Page 504 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

ROUTE 58 : SAN*A—RIYADH 255

miles.
total, stages.
of tamarinds, in a plain. After about 2-i hrs.
small village of Jebel; then 14- hrs. over rough
road to Shira1.
18 m. Shira4, small town of several separate hamlets,
chief settlement of Ahrab tribes, on border
of large plain of Beled Harith. Lime-kilns ;
much honey in district.
Dir. E. by S., through region of arid mountains ; after
4 hrs. of rough going, a wide valley with numerous
water-courses is entered.
30 30 Madid, pop. 3,000 ; open town of comparatively modern
' aspect, situated on both banks of Wadi Madid,
chief settlement in district of the Nehm people.
Many notables of district have castellated houses.
Dir. NE., through Nehm country, -with no sedentary
population ; the track is less safe, and over diffi­
cult stony ground, for about half a day’s march.
13 m. Milh, small town near Wadi Silah ; rallying-
point for nomads, with their flocks and herds,
at certain times of year.
Dir. NNE., entering broad stony plain, with sparse
herbage in river-beds near route ; the plain is
surrounded b}'- arid mountains.
7 m. Beran, Bedouin village of mud huts and
several tents ; ruins in neighbourhood. !
Wells, with fertile patches here and there, in i
ravines ; centre for watering flocks.

Dir. NNE., through arid country; continual and
fatiguing ascent towards plateau of Jauf.
15 m. Qanbarah.
Dir. NNE.
7 m. Qutbin.

Dir. almost due N. A day’s fatiguing march leads to
the culminating point of the lower Jauf, from
which there is an abrupt descent through a narrow
defile, known as Ferda. Thence, descent less
steep to valley which forms the entry to the Jauf ;
numerous burial-huts, constructed of schist,
peculiar to this region, are passed.
28 m. Majzar, about 100 houses in groups, belong­
ing to Nehm people; ruins in neighbourhood ;