'Routes in Arabia' [‎579] (612/852)

i
5T9
R oute N o . 173— concld.
At m. 39 Al-'Ali, a small walled town of some 400 houses
with 2,000 inhibatants in an oasis of date palms about 2 mile#
long. It has 2 main gates and is built against the steep cliff of
the Harval. Water is abundant from a series of slightly warm
springs. There is some cereal cultivation, and in the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. -
al-Kurra are some gardens irrigated by a small stream.
A few donkeys, cattle, goats and poultry are available.
R. S.
Here Routes Nos. 163 and 164 join in.
17 qal 'AT-AS-SUR- 21m. South.
At m. 9| Qal at
375 m( as Zumurrud, a tower
and cistern situated in a narrow rocky gorge.
The route then turns south-south-east.
At m. 21, Qal'at-as-Surah.
19 QAL'AT-AL-HAD- 57 m. South-south-east.
I YAH. At about m. 32 the
4.32 jn. route turns south.
At m. 57 Qal'at-al-Hadiyah, a tower with a well giving a
fair supply. R. S.
23 AL-MADINAH .. 103 m. South-south-east.
The route makes a
535 m big circular sweep to
the south of its general direction. There are three halting
places en route : —-Qal'at-al-Sujwa, Barraga, Ainat-al-Badan. At
m. 103 Al-Madmah, a town of 16,000 to 20,000 inhabitants, sur-
rounded by a solid stone wall about 40 feet high, loopholed for
musketry but without a ditch. At short intervals are
disposed semi-circular towers about 50 feet high, projecting suffi
ciently to afford flanking fire. The wall forms an irregular oval
running to a kind of angle at the north-west corner, where stands
the castle held by a Turkish garrison. There are four gate
ways, very massive and well built. The houses are well
built of stone ; the streets are narrow and in part paved. The
water-supply is from deep wells, many of which are brackish.
Dates, maize, wheat, barley, many fruits and vegetables are
cultivated.