Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/26

 troops, they had not entered the narrow streets of the settlement but had encamped on the slope opposite the Government building and had threatened to shoot everyone who entered or left the building until the ḳâjmaḳâm had paid what was due to them. The ḳâjmaḳâm pleaded that he was not in possession of so much money and asked them to be satisfied with a sum on account, offering to let them have the balance as soon as he could procure it from the provincial governor at Damascus. After negotiations which lasted for two days, the chiefs consented to accept a sum on account and to depart. They promised, however, that they would return in greater numbers if the whole amount were not paid to them before the middle of July.

At 4.48 P.M. we entered the broad channel of ʻAḳejḳa, which passes through a rocky slope consisting of three horizontal layers. On the left we saw the railway embankment and to the north the yellow sides of the table-shaped elevation of al-Mamlaḥ, where the peasants of Maʻân dig for salt. The šeʻîb of ʻAḳejḳa begins to the southwest on the ridge of aš-Šera’, near the Roman camp of al-Ḳarana, at a height of 1676 meters. The hilly region of Abu Ḥṣejnân divides its head from the šeʻîb of Ṭaberijja, the lower part of which is known as al-Mṣawwal. At five o’clock we caught sight of a small white house with a red roof towards the south-east, the station of Abu Ṭarfa’. Almost in the same direction, but nearer to us, we saw the tree Umm ʻAjjâš, which, in the opinion of the pilgrims and settlers, is inhabited by a spirit. Then we crossed the small šeʻîb of al-Ǧemâǧem. Our camels were hungry and greedily searched for the perennials which grew here and there in the stony soil. Wishing to give the animals time to graze, we halted at 5.58 P. M. in the šeʻîb of al-Mṣawwal, on the left slope of which workmen had broken stone for the construction of the railway track.

Mounting the slope of the šeʻîb of al-Mṣawwal, we drew a map of the lowland of al-Ǧafar. The setting sun illuminated the yellow hillside which sinks down towards the lowland. The separate channels, partly obscured by shadows, resembled dark bands and were plainly visible.