Page 460 - Travels in Arabis (Vol I)

XXV.] NAKAB EL HAJAR. 421

dudgeon ; but their behaviour, unless they had
proceeded to actual violence, could not have
been much worse than it had been hitherto,
and I therefore cared little for such an ebul­

lition.
Friday, ls<5 May. Although it was quite

dark last night when we arrived here, and
we could not but be aware, from the state of
the ground we had passed over, that there
must be abundance of vegetation, yet we were

hardly prepared for the scene that opened
upon our view at daylight this morning.
,
The dark verdure of fields of dhurrah *
dokhn'j’, tobacco, &c., extended as far as my
eyes could reach. Mingled with these, we had
the soft acacia, and the stately, but more

sombre foliage of the date palm ; while the
creaking of numerous wheels with which the
grounds were irrigated, and in the distance,

several rude ploughs drawn by oxen; the
ruddy and lively appearance of the people,
who now flocked towards us from all quarters,

and the delightful and refreshing coolness of
the morning air, combined to form a scene,
which he who gazes on the barren aspect of

the coast, could never anticipate.
* Sorghum vulgare. Sorghum saccharatum.