Page 164 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

■ ■

n

%

84 NORTHERN ROUTES

ROUTE 6

SAMAWAH— BOREIDAH

Authorities: Leachman, 1912, with details from Huber, 1881, and native information.
General Direction : SSW.
Distance : Crow-fly, 335 miles ; road, 365 miles. For the first 6 stages no measure­
ments are available for intermediate distances, and the route is divided into
day’s marches'.
Character and Supplies : see p. 28 f.

miles.
total.- stages.
SAMAWAH, large and flourishing town of about 10,000
inhab. on the Euphrates in Turkish ‘Iraq, with
government offices, barracks, 6 khans, 8 mosques,
and 250 shops ; a bridge of boats over the river.
Date groves, chiefly on r. bank.
Dir. SSW. along the Darh es-Selman across gradually
ascending desert of Shamiyah for a long day’s
march.
Jufrah (Gofra), wells frequented by Bedouins. Route
now enters the stony Hajarah desert, crossed for
a day’s march.
Abu Khuweimah; rain-water, obtainable only in winter.
Continue over desert another day.
Selmdn, numerous wells, but poor water. Another day’s
march across desert.

Haqai el-Ferdus, shallow depression holding water after
rain. Again a day across desert.
Khadid, with water after rain, but no wells. Continue
for a sixth dav’s march.
%/
160 160 Leinah, camping-ground between the Hajarah desert and
the Nefud. Several hundred wells, spread over
an area of 5-6 miles and sunk in hard white
limestone; abundant water at about 60 ft.
Dir. SSW. up the valley.

10 m. Dahanah reached ; the name here given to
a strip of sand breaking off from the Nefud
and bending to SSE. Heavy going over
dunes of red sand 50 ft. high, and 300 yds.
apart.