Page 416 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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210 WESTERN ROUTES

miles.
total, stages.
climbs a rocky hill and. descends into a sandv
plain covered with thorny trees, the foliage of
which makes good camel fodder.
34 5A Wadi Derra (or Dura), a fine valley, with an unusually
large torrent course, and vegetation-which recalls
that of the Nile valley ; there are no wells, hut
water, stale and nauseous to the taste, is obtain­

able everywhere by digging. Women here act
as camel-drivers.
Dir. SE., by a good road, passing a tumulus. The
track enters a mountainous valley; it then
climbs a mountain and descends into another
vallev, clothed with forests of ithl trees, through
which a stream of clear water (Seil Turabah)
runs from W. to E., the bed of the torrent- !
course being filled with large grey pebbles.
I
43f 9$ Turabah, town ; see I, p. 142.
After some little distance, the track passes ruins of
rude houses to r. ; it then follows a valley with
a great number of mimosa trees ; good grazing ;
hedgehogs are here unusually common.
53£ 9£ Seil Ferzah, camping-place by a water-course, in a
narrow part of the valley ; fine trees. Aiter rain
the water-course becomes a torrent; at other
times water is obtainable by digging.
The track proceeds for 2 hrs. along the seil.
Dir. E. across mountains, the track ascending bv
a more difficult path than any yet encountered ;
it then descends.
59£ 6 Warakh ; water, as at Derra and Ferzah.
Dir. SE., for some time along a valley, where tortoises
The track crosses
and partridges are numerous,
i
mountains by an almost impracticable path and s
enters a deep gorge, tilled with enormous blocks
of rock, and of very rapid descent ; it then
emerges upon a broad plain covered with trees.
66 J 74 Kara, a ruined village. Camp on the borders of a
torrent with grassy banks : water-pits of sweet
water : fish obtainable in the pools.
The track now crosses mountains.
5 'Aqlq, a village on a hillock, surrounded by date-