Page 68 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

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COMMUNICATIONS
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fuel would be very scanty except in the latter district and
in Wadi Heislyah-Hanlfah. Water, as has been said, is tairjy
abundant except for two stages before Shaqrah is reached.
But it is brackish or saline between Qasim and Ayun es-birr ;
not good at Boreidah ; and often brackish between the latter and
Ha’if.

The alternative track from Boreidah to Riyadh, here described as
Route No. 16, encounters a heavy sand desert between Wadi
Rummah and Zilfi ; but it is of no great breadth and contains
oases For the rest of the way the going is hard, and water is
never far away. But the political conditions in Sedeir are always
uncertain, allegiance being divided between the rival Emirs, and
not well assured to either. Moreover, the people are fanatical.
Except between Zilfi and Mejma‘, Bedouins (Ateibah) are not to be
feared.
Supplies. Foodstuffs would be unobtainable between Boreidah
and Zilfi, but fairly abundant (on a small scale) on the rest of the '
route. Forage and fuel as on Route No. 15.

D. WESTERN ROUTES (Nos. 17-39)

The presence of the goals of pilgrimage in the western hinter­
land causes tracks to converge upon it from all quarters. It 1
alone among Arabian districts can be reached by railway (see <
Hejaz Railway, Route No. 17) from the outside world, and except '
' for the settled districts of the south-west and south-east of the
Peninsula, it alone has roads defended by any effective system of
blockhouses.
The points towards which all main tracks are directed are Medina
and Mecca, but account must be taken also of some routes which
make inland from the coast to the Hejaz Railway north of Medina,
and of coastal linking routes to Yambo‘ and Jiddah. The tracks
come from the centre (Ha’il, Qasim, or Riyadh) ; from the north
(Sjjia and Egypt); from the west coast and from the south (Asir
and ^emen). None of these reaches Mecca or Medina without
crossing some desert and more steppe, and, except between Jiddah
and Mecca, and along the coast line, all encounter hillv country =
and some difficult mountain passes. It should be noted that the
routes from the Centre are here reversed in accordance with the plan

tTe handbook. In general, the western routes are amoncr the
least safe in Arabia from nomad attack. a