Page 428 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

216 SOUTH-WESTERN ROUTES

miles.
total, stages.
Sirhan section of the Shahran entered. Road
goes through gum forest.
3 m. Al Ferzasmall village.
3 m. Dhibat Al Sirhan, small village. Houses in
villages, from now on, are of mud and stone.
Cultivation at frequent intervals, wheat
barley, dhura, and bersim.
1 m. Muharith, small village.
2 m. Dhibat AlJihal, small village. Road to Sabiu
goes off right. The Sha'af Rashhah section
of the Shahran is entered.
2 m. Masqi (Musji ?), large village of over 200
houses.
1 m. Jarr Beni Jabrah. a wadi with villages.
2 m. Qurra'a, small village.
1 m. Qelt, small village.
The road passes from Shahran territory
to Rufeidat el-Yemen (Qahtan).
1 m. Al Ramadhdn, small village.
20i 20£ Bishat Ibn Salim, a fertile wadi with several villages, of
which the most important, Suq el-Ahad Rufeidah,
a large market, is half an hour to the north. Road
crosseswadi.
2 m. Al Abu Midrih, small village. Road now
descends steeply through rather hilly country.
3.V m. Bothah, small village.

The road passes through an extensive
gum-forest, known as El-Mahjar, and after
7 miles enters a narrow gorge, called Darb
el-'Uqeidah, which is a favourite resort of
robbers and is in the country of the Beni
Qeis section of the Rufeidat el-Yemen.
10 m. Mudhiq, a small spring. A few miles
farther on the Darb el-'Uqeidah ends.
46 25.1 Fara'ain, mountain and village of the same name.
Road now goes down hill and enters the territory
of the Sha'af Yarlmah wa Khutab section of the
Rufeidat el-Yemen.
3 in. Ziiribah, small village. Over level country.
2 in. Darb Salman, where a notorious highway man
Gum forest.
named Salman was killed.
I