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[-Bern-]{+11
Dr. Wallin’* Route in Northern Arabia.
Bern+} ’Ukbi. The soil of the plain is that clean, soft sand called
nufood (nufudli), and which an Arab never ceases to look upon
with predilection, from its constituting, in his idea, the proper
element of his own and his forefathers’ land. Wadi Sadr, being also
one of the most fertile spots in as-Sahil, is a favourite
dwelling-place with the Arabs here; and, as soon as wc came in sight of
its yellow plain, all the women of the clan exclaimed with evident
delight, “ God be praised that we see the nufood again.” We
crossed the plain of Sadr in a N.N.E. direction, towards the peak
of Gabal Harb; but, as wc readily accepted the friendly invitations
proffered to us from the tents we continually passed on our way,
we were a good deal delayed, and the sun had set upon us before
we reached the mountain, after an actual time of march from
Weiwi of 3 hours. We were welcomed with coffee and supper
by the Huweiti branch of the ’Umeirat (’Umeinit), although,
only two days before, they had been plundered by a hostile clan
of the Ma’aze (Ma’azoh). As is often the case, in the spring,
with the poorer Bedouins in Arabia, our hosts had no tents to
shelter us from a strong and cold S.E. wind which swept with
violence down Gabal Harb. This wind, I was told, blows here at
regular intervals of about seven days. It rises after sunset, and
continues during the night, but is succeeded in the day-time by
a southerly breeze. It is quite a local wind, seldom extending
beyond the land at the foot of the chain, and rarely reaching
the sea.
m is. On the 22nd we continued our way for a short distance through
1’cb. 22. Wadj Sadr, along the foot of Gabal Harb, the high and steep
flank of which turns here at an oblique angle to the E.N.E., and
gives rise to a wide opening through the main chain. After a
march of 1 h. 10 m. we began to penetrate the rugged defiles of
the interior of the chain. The first valley we entered was called
al-Kahale (Kahaleh), and took 1 h. 20 m. to pass. Its further
continuation to the N.E. assumes the name of al-Huleika. It
led us, after another 2 h. 20 m., to a defile called Nakb*
al-Huleika (Nakhu-l-Hule’ikali). In 1 h. 20 m. more we had
passed the summit of the defile and descended into an open,
circular plain called al-Suweika (Suwe’ikah).
Feb. 25. On the 25th we crossed the Wadi Suweika in 3 h. to a lower
range of hills on its S.S.E. border, and entered another valley
called al-Mureiha (Mure’ihah), which we traversed in 1 h. 45 m.
From that place a march of 1 h. 10 m. through a pass called
Deikatt al-Sa’lool (Dhaikatu-s-Sa’lul) brought us to Wadi
Sa-wawin (Sawawm), a more regularly defined valley sloping rapidly
to the W.S.W. Our course to-day had been invariably S.S.E.,
Anglice, it mountain path.—A. f Anglico, a narrow pass or strait.—A.
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