Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/195

 was to find for us a guide acquainted with the volcanic territory al-Ḥarra as well as with the coast regions belonging to the Ḥwêṭât at-Tihama. If he did not find such a guide among the shepherds and Daʻsân had not yet returned, then he was to go down to Daʻsân’s camp. I waited a long time for Sbejḥ and finally at 4.55 A. M. we started without him (temperature: 19.5° C). ʻArfeǧ and eṯmân, together with some isolated arṭa and ratam, grew on the plain. Having crossed the šeʻîb of Obejjeẓ aṭ-Ṭarîḳ at 5.40, we rode round the hill of al-Mkejmen and ascended a rise from which we obtained a fine view to the south and west. On the pale yellow plain are innumerable white, pink, and blood-red knolls, cones, peaks, and obelisks, and in front of them, nearer to us, could be seen about fifty black tents. On the western horizon there rose the huge battlements of the rugged mountain range of Râẓi, steeped in violet vapors; to the southwest we saw the rocky slopes of al-Ḫnejfse, composed of black and red strata, and between the two there towered up above the vapors the high, dark peak of Ḥarb and the majestic Debbâṛ, reaching to the clouds.

From 6.55 to 7.20 we remained in the šeʻîb of Zwejbt aṣ-Ṣḳûr by the rocks of Ašhab, where we were overtaken by Sbejḥ. The chief Daʻsân had not yet returned, but they were expecting him every moment. In the encampment Sbejḥ had found a man hailing from the Beli tribe, who was willing to act as our guide. Having arrived at an agreement with him, I asked him to bring up his camel and to proceed with us at once. He promised to do so but asked us to wait for him a short while, as his camel was in the pasture. In the meantime Daʻsân’s uncle came up to us and invited me to remain in the camp as his guest. I thanked him for his invitation but regretted that I could not accept it, because our camels were thirsty and we were anxious to water them at the well of ar-Rawjân. He offered to water our camels at the well, mšâš, of Abu Nmâr and said that in the meanwhile we could rest in his tent. He at once began to question us about our journey, warning both us and our new guide against the dangers by which we were threatened. He asked whether I had spoken with the chief Daʻsân and why we were coming that way, since we were neither buying nor selling anything. Knowing the disastrous consequences of such conversations, I beckoned to Sbejḥ, went with him to my saddle to put