Page 410 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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ROUTE 39 : TA’IF—BlSHAH 207

ROUTE 39

TA’IF—BlSHAH

Authorities: (1) Native information, collected by Col. R. A. Wauhope (1916) as
to the Sherif’s march in 1911 after the re-conquest of Asir; the Sherif’s route
is here reversed. (2) For the alternative route via ‘Aqiq, Taraisier (1834)
who accompanied the Egyptian force in that year ; and native information
collected by Burckhardt (1814-15).
Direction: SE.
Distance: Crow-fly, 180 miles; road, 197 (Sherif’s route). Tamisier estimated
‘ 108 marching hours ’ between Ta’if and Bishah.
Character and Supplies: see p. 52.
miles.
total, stages.
TA’IF, town ; see I, p. 126 f.
Dir. SE.
15 15 Layah (or Liyah), village ; for description, see below,
p. 208. The track leads over mountains for about
2 hrs. and then descends into the great plain
in which Kulakh lies.
35 20 Kulakh, small town ; water from pits in neighbouring
wadi ; wheat and barley, fruit, and dates are
grown.
Dir. nearly E.

Wadi Nir is passed ; there are wells in the wadi,
which were dry when the Sherif was there.
Jebel el-Akildt and Jebel el-Ghurban are passed.
63 28 Wadi el-Khumra.

Dir. SE., passing about 4 m. S. of Jebel Hadhan
(Hadan), the stronghold of the Buqum tribe,
where they send their cattle, &c., for safety in
time of war ; water, trees, and good grazing.
Farther W. are four pyramidal hills, the last of
which is called Jebel Sak.
91 28 Tuxabah, town ; see I, p. 142.

Dir. SE., over harrah, going difficult; the track joins
the Wadi Kara, in which is a running stream,
irrigating date-groves of the Buqum tribe and
‘Abadilah clan.
115 24 II ddi Kara \ camp in wadi ; running water ; tamarisk

and acacia trees ; grazing.