Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/120

 clumps of rimṯ bushes emerge like small islands. It is bordered to the right and left by high, rocky walls, through which break numerous šeʻibân, large and small. After one o’clock the wâdi became tapering and twined round the spur of Mikwan al-Ḥâǧǧ, which extends towards al-Abjaẓ from the east. Egyptian

troops always occupied this spur when the pilgrimage caravans passed this way, for on several occasions the Arabs had attacked and robbed the pilgrims near here. Our guide Slîmân related how his father Sâlem had taken part in such an attack. The Egyptian soldiers had built a wall of rough stones on the mountain spur, behind which they had set up two small cannons. Not seeing any hostile Bedouins anywhere about, they were looking at the approaching pilgrims, admir-