Page 131 - Travels in Arabia (Vol 2)_Neat

112 SURVEY OF TIIE [CH.

she appeared to suffer little, compared to our
stoutest Lascars, who complained bitterly of
the cold.
There are no houses either within or near
to Tahil and Nebk; and the Arabs merely
reside there during the date season. They
pay no attention to the cultivation of the
trees, which are nevertheless said to be very
productive. Ten or twelve of these palms
grow within a few feet of each other, with a
clear space in the centre, frequently occu­

pied by the Bedowins, and serving also to
shelter their flocks from the piercing winds
prevailing during the winter months. The
luxuriance and dark aspect of the foliage
of these clumps singularly contrast with the
glare and bleak aspect of the surrounding
landscape. The part of the coast occupied
by these groves sinks towards the margin of
the sea, but from thence it rises in a gradual
slope to the first range of hills, distant about

five miles. They are of schistose formation,
and rise to an elevation of about seven hun­
dred feet.
By spreading a boat’s sail over the trunks
of two of the date-trees, we sheltered ourselves