THE CREAKING SAKKIEH 



It is upon the actual bank itself, which is a gentle slope 

 of ten to fifteen feet, that Lupines, Lubia beans, and other 

 plants are regularly cultivated. This narrow green ribbon 

 remains almost always on each bank. Where the cliffs 

 recede, one notices a line of tall, graceful date palms, mixed 

 occasionally with the branched Dom palm (the nut of which 

 yields vegetable ivory).^ Tamarisks, conspicuous for their 

 confused, silvery-green foliage, can be noticed here and there. 

 The Acacias are common enough, and sometimes one of 

 them is used as a hedge. It is a spreading, intricately- 

 branched little shrub, with very white branches and stout 

 curved thorns. 



If one lands and strolls along the banks below the palm 

 trees or amongst plantations of barley, wheat, or lentils, one 

 sees the native women in their dark green robes gathering 

 fruits or digging. Goats and donkeys are tethered here and 

 there. There are sure to be castor-oil bushes. Small but 

 neat pigeons, with a chestnut-coloured breast and bluish- 

 banded tails are perching on the palms or acacias, and utter 

 their weak little coo. The air is suffering from the horrible 

 creaking and groaning of a "sakkieh"*' water-wheel. This 

 is made entirely of acacia wood, and is watering the planta- 

 tions. Sometimes it seems like a crying child, then, perhaps, 

 one is reminded of the bagpipes, but its most marked peculi- 

 arity is the wearisome iteration. It never stops. One of them 

 is said to supply about 1| acres daily at a cost of seven 

 shillings per diem. Exactly the same instrument can be seen 

 pictured on the monuments of Egypt 4000 to 5000 years 

 ago. The " shadouf " is of still older date. This is a long 

 pole bearing at one end a pot or paraffin tin and balanced 

 by a mass of dried mud or a stone. All day long a man 



^ Used to make billiard balls. 

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