552 LECTURES AND ESSAYS [1880- 



November but since then the weather had been dry 

 and inclement, and great anxiety was felt as to the pro 

 spects of the season. Wheat had reached almost a famine 

 price. The Mohtesib, or officer in charge of the market, 

 could remember the day when the bushel (Ardebb) was 

 sold for about 75. two Maria Theresa dollars. It had 

 gradually risen from a succession of bad seasons, and was 

 now worth thirteen dollars. An oqqa 2j lb. of clarified 

 butter used to be worth 2\ piastres. It had risen to 25 

 say three shillings but with a good season might fall to 

 10. It seems to follow from these figures that the rise 

 of prices is not so wholly dependent on bad seasons as 

 the inhabitants suppose. The failure of the rain, which 

 if it did not come soon could not be looked for at all, was 

 the general theme of conversation, and when I went out 

 to walk in the town the children in the streets kept cry 

 ing, &quot; The Christians are come to us, and the rain is sure 

 not to come.&quot; To our great delight the clouds gathered 

 next day, and a thunderstorm, accompanied by showers, 

 passed over the town. The rain was not sufficient to 

 do much good, but the weather had broken, and abundant 

 rains followed in a few days. It is a curious fact that 

 almost the same thing happened last time that a party of 

 Europeans visited Taif after a severe drought of three 

 years. 



I return to Edrisi s description of the climate of Taif. 

 It is difficult to say which of the surrounding mountains 

 is meant when he speaks of the formation of ice in summer 

 probably Mount Barad, the Mountain of Hail, which 

 is the loftiest of the surrounding peaks. In Taif itself 

 ice is common in winter, and almost all the inhabitants 

 had their hands and feet chapped with frost. The 

 salubrity of the climate is, I imagine, overrated: the winter 

 climate is certainly good, though cold : but in summer 

 fever is not unknown. The place, however, is pleasantly 

 cool in the great heats, and is the favourite summer 

 residence of the Hejaz. The Waly, the Shereef, and the 



