'Gazetteer of Arabia Vol. II' [‎1360] (415/688)

1360
NAJD
North-Easfern District —contd.
. Batn— conid. . . bottom of the Jal shows signs of strong water action and con
tains some pasture. There are various wells in Batn and its
elevation above the sea is about 1,640 feet. Batn is debatable
land between the Shamrnar and 'Anizah tribes.
Hajarah .. .. A hard stony tract or calcareous desert of great extent^ lying to
the north-east of the Nafud between Hazil on the north-west
and a point considerably beyond the ordinary Xajaf-Hail route
on the south east. On the south. Hajarah is bounded by tho
Kafud and on the north it includes Batn and a considerable
area beyond, approaching to within about 50 miles of Najaf.*
The greater part of Hajarah consists of an unvarying succession
of broad ridges, like waves, alternating with gravelly plains;
not a single hill meets the eye to relieve the monotony or serve .
as a landmark, unless we except the Jal-al Batn and a couple of
small hills called 'Athaman, which are 10 miles north of Batn
on the west side of the Darb Zubaidah. Hajarah is traversed
both by the Darb Zubaidah and b} 7 the Hazil route between
Xajaf and Hail. Shammar and 'Anizah Bedouins camp in it
while pasturage lasts and while there is water in the tanks upon
the Darb.
Hazil .. .. See Article Hazil.
Khadhra (Jabal) .. A solitary hill 2 hours south-west of the Khadhra wells on the
ordinary Xajaf-Hail route. It stands in a depressed tract of
dark soil which covers a large area.
L'nah .. .. Se?. article Linah.
Loqah .. .. A halting place on the direct route from Tauf-al-'Amir to Shabaikh
nn the Darb Zubaidah : it is said to lie 0 hours east of Hazil and
to possess about 25 wells with water, equal in goodness to river
water, at 12 fathoms from the surface. Loqah is used as a
summer camping ground by the Shammar.
Rutha (W adi-ar-) .. A valley which begins between the wells of Lainah and Birkat
Ashshar on the ordinary Najaf-Hail route ; it runs north as far
as Birkat Zibalah on that route, its drainage then dispersing part-
ly northwards to Batn and partly eastwards to Hajarah. The
adi is two or three miles in breadth, and its fall in a courss of
some 25 miles appears to be about 500 feet. The name Rutha h
derived from a plant which grows in the valley and is much prized
as pasture for both camels and horses ; the grazing rights belong
to the Shammar.
A camping ground about 25 miles east of Baqa'a sometimes used
by the Persian Hajj as an intermediate stage between Khadhra
and Qitaiyan near Baqa'a. At one time the pilgrim route
instead of continuing through Hail turned southwards at this
point and ran to Buraidah in Qaslm. Sha'aibah has 30 or 40
"vv el s, 15 to 20 feet deep, of very salt and bitter water; they stand
in a large bare space with hills of white sand to the north of them.
A great plain which extends from the Dahanah on the east into
Qasim on the west. In eastern end, which is diversified by
Sha'aibah
TaisTyah ..