"دليل الجزيرة العربية المجلد II" [‎١‎٣‎٦‎٥] (٦٨٨/٤٢٠)

NAJD
1365
Next is reached WidySn Dawasir, the only district of ^ajdthat lies immediately
between Tuwaiq and the Great Southern Desert; the head of the valley or aggregation of
valleys composing it is said to lie towards the Red Sea watershed, its lengthy and ap
parently open course seems to be from west to east, and its lower extremity is the sub-
district of Salaiyil, a sandy tract which is irrigated exclusively from wells and lies perhaps
80 to 100 miles south of Shutbah, with a small fertile locality called Hamam intervening.
Widyan Dawasir is. in parts, not ill supplied with water from wells ; and it contains
manv villages and date plantations and much cultivation. ^ , .
At some point Widyan Dawasir receives, it is said, from the west a part of the dram-
age of Wadi Sabai', the first of the trans-Tuwaiq districts which we have had occasion
to notice. This district is a plain or system of open valleys with springs and shallow
wells where cultivable soil alternates with sandy desert and collections of stagnant
water are formed after rain. With Wadi Sabai' is associated another Wadi, that
of Tathlith, which lies apparently to the south of it and it sometimes reckoned a separate
district of Southern Najd. The last remaining district, Washam, is also behind i™iq,
but less remote from the centre of Southern Najd ; it lies immediately west of Sadair
and 'Aridh, it is practically surrounded by sandy deserts or by hills, and its drainage
seems to have no outfall. The soil of Washam is described as a sandy loam at times
cultivable by the unassisted rainfall. More full and exact information in regard to these
districts is given under the name of each. , . , . , . . ^ ,
Southern Naid is, like Jabal Shammar, a portion of Central Arabia which the lava
hills in the west of the peninsula have saved from burial under growing, and moving
sands : the limestones are still generally exposed, but here and there, especially in de
pressions, are strips and intervals of sand. , , . , , , . •
Climate and products.—The climate is healthy and, in the highlands even mvigorat-
ina Pasture is abundant, but there is a scarcity of trees except date-palms. The
four staple products of nearly all the districts are dates, barley, wheat and maize ; but
cotton and millet are also grown. Some localities produce fruits, including figs, peaches
citrons grapes, pomegranates and melons ; also lucerne, brinjals, onions, spinach and
other vegetables The date groves of Wadi Hanifah are famed for their size and luxuri
ance while the palms which cover the valley of Hautah are particularly fine and prolific,
a single tree there sometimes yielding (it is said) as much as 14,000 pounds weight of
dates in a season; the date plantations of Aflaj are described as extensive but thin.
Horses are bred by the nomad tribes and sent, for exportation, to 'Anaizah and Buraidah
in Qasim. Camels are numerous; those of the southern nomads have frequently a
blackish tinge and are smaller than the dun-coloured animals of Jabal Shammar. There
are no buffaloes, but cattle of a small-limbed, humped breed are comparatively abun
dant in the south, especially in Kharj : nowhere is there any lack of sheep and goats.
Wild animals include leopards, wolves, and jackals ; and in the south lions are said to
be found Among the game of the country are the gazelle, bustard, partridge, sand-
grouse, quail and pigeon and, possibly, the wild boar. Southern Najd, in common
with Jabal Shammar,* is said to enjoy almost complete immunity from insect pests.
Communications. — See Routes in Arabia, 1915.
Population— The population of Southern Najd, both fixed and migratory, is composite
^The Arab txibeiTto which the settled inhabitants of the districts principally belong are
the 'Anizah, Dawasir, Sabai' and Bani TamTm, to whom may be added the Fadhul and
Sahul Of these the Dawasir, besides practically monopolising Widyan Dawasir and
Aflat are found in all the districts enumerated above as composing the Wahhabi domi
nions except the petty ones of Wadi-as-Sirr and Wadi Tathlith ; the Sabai' are the next
most widely distributed after the Dawasir ; and the Bani Tamim, though not found in so
many districts as these two, are a strong tribe and enjoy a local predominance
in Sadair. Oher Arab stocks, but of less importance as settled residents in this
part of the country, are the 'Aid, Ashraf, 'Ataibah, Buqum, Bani Hajir, Harb, Hataim,
Bani Khalid, Mutair, Qahtan, Shammar and Bani Zaid ; the number of persons belong-
in^ to some of these is very small. Inferior non-Arab tribes of cultivators, comprehen
sively described as Bani Khadhir, are a large element in the population ; and the menial
caste of Sunna' is represented in many places : there are also a few Awazim or Hawazim.
"See Huber's Journal de Voyage, page 179,