Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/22



The ḳâjmaḳâm, or representative of the Turkish Government at Maʻân, was one of the most intelligent and honorable officials whom I ever met in the Turkish Empire. He exhibited great readiness to assist me, but he himself admitted that his influence over Maʻân was less than mine, and he asked me to reconcile him with several of the native chiefs. No Turkish gendarme dared to show himself east of the railway, and from time to time the noise of gunfire could be heard. All the people showed signs of unrest and were afraid of what the morrow might bring forth.

We were anxious to get away from the oasis into the open desert, but our camels had not arrived. As we were at luncheon, however, we heard the growling noise of someone forcing the camels to kneel down. The sweetest music could not have been so gratifying to our ears. We immediately brought out our baggage and prepared for the journey to the camp of Chief ʻAwde abu Tâjeh of the tribe of Ḥwêṭât.

The tribe of Ḥwêṭât is divided into three groups:

The first group encamps by the Red Sea, from the valley of ad-Dâma on the south to the oasis of Maḳna on the north and eastward to the mountain chain which is known generically as al-Ǧeles. The Ḥwêṭât eben Ǧad have their encampments in the northwestern corner of the Ḥesma region, from Mount Ramm, or Iram, in the northwest to the foot of the aš-Šera’ mountain range in the east. The Ḥwêṭât eben Ǧâzi are the masters of aš-Šera’ and the adjacent desert to the east. The clans of the latter are as follows: