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 My only desire was that the Turkish Government should not interfere with me. I did not expect active aid from them, as I was aware that their authority did not extend more than a very short distance from the railway track. My old friend Ḫalîl Fattâl and various acquaintances had provided me with recommendations to a number of prominent men in the Ḥeǧâz and at al-Medîna. Then, too, I was familiar with the conditions of the country and knew several of the native chiefs, so I had no doubt regarding the success of the expedition. I was troubled only by our late start, as I knew that the tribes migrate at the beginning of June from the interior of the desert to the seashore and that in the remoter districts we should find neither water nor guides. As head man and servant, I had engaged my acquaintance Ǧwâd, clerk to my friend and brother Prince an-Nûri eben Šaʻlân and his relative Šerîf. Ǧwâd was to proceed with our supplies from station to station, our purpose being to explore the surrounding district on camels, returning to the stations only to secure fresh supplies. We all donned the attire of Arab nomads. Kober and Thomasberger, who did not know Arabic, were passed off as Turks, and we gave them the names of Rifʻat and Tûmân respectively.

Having completed all our preparations at Damascus, we left that city on May 21, taking the railway for Maʻân. From the station of Zîza, whose ancient and venerable name has been distorted by Turkish officials to Ǧîza, we sketched out a map of the area on either side of the railway as far as Maʻân.

From Maʻân I sent a message and a letter to my friend, the chief ʻAwde abu Tâjeh, asking him to lend me some camels, so that I might travel on them to his camp, where I could purchase camels for our expedition. We took up our abode at the station inn and spent our time in exploratory rides over the surrounding district.

Maʻân forms an oasis on the western edge of the desert (Fig. 1). The slopes of the aš-Šera’ range rise gradually to the westward, and to the east extends an undulating plain.