Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/50

 Farther west extends another row of jagged brownish hillocks, which at the time we observed them were covered with bluish shadows cast by the setting sun.

Having returned to our camels, we made them kneel down close to the hillside, tethering their front legs; and after supper we lay down around them, fearing lest the high spirited animals should be frightened by some wild beast during the night and run away.

On Monday, May 30, 1910, we were in the saddle as early as 4.15 A. M. (temperature: 8° C). Not wishing to ride around the spur of the ridge of al-Čabd, which extends far to the north, we laboriously ascended the steep slope (ǧâl) by winding paths and then, after a short time, crawled down into a low ground covered with luxuriant perennials. At six o’clock we reached the dome of Mḥaḳḥaḳ al-Čabd and remained beneath it until 7.03. This dome, which rises above the southern slope of the table-land al-Čabd, affords a delightful view across the southern plains. It seemed as if the latter, lying several hundred meters below us, were plunged in bluish water from which arose a dark blue vapor enfolding still darker water with a thin veil. Above the dense haze there rose like islets countless horns, cones and truncated cones, blunt pyramids, obelisks, and other quaint shapes, fashioned by the action of rain, frost, and wind, which had gnawed at the layers of rock and carried away the softer ingredients to the east and southeast as far as the sandy desert an-Nefûd. The rays of the rising sun were reflected from the separate peaks in a dense shower of golden sparks, while the sides turned away from the sun were wrapped in a dark red shadow.

From Mḥaḳḥaḳ al-Čabd we turned toward the west, riding above the slope itself until we descended through a deep gap to the foot of it. The descent was very difficult. The road led between huge broken boulders, amid which our camels, loaded as they were, could not pick their way; so we were obliged to unload the animals and carry the baggage ourselves. In places there were drifts of sand a meter in depth and so soft that the camels sank into it up to their knees. At 8.05 we arrived at the rain water well Mšâš al-Čabd, situated at the foot of the mountains in a small bay. The