Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/192

 emerged from the region in which there had been no rain for four years. Our camels grazed until 9.08. Not far from us there was an ancient burial place. The graves had been built above the earth, each one consisting of large stones bordered by a circular wall of small stones (Fig. 67). At 9.16 we left the šeʻîb of al-Ḫaraze on the south and reached the black crags of Ammu Rtejmât, among which the šeʻîb of al-ʻWejned is transformed into an impassable ravine. This šeʻîb descends from the west from the northern extremity of the ridge of Berḳa ʻÎd and, after joining the šeʻîb of al-Ḫaraze, winds round the northern spur of the volcanic territory, first in a northerly and later in a northeasterly direction. On the right it is joined by the šeʻibân of Dbejsuwât and al-Ḥṣejra—the latter being formed by the branches of aṣ-Ṣefi and Salîl—and also by al-Ḳrejweṭ. Branching off to the west, we slowly penetrated the black rocks on the north side of the šeʻîb. In front of us we had the black cone of al-ʻAbd, from which the šeʻîb of Selîm descends; on the left beneath us was the ravine of al-ʻWejned, the bed of which is covered with pink sand, from which the green ratam shrubs stand out conspicuously. At 9.55 we crossed Wdej ʻAmri. In the rocks on the right and left sides of it a ghost, ṛôla, is said to have its abode. The ghost resembles a large eagle but sighs and weeps like a human being.

At ten o’clock we mounted to the elevation, and from 10.08 to 11.55 we rested in a shallow hollow, where we found pasturage for our camels (temperature: 34° C). At the eastern border of the hollow there was a rain well, mšâš, but without water. On the boulders could be seen numerous carvings of gazelles, camels, and horses, cut out to no great depth; but there were no inscriptions. To the northwest, behind the knolls of Ammu Frûẓ, appeared the hill of al-Ḫamîs and east of it the ridge of aš-Škâʻa, with al-Mhejbel and az-Zôr still farther north. On the south, to our left, extended a black plain with the dark gaps which marked the šeʻibân of al-Ḳrejweṭ, al-Ḥṣêra, and aṣ-Ṣefi.

At 1.30 we crossed the šeʻîb of Abu Ṣôr, which descends from Nedrat as-Sbâʻ and joins al-ʻWejned. At two o’clock we