Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/41

 and annoyed me by their obtrusiveness, until they heard the noise of the mortar in which a negro was crushing roasted coffee grains. This sound, so dear to every nomad, freed me from their unwelcome attentions. Forming a long line, they made their way into the tent, and those who could find no room inside sat down near the entrance, glad of an opportunity even to smell the fragrance of the coffee, although the slave did not pour out a drop for them.

At noon ʻAwde invited me to proceed with him to a point about fifty paces from the tent and shouted orders that nobody was to come near us. Squatting down, we began to talk about my journey. In ʻAwde’s opinion it was not possible to visit either Bâjer or al-Ḥawṣa. There were wells of spring water at both of these places, which were consequently the most important centers of water supply between the depressions of Sirḥân and al-Ǧafar. Raiding bands proceeding from west to east, or vice versa, visit these wells. During the rainy season, when all the rain ponds are full of water so that the nomads can obtain a supply anywhere and need not search for wells of spring water, it is possible to explore the environs of Bâjer and al-Ḥawṣa without great danger. But in summer, when the rain ponds are dried up and every marauder is anxious to reach these wells, it is extremely dangerous to remain in their vicinity. The danger is all the greater when the surrounding tribes are waging war against each other, because then the bands of raiders never pass by the wells.

ʻAwde explained that near al-Ḥawṣa there are long underground passages called al-Kelwa. The entrance is very narrow, but the passages increase in breadth, so that they can be traversed comfortably. ʻAwde said that when he was there he had carried a taper and his companions had lighted small bundles of dry brushwood, this illumination enabling them to penetrate the crooked underground passages for quite a long distance. One of these passages, he informed me, is several hundred paces long and consists of numerous spacious galleries, in the walls of which there are small recesses similar to berths. In some places it seems as if the walls had been artificially hewn out, although elsewhere they are rugged and rough. More to the south of al-Kelwa ʻAwde had seen three ruined towers (burǧ).