here. At 11.50 we reached the end of this valley; it becomes a ravine, its bed being wedged between the steep slopes of Ammu Ẓrûb and Umm Ḥawâjeẓ. We there observed some railway sleepers which had been carried away by the water.
The railway line is very superficially constructed: the banks are almost vertical, so that the stones which are heaped up gradually fall out from under the sleepers and holes are formed everywhere in the embankments. The culverts built in the embankments for letting the rain water flow off from one side to the other are very narrow and low, in consequence of which the sand clogs them up and they continually have
