[p.475] We continued in a S.E. 1/2 E. direction, passing over hills, and
at the end of four hours from our starting in the morning, we came to an
open, though hilly country, still slightly ascending, S.S.E. and then
reached by a similar descent, in five hours and a half, Wady Oszaita
[Arabic], enclosed by chalk hills. Here is another bitter well which
never yields a copious supply, and sometimes is completely dried up. A
few date trees stand near it. From hence we rode over a wide plain S.E.
b. S. and at the end of seven hours and three quarters came to Wady
Thale [Arabic]. Rock salt is found here as well as in Gharendel; date,
acacia, and tamarisks grow in the valley; but they were now all
withered. To our right was a chain of mountains, which extend towards
Gharendel. Proceeding from hence south, we turned the point of the
mountain, and then passed the rudely constructed tomb of a female saint,
called Arys Themman [Arabic], or the bridegroom of Themman, where the
Arabs are in the habit of saying a short prayer, and suspending some
rags of clothing upon some poles planted round the tomb. After having
doubled the mountain we entered the valley called Wady Taybe [Arabic],
which descends rapidly to the sea. At the end of eight hours and a half
we turned out of Wady Taybe into a branch of it, called Wady Shebeyke
[Arabic], in which we continued E.S.E. and halted for the night, after a
days march of nine hours and a quarter. This is a broad valley, with
steep though not high cliffs on both sides. The rock is calcareous, and
runs in even horizontal layers. Just over the road, a place was shewn to
me from whence, some years since, a Bedouin of the Arabs of Tor
precipitated his son, bound hands and feet, because he had stolen