536 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



the Wady, reached the village of Zeima, where the great 

 highway from Mecca strikes our route. Zeima, lies 

 on the right or southern side of the Wady, under a 

 low hill crowned with a large fortress of the Wahhabites, 

 now in ruins. From the rocks under the fortress bursts 

 forth the hot spring which I have already mentioned. It 

 issues from a natural fissure, but is conducted for a little 

 way in a channel artificially hewn in the rock, and then 

 spreads into a pool, from which it is led in a conduit 

 under the Mecca road to fertilise the gardens. There was 

 formerly a great palm grove here, but nine years ago 

 the spring failed suddenly held back, as the natives 

 supposed, by the power of the Jinn and all the trees 

 perished save one or two. After three years there was a 

 great flood, which seems to have cleared the subterranean 

 channels, for the water returned and now flows in a strong 

 stream like a small mill-rush. 



Zeima was our halting-place for the night. We got a 

 small hut as our quarters, and purchased a sheep for 

 supper. I strolled out to examine the place, but my 

 escort were very nervous, and insisted on accompanying 

 me everywhere. Zeima, in fact, has a very bad name. 

 It is occupied by a branch of the Hodheil, who farm the 

 gardens from the proprietor, a member of the princely 

 family, and are reputed very bigoted and unruly. It 

 was here that Mr. Doughty was stopped and challenged 

 for not saying his prayers, after he had passed without 

 danger through some of the least- visited parts of Arabia. 

 Here, too, about twenty years ago for the Arabs can 

 never give dates except by saying that such a thing 

 happened in the year of the cholera, the year of the great 

 flood, or the like there was a great fight between the 

 Turks and the Arabs of Taif . The Turks, 500 in number, 

 defended themselves in the ruined fortress and behind the 

 loopholed walls of the gardens, but were ultimately forced 

 back towards Mecca, with the loss of their baggage and 

 horses, till they were joined by a reinforcement of the 



