Page 154 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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ROUTE 3: NE.TEF—HA’TL 79

miles.
total, atagea.
11 m. Road turns due W., and a road comes in 1.
from Boreidah.
318 66 Shafibah, 30 or more wells, salt and bitter water at
17-20 ft., situated in a bare open space.
Dir. slightly N. of W. over undulating ground and
skirting the southern edge of the main iSTefud ;
occasional good pasturage and fuel.
12 m. Lughf en-Nefud (or El-Ghabiyah); a little to
the N., the edge of the Nefud stands up like
a wall about 125 ft. high.
349 31 Beq‘a (or Baq'ci), situated in an immense soft whitish
depression (sabfchah) running E. and W.; village
composed of two groups of houses—the eastern
Sehebi, the western Uiueimi, each having a square
castle ; between the two, a little group of four
houses called Serqiyah, formerly known as El-
Hammam or Mereiqib; near by, an isolated pro­
perty called Qaseifah, surrounded by fields.
Middle of basin is covered with thick bed of bitter
salt. Water abundant, but the only well giving
passable water (of a whitish-blue colour) is that
of Uweimi. The palms of Beq‘a are very fine
and produce good dates ; wheat and barley are
cultivated.
Dir. WSW.; good going over fairly level sandstone
desert. '
[Blunt went from Beq‘a (which he calls ‘ Taibetism !
I
i. e. Tayyibat Ism) to Sha'Ibah in an almost direct
line, passing the well of Beyyud, at about 18 miles.]
369 20 Bir el-Khaserah, in a very shallow depression ; about
30 wells of fair water at 20 ft., but all silted
up, and water shallow and liable to fail.
Dir. SW. at first, leading into WadiJHa’il, then gradu­ i
ally trending WSW.
12 m. Wadi Shaqiq ; good pools of water after rain ;
much brushwood, and consequently good
fuel and camel-grazing both here and in
Sha'ib (or JFarfi) Halil; ravine country and
rough ground traversed for some distance.
Rock or hill of Sa'likah, covered with inscrip­
i tions, and a prominent landmark, is passed.