"الطرق في بلاد فارس" [‎٥‎٦‎٩] (٨٥٢/٦٠٢)

569
R oute N o. 169 —contd.
7 BIDDIYAH .. 27 m. Across a plain wi'h
eome crags to the
192 m. small hamlet of Bid liyah
containing 4 houses and 2 wells.
9 QASR-AL- 35 m. Along the plain to
——— 'ASHIRWAT. tha south of Jabal
227 m. Aja.
Qasr-al-'Ashirwat, usually known as Al-Qasr by the inhabi
tants, is a palm hamlet containing several wells with good
water at 90—-96 feet. Cereals, vegetables and melons are
cultivated, and there are half a dozen date groves.
10 HAIL .. .. 24 m. The route lies across
a plain of granite grit at
251 m . the foot of the southern
slopes of Jabal Aja.
At m. 13, the desert town of Qafar, pronounced, locally,
Gofar, and by the Bedouin, Jifar. It contains nearly 3,000
people. The wells are about 100 feet deep, and there are date
groves and some cultivation.
From here the route gradually descends an extremely
barren plain into Hail.
See Route No. 8.
alternative of this route runs north-no-th-east from Baidha
Nathil to Muqaq (pronounced by the Bedouin Mogut;) 60 miles: and thence to
Qafar 22 miles. After leaving Baidha Nathil by this variant the route runs
across a granitic plain, then turns to the north of .Tabal Aja, and passing between
Jabal Ibran and the village of Jalayfah at m. 50, it ascends gently to Muqaq.
At Jafayfah there are wells with good and fairly abundant water at 24 feet; and
gome dates and com are grown. At Muqaq there .are wells with fair water at
54—60 feet and a few indifferent dates are grown. For the first mile after leav
ing Muqaq the route runs across a plain strewn with granite rocks. It then enters
a remarkable cleft, called the Rl'a-as-Salf. "which runs through Jabal Aja to
the pliin. In this cleft there is a spring which, however, may not be perennial.
At Qafar this variant joints the main route. C. C. R. M.
ROUTE No. 170.
F rom 'AQABAH to JAUF-AL-'UMR.
327 miles. U stages.
Authorities and Dates.—Vf. G. Palgrave, June 1862 ; D.
Carruthers, February and March, 1909.
Epitome.
General Description.—This is a portion of a supposed an
cient trade route betwen Egypt and the Persian Gulf which