540 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



the Hejaz, were specimens of the talk growing by the lowest 

 beds by which the plateaus are intersected. Between 

 Wady Marr and Taif there are three such plateaus, 

 the Beheita, Okah, Okatz, and the great plain called 

 Hazm el Jemef a, which is known as the Navel, or highest 

 part of the Nejd. For by our Arabs this v/hole district, 

 as far as Taif, was counted to the Nejd, not to the Hejaz, 

 and the two plateaus first mentioned are pasture grounds 

 of the Oteibe, the great tribe of the western Nejd, 

 corresponding to the ancient Hawazin, whose lands run 

 inland almost to Oneize, and whose fighting men are 

 reckoned at 60,000. The Oteibe Nejd, and Hejaz, how 

 ever, are very variously defined. An old gentleman of 

 r Oneize gave me what seems to be the most ancient 

 definition, according to which the lower whole country, 

 including Mecca, and running inland as far as the Beheita 

 and Okatz, is Tehama. The Hejaz is the zone of highest 

 elevation, Rohba, Taif, Kara, and the great mountain 

 land south of Taif. The Nejd is the country beyond 

 Rohba falling away with a gentle slope as you move 

 inland. This seems to agree so far with the usage of the 

 Taif people, who, when they speak of the Hejaz road, 

 do not mean the road to Mecca, but that into the hill 

 country of the Beni Sofyan south of the town. 



VI. FROM THE BEHEITA TO TAIF 



My last letter closed with a general description of the 

 Beheita, to which I have still to add some particulars. 

 Crossing the plateau in an easterly direction we passed 

 under the southern flank of Mount Demah, the loftiest 

 point of the granite eruption. It appears that monkeys 

 are found here, for Al Mas related how he had once been 

 compelled by tempestuous rains to bivouac for two 

 days under the mountain, and ascending it in quest of 

 game, saw a red-haired Jinny, which from his description 

 was plainly a monkey. He was afraid to fire at it, but 



