Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/251

 Ǧwâd explained that the Beni ʻAṭijje were encamped near Bîr al-Msallam on the eastern side of Mount az-Zejte. I very much desired to go to them. In their camp we could have exchanged our worn-out camels for sound animals and could also have made a more thorough topographical survey of the northern half of the region of Ḥesma; but a few days previously two men from this camp had been in Tebûk and had learnt from the mudîr and Sâlem that the Government was no longer protecting us. It was therefore uncertain whether they might not have adopted a hostile attitude towards us; as, however, the Beni ʻAṭijje were moving northward to the territory of the Ḥwêṭât and knew that I was friendly with the chief ʻAwde abu Tâjeh, I conjectured that they would sooner esteem me as a friend of the chief ʻAwde than hate me as a man deserted by the Government. I therefore made up my mind after all to go to them.

The tribe of the Beni ʻAṭijje, which is known also as al-Maʻʻâze, or contemptuously as al-ʻAṭâwne, is composed of the following clans:

Of the families I noted down: