File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎128v] (265/834)

— 102
four miles since issuing from the Sell el-Saghir. 1 he ravine
here is entirely barred by a wall of rock, up which a paved way
has been constructed leading to a narrow passage either hewn or
blasted through the solid rock. Above this passage on the hill
side stand the remains of a fort, built apparently long ago to
defend the pass against an enemy, but now in ruins, and beyond
the passage the road descends into the Shaib Raqad by a broad
paved roadway similar to that on the other side. The Hi el-
Manhut is certainly a position of immense defensive possibilities
and forms a very picturesque gateway to the sacred land of
the Hejaz.
Proceeding between the high rocky cliffs which form the
sides of the Shaib Raqad we turned westward up a ravine called
Seil el-Ghurban, about one and a half miles further down, and a
few yards further on ascended the steep pass of Ri el-Zallala up
which the going over large smooth boulders is precarious for
camel traffic. The summit of the pass gave us a magnificent
glimpse of the hills beyond the Seil el-Kabir, which we soon
reached after negotiating the steep descent from the Ri el-
Zallala.
The Seil el-Kabir, where we halted for the night, is about
twenty-two miles almost due north from Taif, being a wide
torrent-bed running from west to east through a wide circular
gap in the surrounding mountains. Westward a narrow gap
in the main barrier of the Hejaz hills marks the point where the
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Yamaniya flows out towards the Tihama ; eastward stands *
a range which turns back the waters of the Seil north-eastward
towards the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Fatima and over which passes the main route
to Ashaira ; southward lay the foothills through which we had
wended our way during the day, while north of us lay the broad
plain of Buhaita sloping down on the west to the Jusumain gap
of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Yamaniya and northwards towards a tumbled mass
of foothills which contain the upper reaches of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Fatima.
By the side of the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. stands a miserable little village
called Seil and a few huts belonging to the Sherif, in which we
lodged for the night, marking the point at which all pilgrims
from the direction of Nejd assume their Ihram garments if
bound for Mecca. We had descended some 1,800 feet during
the day, the village of Seil being situated at an elevation of
3,370 feet above sea-level.
The following morning we marched in a north-easterly
direction over the Buhaita slope for three and a half miles, when
we reached the Sunfara ridge, crossing which we reached the
entrance of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Haradha a mile further on. Here we
re-enteied^ the hills and followed the line of the broad wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
between high banks of bare rock for four miles when the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Bash, which is thelocal name of the lower reachesof the Seil el-Kabir,
came in from the right. Continuing in the same direction
we soon reached the confluence of three big wadis, namely the
Haiadha, which we had been following, the Birri coming in from