Page 152 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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j NORTHERN ROUTES
78
•.
miles.
total, stages.
16 m. Metheydhah, in stony desert.
Route, again crosses tongue of the Nefud,
termed ‘ Matsour ’ by Huber, = ‘ Ardh el-
Madhua ’ (Madhu'’) of Leachman ; here a
narrow strip about 6 m. in width, which,
parting from the main Nefud, stretches east­
ward for a great distance ; then road again
enters arid stony desert.
17 m. Trobah (Trubah), situated on western edge of
large tract of extraordinarily arid stony desert
stretching eastward and dotted with islands
of sand, known as Dhebeib (or Dhablb) el-
Kebir ; the subsoil of this tract is of compact
texture, like white mortar ; 2 walled wells,
water at 30 ft. ; water stinking and bitter
when first drawn, but improves as wells
are drawn upon. Other wells of Met‘ab
near, where there is also a small castle.
At 18 miles NE. of Trobah, 14 wells of
Khadhra, cut in rock, 2 yards in diam.,
!.
water at 46-52 ft., a little bitter.
Dir. S., still across arid stony Dhebeib el-KLebir ; then
route again crosses intermittent Nefud till near
Sha'ibah.
18 m. KTiubb Shamah is entered ; here there are
i
several wells, Bir Hashami, Waseit, and Bir
Zerud, all to E. and NE. of route. [Route
No. 2, from Jauf to Boreidah (see above,
p. 72), is crossed in this district.]
[There is an alternative and somewhat more direct
route, though'less w-ell furnished with wells, some­

times followed by the Hajj caravans in preference
to the true Darb Zobeidah, between Birkat
Ashabah and Shamah, passing by way of the
wells of Khadhra; see above.]

Dir. S. by W., continuing through intermittent nefud, :
or rather dahanah, which has here but little of the
alarming characteristics of the main Nefud, being
generally only hills of sand separated by gravellv
depressions. The Nefud is finally left a few miles
short of ShaTbah.