Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/213

 the northeast, there is the smaller well of al-Ferri. We climbed the right-hand slope of the šeʻîb to the east and from the top at 1.24 perceived the dark rocks of Sawda’ Ḥamde and farther to the northeast the red hills of ad-Daḫâḫîr. At two o’clock we proceeded along the height Šrejf ab-al-Bîẓ, from which we had an unobstructed view of the mutilated cone of al-Watar to the southeast and of a large clump of ṭalḥ trees near the water of al-Bedʻ.

The character of the landscape gradually altered. The black lava receded in places, and red elevations began to appear, with isolated brownish cones and cupolas upon them. But the region was bare and parched, because there had been no rain for four years. Through the šeʻîb of Abu Nmâr we reached the broad and deep šeʻîb of al-Baṣîri, where we entered an ancient road running north and south. On all the more conspicuous points to the right and left of the road there were small circular towers about two meters high and from two to ten meters in diameter. Most of these towers were built of stones without mortar, and some were quite empty inside. Our guide told us that they are landmarks for the wayfarer, pointing out the way in the midst of these craggy hills. They are probably the ancient ârâm (stone landmarks). At 3.30 there hovered before us the oblong mountain of az-Zuṛba, in front of which glistened the broad plain of al-Bedîʻ, surrounded by red hills. We moved forward between the low elevations of al-Manâḫer. At four o’clock we descended into the šeʻîb of al-Bedîʻ where we remained by a palm grove from 4.40 to 4.53 (temperature: 39.2° C). The palm trees belonged to the chief ʻAlejjân eben Ṣadfân, of the clan of the Saʻejdânijjîn, who encamps there when the dates ripen. Northeast of the palm trees there were ten wells, each about three meters deep, artificially walled in or hewn from the rock. They always contain water and could be used to irrigate a large palm grove.

After filling one water bag, we rode to the southeast past numerous goat folds. Entering a small šeʻîb we ascended its left-hand slope, where we found a large burial place. The tombs were not raised up but were level even with the ground and surrounded by a low, circular wall measuring about one hundred and eighty centimeters in diameter (Figs. 76, 77, 78). In the middle there are stone slabs; in each case two are inserted in the ground and a third laid across them, or else all three or even four are propped up against one another. The stone