'Southern Arabia, by Theodore Bent, F.R.G.S., F.S.A., Author of 'The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland' 'The Sacred City of the Ethiopians' 'The Cyclades, Or Life Among the Insular Greeks' etc. and Mrs Theodore Bent' [‎421] (506/552)

421
CHAPTEE XXXYII
from the plain of mis'hal to the sea
We joined the camels on the way, and after two hours of
stones ascended the very steep Akaba Beva. The view from
the hills above—about 2,500 feet—is splendid, all the Yafei
mountains and the Goddam range ending at Haide Naab,
and giving place to the higher mountains of Eekab and
Ghiuda. We descended, but not much, into the lovely
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hadda, full of trees smothered with a kind of vine
with thick glossy indiarubber-like leaves; then we went on
straight up Akaba Hadda to the huge plain of Mis'hal, full
of villages, but ill-supplied with water. There are only
some very bad wells for the cattle, and they have to fetch
drinking-water from afar, from Ghenab and Lammas. We
engaged a Bedou's camel to keep us supplied, while resting
our own. The plain is 2,700 feet above the sea. The sheikh's
name is Mohommod-bin-Nasr Nakai; this is the first time
we heard this pronunciation of the Prophet's name. He was
determined to give us a grand reception. Sheikh Seil had
gone forward to announce us from Ghiuda, aud he came to
meet us on his pony down both akabas—a fearful journey.
We always liked Sheikh Seil very much. He was the
sheikh of Dirgheg. His hair and his shaggy chest were not
white, but a lovely sky-blue. In that part of the world old
people's hair is not dyed red with henna, as it is in other
parts of Arabia and Asia Minor and in Persia, so the effect of:
the indigo can be seen.