'Persian Gulf Gazetteer Part II, Geographical and Descriptive Materials, Section III Central Arabia' [‎54v] (113/258)

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is, according to Pelly, first the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Ilanifa, north of that the plain of Mah-
mel and still further north the Sedeyr district, (iii) As the name of the
whole hilly country of Nejd, from Howtah round hy Kharej, Riadh, Shaab
and so up to Zulfah, Kaseetn and Washam; so considered Aredh is asubdivison
of Toweik, and Toweik, is synonymous with Nejd or the highlands of Central
Arabia. Pelly leaves the western limits of Toweik entirely undefined.^ Pal-
grave calls Jebel Toweik a wide and flat plain or rather plateau lying in the
form of a crescent and appears to consider that the districts of Sede} r, Aaredh
and Washam are situated upon Toweik and form respectively its north-east,
central and south-west segments, the last being continued between the
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Dowasir on the south and the pilgrim route from Kejd on the north,
Kaseem, according to Pal grave, is no part of Toweik but is enclosed in the
hollow of its crescent. (His map, however, places Washam where his book locates
Kaseem). The following particulars also are taken from Pal grave's account.
Average elevation is 1,000 to 2,C00 feet above the plain and not more than
3,000 above the sea. Loftiest ledges are in Sedeyr ; centre and south-west are
lower. Mostly calcareous formation, but to oast and south are peaks of granite.
(Doughty mentions, but does not locate, a lava field called flairat-al-Saudeh in
Jebel Toweik). The extreme verge is generally abrupt and takes a bold rise of
500 or 600 feet in chalky clilTs from the plain ; above this is a table land
followed by a second step upwards of 300 or 400 feet and occasionally by a third.
High grounds have good pasture, which lasts through the year, but the greater
the"elevation the less the fertility and the drier the soil. There are a few sidr,
markh and. talk trees ; water apparently scarce. Plateau is intersected by
maze of valleys, in which are concentrated all population and fertility of
Nejd; almost all have steep and some have precipitous banks. The slope of
most of these valleys is from east to west. Tow r eik water is seldom brackish
but often tastes of iron. Iron and copper occur. Climate of north part of
range in Sedeyr is extremely healthy, atmosphere dry and people distinguished
by ruddy complexion and good physique. Towards the southern and lower
end. the air is more relaxing and the people more slender and sallow. Palgrave
speaks of the last ridge of Toweik on the east descending suddenly into the
Pahna, from which it is clear that his Toweik corresponds with the widest of
Pelly's definitions. Polly prefers to call all the hills east of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Hanifa the
hills' of Aarelh [Toweik is taken by Palgrave to be the diminutive of
totck, a "garland'' or "twist"; and to refer to the complicated structure of the
range.]
TOWEYM.—Large town in Sedeyr district on route between Majmaa
and Horeymela, 1 march south of former and 2 marches north of latter.
Palgrave reckoned 12,000 to 15,000 inhabitants. Not well irrigated and stands
very high, being on 2nd step of Toweik plateau. In 1862 Toweym was capital
of district and seat of Wahabi governor. Houses were compactly built, gene
rally in two storeys, sometimes in three, streets were mere lanes, market-place
unusually large and situated near circumference instead of in middle of town.
Gates were guarded by day and closed by night ; walls were in tolerably
good repair and surrounded w T ith a deep outer trench destitute of water.
UDDAS —Wells in a wide gravelly plain dotted with barren mouldering
hills, 2 marches south-west of Kass on route to Medina.
UKLIB (BENI).—Bedouin tribe in Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Bisha.
VITAILAN.—Plateau about 6 hours east of the plain of Ormah on the
route from lliadh to Hofhuf, from which the Nefud is visible. The country
is open with a series of shallow depressions,
W 7 ABREH.—Halting place in a valley in the Sumaan. It is a main
central camping-ground for the tribes on their way to and from the coast.
There are upwards of 100 wells within a space of about 400 yards square;
but only a few were in good repair in 1865. The wells are cut 3 or 4 fathom
deep through sandstone rock. M my roads converge here, including a route
from Majmaa and a direct route from liiadh. There were remains of a
small hill fort near the place in 1865.