24. Hedye, where the Hadj remains two days. It is a Ghadeir, or low Wady
coming from Khaibar, which is four hours distant. The people of the
caravan often go thither to buy fresh provisions.
25. El Fahletein [Arabic]; apes, and what the Arabs call tigers, are met
with here. An ancient building of black stones is near it; it is called
Stabel Antar.
26. Biar Naszeif [Arabic], a number of wells in the sandy ground, which
are every year newly digged up, because the wind covers them immediately
after the caravans departure. El Fahletein is the last castle. At all
these stations small castles have been built, close to the basons in
which the rain water is collected. If there are any wells, they are
within the walls of the castle, and the water is drawn up by camels in
order to fill the basons, on the arrival of the Hadj. The pilgrims, in
order to lighten their loads, generally leave in every castle a small
parcel of provisions, which they take on their return. These castles are
garrisoned by four or five men of Damascus, who remain shut up there the
whole year until they are relieved by the passage of the caravan. It
often happens that only one man is left alive of the number; the others
having been either killed by the Arabs, or having died from the effects
of the confinement, for the fear of the Arabs seldom permits them to
issue out of the castle. Each of these castles has a Meghaffer [Arabic],
or protector, among the neighbouring Arab tribes, to whom the Pasha pays
a certain tribute. The office of these guardians, who are usually
inhabitants of the Meidhan or suburb of Damascus, is very lucrative, on
account of the presents and small contributions paid to them by the
pilgrims. One of them has been known to remain for twenty-three years at
Fahletein. Ibn Balousa, a man of the Meidhan of Damascus, is looked upon
as the chief of all these castles, and resides generally at El Hassa.
27. El Medine, where the Hadj remains three days. There are two
different roads leading from Medine to Mekke, the eastern and western.
The principal men of the Arab tribes of both routes meet the Pasha at
Medine, to learn which road the Hadj intends to take, and to treat with
him about the passage duty. On the eastern route [Arabic], the first
station from Medine is: