Page 622 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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314 SOUTH-EASTERN ROUTES

miles.
total, stages.
2 m. Leave bed of wadi and ascend by zigzag
path to pass of Bab er-Rafsah, a ruined
tower and square gate-house, through which
all caravans have to pass and pay toll to
the Masharifah tribe. On 1. bank of wadi,
opposite tower, are cave-dwellings forming
the tribe’s frontier village in direction of Sur.
Return to bed of stream.
5 m. Fuleij Oasis, in bed of wadi, below its
junction with Wadi Fisao, its principal
tributary which rises on the E. side in Jebel
Khamis ; there is good and ample water,
and abundant camel-grazing for about a
mile. Continue up Wadi Fuleij.
S m. Leave wadi and enter plain which extends
to district of Ja‘lan.
11m. Humeidah, walled hamlet in Ja‘lan; about
fifteen mud and date-branch huts of the
Hishm tribe, small fort and some date-
plantations. Water from running streams ;
cultivation both within and without walls.
32 32 Kamil, village of about 200 houses, with bastioned walls
on N. and W. sides, and date-groves to S. and E. ;
bazaar of some 15 shops. Water-supply from
streams is abundant and is employed for irriga­
tion ; cultivation of lucerne. [For the branch
route to Lashkharah see below, p. 317.]
Dir. SW. by S., over plain ; the soil is alternately very
loose drift sand and a whitish indurated clay,
covered with acacia bushes. After a short
distance enter Wadi el-Ha imah.
Dir. WNW., up Wadi el-Ha imah, a shallow line of
drainage traversing Sharqlyah, known also in its
upper course as Wadi Ibra ; it contains stunted
bushes here and there.
8 m. (2.V hrs.). Some sand-dunes about 50 ft. in
height, blown in from the desert on the S.:
the spread of the sand has been checked by
growths of desert bushes which have caused
the dunes. 12 m. (3 hrs.) from the dunes to
Ruksat.