i88i] A JOURNEY IN THE HEjAZ 575 



Qahtan, Oteibe, and Beeshe, in a fertile district of palm 

 trees, two days journey in length, is a small but very 

 pugnacious tribe called, appropriately enough, the Sibe 

 (lion s whelp). They have two towns or villages 

 Ghanye and Hurme and are constantly engaged in 

 war with their neighbours. Al Mas had been more than 

 once in campaigns against them, for he assures me that 

 they are never quiet except when hungry. They ride 

 out to battle four or five men on one dromedary, each 

 brandishing several spears. These are the most important 

 and formidable tribes on the eastern side of the Shereefs 

 country. Of the tribes of the Hejaz proper, those which 

 I came in contact with are the Thageef, the Qoreish, and 

 the Hodheil. Of other tribes of the high mountain land 

 I heard little but the names. I may mention in particular 

 the Beni Fahm, who live at no great distance from Taif, 

 on beyond Thimala, and have the reputation of speaking 

 the best Arabic of any Hejaz tribe. To the south the 

 Shereefs dominions border on the powerful and warlike 

 country of the Aseer, with whom the Hejaz Arabs are 

 in frequent conflict. 



The reader is already familiar with the division of 

 this part of Arabia the Turkish province of Hejaz 

 into three parts the Tehama or low land, the central 

 mountainous country or true Hejaz, and the inland 

 plateau or Nejd. The Nejd is a land of pure nomads. 

 Far inland there are settled and fertile lands, but for 

 many days journey it is a country which can be inhabited 

 only by nomad tribes moving in their houses of hair from 

 place to place. The Oteibe in time of drought wander 

 far and wide. On our road home we met a band of them 

 within an hour s journey of Mount Arafa, travelling 

 homeward on the news that rain had fallen in their 

 own country. They had been away beyond Summar 

 in Yemenite territory. In the Hejaz proper, on the 

 other hand, the mountain plains and valleys are rich in 

 water, and villages with cultured land are numerous. 



