Page 148 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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? 76 NORTHERN ROUTES

miles.
total, stages.
descent described both by Blunt and Huber
• ; as ‘ impossible both for men and animals
except at one point \ A certain amount of
pasturage to be found at foot.
3 m. XJmm'Asdflr, at foot of Jal; the first of a series
i
of three reservoirs along the route, at some
distance apart, and containing water after
rain. Route narrows for a time to single
track and crosses broken stony, ground of
t Wadi el-Batn.
160 60 Birkat el-Jumeimah, ruins, and a reservoir 90 ft. square
and about 20 ft. deep, in a depression, with steps
leading down to water and troughs for watering
animals; reported by Leachman (whose route
*. crossed here) in 1910 ‘ in good condition ’ ; in
. >
February of that year, sufficient water for 12,000
men for several days.
[A route goes off W., and eventually turns NW.,
to link up at Umm Musheiqiq (see p. 83) with the
Kerbela-Ha’il track.]
:
Dir. a little W. of S., over stony ground.
; 8 m. Sha‘lb Abanudth (possibly Blunt’s Wadi Rutha)
is crossed ; a narrow valley, described as
extending about 36 miles E. and W. Huber
mentions that this valley after rain is some­

times filled by stream 100 yds. wide, and 2 ft.
1 deep or more.
3 m. Birkat ez-Zebalah (Zobalah), situated in oval
i depression (21 miles by 1J miles) ; 4 reser­

voirs and 5 large wells, the most important
till ‘Ashaq ; wells 130—160 ft. deep, cut in
rock, with masonry parapets much crumbled.
Leachman reported (1910) that the largest
reservoir had been partially destroyed. On
edge of basin are some ruined houses, which
can be seen from very far and serve as a good
landmark.
Route now goes for about 8 miles through
volcanic country, soon passing,to 1., a little iso­
lated building called 'Aqalat er-Renemi, and
then ruins of castle of Bdtil Athul.