Page:The journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London. Volume 34, 1864. (IA s572id13663720).pdf/338

128 Every one who casts a glance over the map of Arabia, must have remarked the name of Djebel Toweyk (sometimes, though improperly, designated by Djebel-Aared), placed now here now there alongside of certain mountain-chains of a somewhat arbitrary appearance, and delineated as not far from the centre of the peninsula. This same Djebel Toweyk is in fact a vast calcareous plateau, and the so-called mountain-chains are, for the most part, mere indications of its limiting margin; higher indeed than the neighbouring plains, and thus offering a mountainous appearance, but not succeeded by valleys or mountains on the other side; it borders only a pretty uniform steppe, whose utmost verge is at no great distance from the eastern coast, or which gradually merges in the southern desert.

The general form of this plateau is a broad crescent. Its north-easterly limb constitutes the province of Sedeyr; its centre forms the Aared and Yemamah, while the Aflaj, Woshem, and a long and elevated offshoot extending to the south-west complete the other limb. The provinces of Hareek and Wadi Dowasir are off-lying appendages on its convex margin, while Kaseem lies in its concave hollow. The space occupied by the cresent itself, or Djebel Toweyk, is Nejed el-’Aala, or Upper Nejed; its appendages, with Kaseem, are sometimes decorated with the common title of Nejed, but in a political or ethnographical rather than in a geodicean sense. A yet wider application of the name includes Djebel Shomer, and even, though only in the mouth of strangers, the Djowf.

The general elevation of Toweyk above the surrounding plains, is about 1500 to 1800 feet, but may occasionally exceed 2000. Its highest point is Djebel ’Atālah, or the “Barren Mountain,” near the juncture of the provinces of Sedeyr and Aared, near Wadi Haneefah, about lat. 25°. Of these localities I will give a more particular description further on.

This plateau is intersected by many tortuous valleys, penetrating it now and then to a great distance. Of these the most remarkable, and which merits a more special notice, is Wadi Haneefah.

This valley in its westerly origin coincides with the Nejdean pilgrim-route, which follows it for about a fourth of its length as far as the southern limit of Woshem, and even within the limits of that province as far as the town of Shakrah. Here it divides, so as to assume the form of the letter Y; and one branch runs northerly between an arm of desert (the “Nefood” already mentioned further back) and the heights of Sedeyr, till it finally opens out on the north-eastern space below, and somewhat to the east of Djebel Shomer.

The other branch, on leaving Schakrah, penetrates immediately