Page 396 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat
P. 396

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            200                         WESTERN ROUTES



                                              ROUTE 37


                                          JIDDAH—MECCA


            Authorities : Burckhardt, 1814 ; War Office Report, Oct. 1916 ; and Egyptian
                 War Office Itinerary, 1916.
            Direction : E. by S.
            Distance: Crow-fly, 46 miles; road, 63 miles (Burckhardt), 54.1 miles (W.O.
                 Report), or 56 miles (E. W. 0. I.).
            Character and Supplies : see p. 51.

                                     A. Burckhardt’s Route
                miles.
            total, stages.
                          JIDDAH, port; see I, p. 122 f.
                             Leave the town by the Mecca Gate.
                             Dir. E. by S., passing by sand-mounds, and then,
                                   slightly ascending, over a sandy treeless plain,
                                   which is impregnated with salt; the salt ceases
                                   about 2 m. from the town.
                                74 m. Raghamah, coffee-hut near well.

                                The road follows a broad -winding valley between
                                   rocky or sandy hills.
                                8 m. Beyddhiyah, well and coffee-hut; water not
                                        good.

                                4 m. Ferd’inah, poor, half-ruined coffee-huts ;
                                        water.
                                The valley now opens out, the hills diverging con­
                                  siderably and increasing in height.
                                3 m. Bahrah, hut-village ; wells of plentiful water,
                                        some sweet and some brackish ; a small
                                        market.
                               The track passes the ruins of a small fort on an
                                  isolated hillock.
              28  28 Haddah, spacious coffee-huts in the form of sheds sup­
                                  ported by pillars, and a small market. This place,
                                  or Bahrah, is usually the first halting-place on
                                  the route.
                            Dir. generally E. by S., over a plain of sand or clay.
  -                              3 m. The track passes a small rivulet and some
                                        date-palms to 1. in a plain, and then enters
                                        hilly country.
                               3 m. Sheyneisah, coffee-hut, and a well not far
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