"كتيّب الجزيرة العربية. مجلد II. ١٩١٧" [‎٤‎٦] (٥٤٢/٥٠)

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COMMUNICATIONS
The tracks to Qasim from Medina and Mecca are in only little
better case. That from Medina to Rass (Route No. 24), though
traversed by several Europeans during the Wahabite war of 1817-19,
has not been described in detail by any one. It has been covered
by considerable regular forces more than once—by the Egyptian
army in 1817-19, and by four Turkish battalions under Sidki
Pasha in late winter, 1905. The remnants of these last straggled
back from Qasim a year later stripped of arms, accoutrements,
and shoes. / | |
The track from Mecca to Qasim (Aneizah, Boreidah), given as
Route No. 25, is known from Doughty's and Huber's journeys only,
on alternative lines for most of the distance, the main pilgrimage
line remaining unseen. Since, however, it is a section of the great
trans-Peninsular route, and the alternative lines are almost as
much in use as the main pilgrim road, it merits more particular
mention here. As followed in the reverse direction from Mecca,
it is a single route as far as 'Asheirah, where the Darb es-
Sultani, the pilgrim road to Boreidah, diverges to the left. Farther
on, at Umm el-Masha'ib, the route forks once more, the two
branches (the left Doughty's, the right Huber's) uniting again at
Shabibiyah, near Aneizah. There are thus three alternatives for
part of the way. They traverse for the most part lava fields and
desert steppe sloping generally very slightly to the NE., at a mean
altitude, till they reach Qasim, of about 4,000 ft. The Darb
es-Sultani is said to be well provided with water. Elsewhere
watering-places are fairly numerous, but water is usually scanty
and poor. There is not much, apparently, to choose in the matter
of length : each of the first two appears to be just under 480 miles,
and the third less than 20 miles longer. It is difficult to compare
these routes : two of them have been adequately described by
Huber and Doughty respectively ; the Darb es-Sultani seems not
to be known by any European. This latter would appear to be
the easiest of the three, having most permanent water and reaching
inhabited places in the direction of Qasim sooner than do the
others ; on the other hand, both Doughty's and Huber's parties
were caravans of traders, not explorers, and therefore must have
followed the "line of least resistance. Perhaps they avoided the
pilgrim route because it traverses the country of the predatory
Harb ; but in so doing, they got into the country of the hardly less
formidable Ateibah. With this tribe, however, the Sherif's safe-
conduct is of more avail.
Supplies. On all this group of tracks, Routes Nos. 22-5, food-