Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/232

 Šmejḥṭa; and to the east, the volcano of Abu Ḫašâreb. Below al-ʻOmejjed the šeʻibân of Ḫmejjeṭ and aṭ-Ṭarfâje merge.

At 7.50 we reached a narrow ravine, the rocky bed of which was worn away in places to a depth of one hundred meters, thus forming natural reservoirs. The northernmost of these reservoirs, surrounded by smooth and almost vertical walls, is known as al-Mutawwaḥa, and here we halted at eight o’clock. Camels cannot descend to it, and therefore the water remains fresh and pure throughout the year. We drove the camels farther to the south to another cavity, full of water, which, however, had been polluted with refuse. When the animals had drunk, three of them refused to graze. They knelt down, and neither kindness nor severity would induce them to get up. They were already quite emaciated, and our guide asserted that they had no marrow in their bones.

At 10.30 we left al-Mutawwaḥa, passing through the sandy šeʻîb of Ḫmejjeṭ between the rise of al-Kafḥa and the volcanic spurs of aṣ-Ṣḳûr and Ṛubejje. To the northeast we saw the volcanoes of Tidneḳ, Ǧamlûd, and Ḥala’ Ḫmejjeṭ; at 12.10 P. M. we crossed the šeʻîb of Abu Slejlât and drew near to a lava flow which comes from the volcano of Ḥawmal. This volcano towers in complete isolation in the plain. The well-formed crater crumbles away toward the west. Northeast of it is the smaller volcano of Ḥwejmel. At 12.18 to the northwest of Ḥawmal we caught sight of Rîʻ and Ferdân, as well as the hill of Nâjef.

At 12.36 the volcano of al-Bedr presented a fine view, rising as it does above the gray table mountain of Ṯadra, which stands in the midst of the fertile, pale green basin of al-Ǧaw. Behind it, far away to the west, rise red and white slopes. I wanted to return to it in order to view the surrounding district, especially the sacred place of al-Manḥal, where various signs and inscriptions are said to be carved on sacrificial boulders. But our guide would not accompany us there. He reminded me that we might encounter the Beli and that our camels were in need of rest. Šerîf and Ḫalîl likewise persuaded me not to return there, because it was not certain that the Beli might not rob us.

From 1.45 to 3.05 we halted and drew a map of the surrounding district (temperature: 36° C). The camels grazed on the luxuriant vegetation. The guide told us that the basin of al-Ǧaw is frequented by the rapacious bands of all the