Page:The Northern Ḥeǧâz (1926).djvu/99

 remained until 11.45. Our famished camels could find nothing except rimṯ. The rift valley of al-ʻAraba was completely parched, and, as there was nowhere the slightest trace of grass or green plants, the prevailing color was gray. The heat was so great that we found it difficult to breathe (temperature: 37.8° C). The air was full of yellowish layers; the sun could not be seen, but its hot rays warmed these layers and scorched the stones and sand. There was not the least breath of wind to bring cooler air to the heated soil upon which we lay. Our lungs struggled to gulp down as much air as possible, and we could not bear to turn our eyes upon the glowing atmosphere. My right eye was paining me so much that I did not venture even to move the muscles of it, not wishing to increase my agony. My fever had grown more severe again, and I could feel the blood throbbing in my temples.

Mounting our camels at 11.45, we rose above the warmest atmospheric layer and could breathe somewhat more freely. After proceeding southward along the western foot of the Ummu Nsejle mountains, at twelve o’clock we crossed the šeʻîb of Umm Ǧurfejn, through which we could see the black ridge of Mount ar-Rwêḥa. But we did not find any fresh green plants anywhere at the foot of the mountain; the needles had been preserved only on the rimṯ bushes and not on all of these, for many of them were completely bare, a sign that the roots had not found enough moisture to nourish the long, thin leaves, which resemble pine needles. At 12.47 we caught sight of the palm gardens of the oasis of al-ʻAḳaba (Fig. 27). The tops of the palms seemed to be a dull black, while the sea behind them was a dirty yellow. At 1.06 we rode across the šeʻîb of aš-Šellâle and reached the wooden huts in which a hundred and fifty foot soldiers were quartered. Skirting the encampment and settlement on the western side, we urged our camels to kneel down by the well of Ajla (temperature 42.3° C).

The well of Ajla is situated between the stronghold and the seashore, from which it is scarcely fifty paces distant. To the north and south extend the palm gardens. At the advice of Ismaîn, who was well acquainted with al-ʻAḳaba, we carried our baggage into the nearest of the northern gardens, where we encamped. After a while, the owner of the garden came up to us with a watchman, and both gave