Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/251

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RETURN FROM WÂDI AL-ǦIZEL TO TEBÛK
235

Ǧwâd explained that the Beni ʻAṭijje were encamped near Bîr al-Msallam on the eastern side of Mount az-Zejte. I very much desired to go to them. In their camp we could have exchanged our worn-out camels for sound animals and could also have made a more thorough topographical survey of the northern half of the region of Ḥesma; but a few days previously two men from this camp had been in Tebûk and had learnt from the mudîr and Sâlem that the Government was no longer protecting us. It was therefore uncertain whether they might not have adopted a hostile attitude towards us; as, however, the Beni ʻAṭijje were moving northward to the territory of the Ḥwêṭât and knew that I was friendly with the chief ʻAwde abu Tâjeh, I conjectured that they would sooner esteem me as a friend of the chief ʻAwde than hate me as a man deserted by the Government. I therefore made up my mind after all to go to them.

The tribe of the Beni ʻAṭijje, which is known also as al-Maʻʻâze, or contemptuously as al-ʻAṭâwne, is composed of the following clans:

al-ʻAtjât; chief, Ḥarb eben ʻAṭijje
as-Sbût; chief Ḥamûd eben Farḥân
Ǧmêʻânijjîn; chief Muṭlek al-Muʻaẓẓam
ar-Rbejlât; chief Ḥâmed
al-ʻAḳejlât; chief Hlejjel eben Hirmâs
al-Mrâḳîn; chief Muḥammad eben ʻEmrân
al-Ḥamâjse; chief Niǧm aẓ-Ẓjûfi
Slejmât; chief Msellem al-ʻEẓejdi
as-Saʻêdânijjîn; chief Sâlem eben Ṣaḳr
ar-Rawâẓîn; chief Daʻsân eben Zelʻ
al-Wkala’; chief Sâlem al-Wakli
al-Maṣâbḥe; chief Muḥammad eben Mesʻed

Of the families I noted down:

al-Madâmje
al-Ḥumrân
al-Furgân
al-Ǧhûš
ar-Rwâjât
ad-Daḥḥâlîn
al-Brejkât
al-Merâʻijje
ar-Rwêʻât
al-Kurʻân
az-Zlûʻ
as-Swêrhijjîn
aḏ-Ḏijabe
al-ʻErgân
as-Saʻêdât
as-Saʻûd
ad-Dbâwijjîn
al-Ḥwâmde
an-Nwâbte
al-Ṛnejmât
al-Hrâmse
ar-Ršîd
al-Jaṣâjṣe
al-ʻEsejfât
al-Fursât
al-Ḥšâjme
al-Ǧrâjʻe
al-Ḥmûdât
Awlâd Selîm
Awlâd ʻEmrân
al-Hlebât
aẓ-Ẓfûfijje
al-ʻAjjaba
al-Hlôlât
as-Swêfle
al-Ḫuzara