Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/185

 ʻAṭijje set up two huts and planted a garden in Tebûk. When we returned, we found our camels already in the encampment. They were hungry, for in the šeʻîb of ʻArejḳên, below Tebûk to the southeast, there was very little vegetation, and we could not drive them elsewhere for fear of robbers. Ǧwâd drew my attention to their feet, which were in a bad state from walking on the sharp stones of the rocky Ḥeǧâz. Two of the camels had the skin of the soles of their forefeet already torn away in places. A sharp stone could have penetrated them. On the advice of Ǧwâd we bought naphtha, saltpeter, and sulphur, and rubbed their feet with this mixture. In the evening we determined our geographical latitude.

On Tuesday, June 21, 1910, in the morning, we drew a sketch map of the region through which we were to travel with our guide Sbejḥ. Before noon Sâlem, the representative of the chief Ḥarb, came to us with the chief Daʻsân âl Zelʻ, of the Rawâẓîn family of the Sbût clan, likewise belonging to the Beni ʻAṭijje. The latter had arrived at Tebûk in the night with several camel riders for salt and clothing material. His attitude towards me was very friendly, but he warned me