File 756/1917 Pt 2-3 ‘ARAB BULLETIN Nos 66-114’ [‎130r] (268/834)

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a considerable area of palm groves. The first of these was
Jmnum at the foot of Sadar to our right beyond which lay Abu
Arwa and Humaima in the gap between iSadar and Mukassar.
Six miles dowm the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. w T e entered the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Fatima properly
so called at the village of Murshidiya which consists of a number
of large villas and little hamlets scattered over the broad bed of
the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. . To our right under the lee of Mukassar lay the
village of Muqawwa (apparently the Medua of our maps) and
from the left came in a broad wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. on the western edge of which
stood the considerable village of Shumaisi nestling in the folds
of the Shumaisi hills on the Mecca—Jiddah road.
Resting for a while at Sherif Muhsin’s country villa in Mur
shidiya for breakfast we resumed our course down the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. , now
about two miles broad between the hills which lined its sides.
Passing the village of Rikani in the folds of the hills on our right,
we soon discerned the narrow opening in the Shumaisi hills to our
left through which emerges the Mecca—Jiddah road and telegraph
line, and two miles further on we found ourselves on the road
itself. In five minutes we reached the village of Hadda, consist
ing of a few dingy houses and a large masonry mosque standing
in a considerable area, of palms.
From Hadda we rode at a rapid pace south-westward down
the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. , following the sandy track of the Mecca—Jiddah road
past the solitary well of Umm el-Qurun (two miles from Hadda)
to the fort of Bahra, a large square building built on a little
eminence and still showing signs of the bombardment to which
it was subjected by the Sherif’s forces during their advance on
Mecca. This was two and a half miles from Hadda, and half a
mile further on we passed through the large village of Bahra
itself. The village consists mainly' of straw-built huts, but the*
Snq, along both sides of which stand a large number of booths
of similar construction, seemed to be doing good business as we
passed through.
From Bahra we slanted across the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. towards the hills on
the right, and passing the post of Sudaiyan, situated in the wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
itself on the edge of the road, we Reached the fringe of the hills
close to the fort and tiny village of Bijadiya, the fort being placed
on an eminence which effectually commands the road in all
directions. This was about three miles from Bahra fort.
Here we left the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. Fatima behind us to pursue its south
westerly course towards the sea between its borders of hills ever
diminishing in height, and ourselves struck north-west through
the coast range of hills of low elevation. The road through the
hills is broad and level for the most part, a track well scored by
the passage of countless caravans and guarded at intervals by watch
towers held by small garrisons. The first of these was the
conspicuous white circular tower of Nuqtat el-Baidha, one and a
half miles from Bijadiya ; a mile further on stood the post of
Kathana, perched on a hill at whose base along the road stood a
few booths for the sale of light refreshments to passing pilgrims.