Page 326 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

( OUTE 27 : MEDINA—MECCA 1G5

ROUTE 27

MEDINA—MECCA

(Darb es-Sultani)

Authorities : Burckhardt, 1S15 ; compared with Egyptian War Ofiicc Itinerary,
I91G, and Sadlier, 1819.
General Direction : SSW. and SSE.
Distance: Crow-fiy, 220 miles; road, 285 miles. Burckhardt only gives times
between stages. The distances given below are computed from his times on
the basis of 2 in. per hour (niaiiuy night marching) for the hill section of the
route to about Bir csh-Sheikh, and 2} m. along tho plain beyond.
Character and Supplies : see p. 47.

miles.
total, stages.
MEDINA, town ; see I, p. 116 f.
Dir. W. by S.
The track passes some distance W. of Bir lAli,
which consists of a few houses around a well
and a small date-plantation, and ascends a chain
of mountains over ground covered with flints.
[Sadlier places Bir ‘Ali 3 m. W. by S. of Medina ;
the Egyptian War Office Itinerary places Ab’ar ‘Ali
about 7 m. from Medina in the same direction.]
6 m. The summit is reached and the route descends
through rocky valleys full of thorny trees,
I;
crossing several water - courses ; it then
enters the Fereish plain.
[According to Route No. 33, II (see below, p. 192),
Wadi lAqiq is entered 3 m. from Medina, and
Silsilah plain 2 m. farther on.] j
21 21 Fereish plain, camping-place.
Dir. WSW., the track soon leaving the plain and
running across rocky ground.
5 m. Enter Wadi Shuhada, a broad straight valley
covered with white sand, with an easy
descent. Track passes the ruins of a small
mosque, some little distance on.
8 m. Sha‘b el-Hdl, a small plain between moun­
tains, is entered.
Dir. SW. by W.

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