Page 150 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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ROUTE 3: NEJEF—HA’IL 77

miles.
total, stages.
7 m. BirJcat esh-Sheihiyah (Asheihebah), 2 reser-
voixs situated in an extensive shallow
depression; one round, the other square;
water-supply doubtful; ruined castle with
walls still standing several yards above
ground, with well near. i
Along this section, for about 5 miles, the
route is again bordered by walls, almost to
Birkat Asha bah.
Birkat (or Qasr) I bn ‘Atlyah, a well and
small castle in ruins.
34 m. Birkat Ashabah (Huber), ‘Ashshar (Blunt),
important- place, one large building, and
about 100 small houses; 3 large reservoirs
and about 100 small, all hewn in the solid
rock. Immediately beyond this place, the
Neftid is entered for the first time, and crossed
for 12 m., when stony desert is again en­
countered.
25 m. Birkat el-‘Ashaq, about 1| miles E. of road ; \
t
a concrete reservoir (280 ft. by 190 ft.),
.
situated half-way up a hill and intercepting
:
the waters of a stream which comes down it.
This is the last of the Zobeidah reservoirs ;
being broken (according to Blunt), it contains
only a small mudhole; Huber, on the con­

trary, describes it as. being in a perfect state
of preservation, but empty, when he was
there, owing to want of rain. Near by, a
second reservoir, smaller, less well preserved,
and almost silted up.
252 92 Bir Beleghblyah, camping-ground; well, not mentioned
by Huber. Route No. 7, Suq esh-Shuyukh-Leinah-
Ha'il, joins here (see p. 88). At some distance
to NW., Huber reports 10 wells of Bir Terbtyah.
After about 2 hrs. the Nefud is entered
again and continues till about 3 hrs. from
Metheyahah.
Route passes again for some few miles
between stone walls, here from 20 to 30 yards
apart.