'Persian Gulf Gazetteer Part II, Geographical and Descriptive Materials, Section III Central Arabia' [‎80v] (165/258)

(10) nail is probably of late foundation and has risen to importance only
through being the residence of the ruling family. The Arair entertains about
180 guests per day at an annual expense of perhaps £ 1,500.
HAIL ( WADI A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. ).—Kises close to Jebel Ajja about 40 miles south-west of
Hail and runs north-east passing close to Hail, which is on its right bank. It
continues for about 65 miles in the same north-east direction and is finally lost in
a depression at Haserab, not joining Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Rummah qs was formeily supposed.
HAJAKA,—According to Wallin the whole tract between the Dahna and
Irak is so caSed. It is a hard stony tract ; its surface presents an unvarjing
succession of broad ridges, like waves, alternating with grayelly plains, with
out a single hill or other prominent object above the undulating level, to
relieve the monotory or serve as a landmark The route from Jebel Shammar
across this tract to Meshed Ali runs due north. Huber describes Uajara as a
desert of calcareous stone, extending from the Nefud on south-west to
Jal-el-Batn on north-east and as running 4 days north-west and 3 days
south-east of Derb Zobeideh; he describes it as very uniform and absolutely
dry and sterile.
HALEYFA.— Outlying village somewhere in Jebel Shammar desert.
HAMAD.—Plain lying east of Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan and north of Jauf; a portion
also intervenes between Jauf and the Nefud. Height of last mentioned part is
2,220 feet ; it is absolutely level and bare of vegetation, a flat black expanse of
gravelly soil covered with small round pebbles. Guarmani appears to call
the part immediately north of Jauf Hameraiyeh. Huber treats the Hamad as
synonymous with the great Syrian desert and makes it contain "Wadian (q.v.).
Portion abutting on Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Sirhan below Kaf is an immense stony plateau,
with white calcareous outcrops of remarkable shape and a little further south
it contains Jebel Misma (2).
HAMEMIYEH—See Hamad and compare Jal-el-Jauf and Sekaka.
HAMRA.—See Feyd.
HAMUDTAH.—Depression in Northern Kaseem, about 40 miles east by
south of Kehafa and 2 hours north by west of Kusaiba. It was found abandoned
in 1880, having formerly consisted of 6 hamlets. There were no palms but corn
and barley were occasionally sown by Arab nomads.
HANEIDHIL.—Small place east of Boreyda, between it and Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Rummah.
HARB.—Great Arab tribe. (1) They are of Kahtanic origin. (2) Guar
mani divides them into "Beni Ali, Auf and Beni-es-Sefer. Doughty gives the
main sub-divisions as two only, Beni Salem andMosruh, the latter including
the Beni Ali and apparently the Auf ; he does not mention the Beni-es-Sefer.
Guarmani treats the Mosruh as distinct from Harb and divides them into
Maimun and Meranhe. The Beni Salem are divided by Doughty into 18 and
the Mosruh into 16 sub-sections, all of which he names. The Hazim sub-sec
tion of the Beni Salem are probably not really Harb and are sometimes ranked
as Sulaba. Doughty mentions also on Oreymat sept which does not appear in
his general classification. Furn is a sub-division of the Beni Ali. (3) Pelly
estimated the Harb at 1,000 (?men) while Guarmani assigned to them 1,000 fight
ing men and Doughty reckoned 2,000 persons as subject to the Amir of Hail alone.
PfTrt inhabit the Hejaz in the basin of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Humth between Mecca and
Medina, some being nomads and others villagers; others live above Medina
between the Wadis Humth and Rummah. North-north-east of the Harb are the
Heteym, but the Harb sometimes intrude as far east as Therrieh and Miskeh,
the Heni Ali section, apparently, lying furthest to the north and east.
Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Rummah divides them from the Ateyba on the south. Their country in
Central Arabia is a flat wilderness with bergs of basalt and gr^y-red granite.
(4) Many of them are of extremely dark or almost black complexion, but their
features are true Arab. The women have sometimes silver nose-rings. The
Lahebba sept of the Auf are professional robbers, chiefly of pilgrim caravans.
Doughty fouad the Beni Salem honest, kindly, hospitable and well-dressed for