Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/55

 farther to the northeast. At 12.40 P. M. we descended to the small ruined fortress of Faṣôʻa, north of which are situated two artificial rain pools still partly filled with water (Figs. 5, 6, 7). We remained near this spot until 1.32. ʻ

The camels were very thirsty, pressing forward to the edge of the parapet of the rain pools, and it was all we could do to drive them away and prevent them from falling into the water. Šerîf and Mḥammad baled the water out of the pond with a canvas bucket, making the camels drink from this container. No sooner had the animals assuaged their thirst than they were running about in search of pasture. Accordingly, there was nothing for us to do but to replace the baggage quickly and move on, as there was not a single plant in the vicinity of the rain pools. Everything had been entirely eaten up.

We proceeded to the west through the opening of the šeʻibân of Abu ʻAlejdijjât, which join Abu Rtejmât and al-Makmi. At three o’clock we reached the šeʻîb of al-Moṛâra, near which the region of al-Kḏûr ends and the actual range of aš-Šera’ begins. The latter consists of a broad, flat ridge ascending towards the northwest, covered with coarse gravel in which the šaʻrân grows abundantly. At 4.20 we halted on the southern foot of the cone of Rwejsât umm Ṛaẓa, north-west of the pass Naḳb al-Ḥdejb, which is traversed by a fairly convenient road to the southern lowlands (temperature: 30.5° C). Šerîf was to prepare our evening meal while Ismaʻîn guarded the camels.

Taking Mḥammad with us we proceeded to the knoll of al-Ḥdejb, which is of no great height and stands near a precipitous slope, and from its summit we made a geographical sketch.