Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/171

 wells, which was attacked and pursued by the Weld ʻAli. But the pursuers were surrounded and defeated, losing eighty-six rifles and seventy riding camels. Eben Subhân proceeded to the oasis of Tejma, drove away the Turkish garrison, had the staunchest adherents of the Government beheaded, and set up his own deputy in the oasis. From Tejma Eben Subhân had intended to attack al-Ǧowf, but, learning that the Rwala had not yet left the depression of Sirḥân, he turned to the southeast in order to subdue the Weld Slîmân. No Arabs remained between the oasis of Tejma, Medâjen Ṣâleḥ, and al-Muʻaẓẓam. The Weld ʻAli marched northwards, pressing on against their enemies the Beni ʻAṭijje, who fled before them to Mount aš-Šera’ or to the volcanic territory al-Ḥarra or the uplands of Ḥesma. The father of our guide had gone on a marauding expedition against al-Âjde, a clan of the Weld ʻAli, who were said to have encamped near the central part of the al-Aḫẓar valley. In the neighborhood of Tebûk there were no Arabs, we were told, because bands of marauders were continually passing that way and disturbing the flocks.

This was sad news for us. The journey to Tejma east of the railway was out of the question, nor was it possible to send our exhausted and starving camels to recover in some camp in the vicinity of Tebûk. We had intended to allow the camels ten to fourteen days’ rest with abundant pasture, and only then to start on the new journey.

On our left hand we had the cones of al-Maḫarûḳa, az-Zebedijje, and the pyramid of Umm ʻArejḳîb; on our right hand the huge pyramid of Ḳalʻat az-Zaʻejter. At 6.03 we reached the well of al-Bêr and remained there until 6.28 (temperature: 24.5° C). This well is situated at the northwestern foot of the sandstone cone bearing the same name; it is two to three meters deep and contains only rain water. If there is no rain for two or three years, it dries up. On the surrounding sandstone walls we observed numerous carved images of camels, goats, ibexes, ostriches, and horses, but we found no inscriptions. A few men and women were watering long-haired goats, and from them I bought a goat, which Ismaʻîn immediately sacrificed in honor of the spirit that filled the well with water.

The men asked our guide when his father would set out for the al-Kerak territory to fetch grain. It seems that in July every clan of the Beni ʻAṭijje sends some men with a flock